Racial Component Is Found in Lethal Breast Cancer - Essay Example

The New York Times (Grady, 2006) published an article d Racial Component Is Found in Lethal Breast Cancer, which revealed the racial differencesthat can occur in tumors and breast cancer in women. The study revealed that while breast cancer is more common in whites, young black women are more likely to die once they develop it. Death in black young women (those below 50) with breast cancer could also be attributed to lack of healthcare facilities, poor nutrition, environmental exposure and personal habits. While the study sorts the subtype by race, this particular type is known as the ‘basal-like’ subtype and as of now there is no treatment that concentrates on basal-like cancer. Basal like tumors are most commonly found in Nigeria and Senegal. Research is on to find drugs to block the specific molecules that these tumors need to grow. Women with mutations in a gene called Brca1 tend to develop this kind of aggressive breast tumor. Patterns of genetic activity of these tumors are measured through special tests because what the biological tests reveal turn out to be quite different from what the human eyes perceive. Researchers used new techniques of molecular biology to determine the patterns of gene activity in the cancer cells and then to classify and sort the subtypes by race. Further research is on to find an alternative to chemotherapy. Women of race are advised to get counseling in preventive care well before 40 especially if it runs in their family. As the incidence of breast cancer and mortality due to breast cancer keeps increasing in the USA, researchers and oncologists have been intrigued trying to find the root cause of breast cancer. While various physiological reasons have been associated, recent findings suggest that environmental factors react with genetic and individual predisposing factors and cause malignant tumors to develop in breast tissue. A paper Breast cancer and environmental risks: where is the link? by Mitra et al., (2004) was published in Journal of Environmental Health. To asses the environmental agents, the authors have reviewed previous studies focusing on xenoestrogens, organochlorines, polychlorinated biphenyls, and other environmental agents. Results revealed that exogenous estrogens present in the environment increase the growth of breast cancer cells while hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and oral contraceptives also play a significant role in the development of breast cancer during adolescence. Xenoestrogens may increase the risk of cancer among those who are subject to prenatal exposure of these substances. Response to estrogen may also lead to genetic mutation. Organochlorine is not counter effective as lactation provides a path for excretion. No association was found for breast cancer across all indices of exposure to atrazine while exposure to dieldrin may not only induce breast cancer, even survival is affected. Role of cigarette in breast cancer remains inconclusive although passive smoking poses an added risk when associated with genetic factors. Cooking meat at high temperatures produces heterocyclic amines (HCA) and when exposed to HCA through meat intake, chances of breast cancer increases. Thus the study found many environmental factors associated with increased indices of breast cancer. In the article in The New York Times, the author Grady refers to Dr. Lisa A. Carey, the medical director of the University of North Carolina-Lineberger breast center, as the “studys main author” which suggests that the research was carried out by a team of doctors or researchers. The study referred to in the journal article Breast cancer and environmental risks: where is the link? also was conducted by four researchers. While the newspaper article has been presented an author other than the researchers, the peer-reviewed journal is presented by the authors themselves. Considering that the newspaper is read not just by the people from the world of medicine but by the general public as well, enough details have been given. Both the newspaper article and the peer-reviewed journal mention that more research was needed to reach conclusions. The newspaper article is in very simple language which a common man can understand but the peer-reviewed journal has a lot of scientific terms and process described which would not be interesting for people other than doctors and researchers. The newspaper article points out the shortcomings admitted by the researchers, which has also been expressed in the peer-reviewed journal. In the case of the newspaper article the research was not triggered by the writer although he mentions that the study only helped to explain something that was already known. This implies that it was not a new research; it only added or helped to understand what beliefs existed. The study under review in the article was based on the stored tissue samples from 496 women who had breast cancer diagnoses from 1993 to 1996 and who were included in a project called the Carolina Breast Cancer Study. They used the same samples to study the pattern of gene activity and classify and sort them based on different subtypes. This would help bring out treatment based on the exact findings. To support the findings, the article quotes appreciation from doctors who were not a part of the study. On the other hand, in the case of the peer-reviewed journal, the authors had contradicting evidence about the role of environmental factors causing malignant tumors to develop in breast tissue. This triggered them to review the previous studies while carrying out new research also. The newspaper article does not go into too many scientific details while the peer-reviewed journal has all scientific terminology. The researchers used new techniques of molecular biology to determine the genetic pattern while the peer-reviewed journal used literature review. Literature search is a significant step in the research process. The authors have researched through literature even more than five years old. The research done conveys what others have done in the field and what more is left to be done but it is insufficient and inconclusive. Chronological method of literature review has not been applied even under different subheadings. No primary research has been conducted or sources used. It is merely an interpretation and review of several journals by different authors on the subject although enough literature has been considered. The information has been well synthesized but the results section and the discussion section have not been segregated. The result section should only present and illustrate the findings. Interpretation should be left to the discussion section but in this journal, opinions and interpretations are merged although the findings have been separately tabulated. The quantitative data that the researchers have summarized are also based on the earlier findings. The newspaper article too quotes from different doctors and researchers in support of the findings. The research as per the newspaper article reached the conclusion that young black women (usually below 50) with breast cancer were more prone to develop a type of tumor with genetic traits than the whites. Even though breast cancer is not so common in the blacks but if they develop, it is more fatal than if developed in the whites. In the peer-reviewed journal, the researchers were convinced about many of the environmental factors affecting the onset of breast cancer but for some like lindane, benzene and benzene compounds, risk factor could not be determined. Electromagnetic fields proved to be insignificant but passive smoking did add to the risk. Socio-demographic factors like race, ethnicity, and nutrition could be the reason for inconsistencies across studies according to the authors and they suggest further research to verify associations. The researchers in the news paper article are however confident that very soon findings could lead to the development of drugs that could treat basal-like subtypes found among the black women effectively. They are also researching for risk factors for the basal-like subtype to help prevent it altogether. Research is always an ongoing process and both the article and the peer-reviewed journal concede that more research needs to be conducted. Popular press articles cater to the masses and have to be simple in nature without too much of technological terms while the peer-review journals are read by those interested in the subject and hence tends to be highly technical in nature. The press articles do not have to follow a set pattern of an abstract, an introduction, findings and discussions, followed by conclusion which the peer-reviewed journals have to. Citations have to be properly given and works of others acknowledged in a journal which is not usually the practice in popular press articles. Press articles use direct quotes while journals acknowledge works of others by citing the year and names of authors in parentheses. Press articles have to me made interesting to the reader and hence the pattern differs while the journals usually report their findings in a defined order. Press too have to be careful though when revealing scientific findings and must have a definite source of information. In fact, they are more prone to public criticism which the peer-reviewed journals are not exposed to. The peer-reviewed journals normally carry a review of others’ works and reach a conclusion while the popular press articles print articles meant for the masses. References: Grady, Denise. (2006), Racial Component Is Found in Lethal Breast Cancer, The New York Times, June 7, 2006 Mitra, Amal K. Faruque, Fazlay S. and Avis, Amanda L. (2004), Breast cancer and environmental risks: where is the link?(Features).Journal of Environmental Health 66.7 (March 2004): p24(9). (7004 words) From British Council Journals Database. Read More