Families Assignment # 1

Write a blog to answer the following questions: (each answer must be a minimum of 3 sentences)

1. Describe one theory about the general pathophysiologic changes that occur in cancer from the cellular level to the tumor stage.

There are two broad categories of genes, which can be affected from the gaining or losing of entire chromosomes to a mutation affecting a single DNA nucleotide. Oncogenes have the ability to be normal genes, which are often expressed at high levels, or can be altered genes. Regardless,, expression of these genes will promote the malignant phenotype of cancer cells. Tumor suppressor genes can also inhibit cell division, survival, or other cancer properties. Generally, changes in many genes are required to go from normal cells to cancerous cells. Most of these changes are mutations, or errors in mitosis, which can result in an abnormal number of chromosomes. Oncogenes also promote cell growth, and can produce hormones (chemical messenger) between cells to initiate mitosis. Mutations in proto-oncogenes, which are normally quiescent counterparts of oncogenes, can modify their expression and function. When this happens, the proto-oncogenes become oncogenes, and this transition upsets the balance of cell cycle regulation, making uncontrolled growth possible cancerous cells. There are also tumor suppressor cells, which can get turned off, and can change healthy cells to cancerous. Cells will grow and divide faster than normal. If DNA repair is not functioning, then it will be difficult for cells to detect this malfunction.

http://beatthecancer.blogspot.com/2009/01/pathophysiology.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/2068251/The-Pathophysiology-of-Cancer

2. What can nurses do to confront teenage smokers (think about developmental stage) to get them to quit?

Nurses can confront teenage smokers by being more aware of their developmental stage, which is identity vs. role confusion. I think talking one on one with the teenager without a parent would be helpful, showing images of what can happen to their body and the effects of smoking. I also think teenagers look up to celebrities in the media, and maybe connecting the idea that not all celebrities smoke will also influence them. I also think it would be helpful to try and motivate the teenager to quit by giving real-life stories about friends or family who have undergone this difficult task

3. If parents smoke, do you think their kids are more likely to smoke?

I definitely believe that if parents smoke then their kids are more likely to smoke. However, my parents both used to smoke until about ~ 9 yrs ago… and I have never smoked a cigarette in my life. Smoking cigarettes is the most disgusting thing to me, and I would never be around people who do that. So, I feel that there are exceptions to the rule, but I also believe that smoking is the “cool” thing to do, and many kids do it because of this… an example being my 17 yr old sister… who just started hanging out with people who do, and now she does… regardless of what I tell her.

4. What is the most common cause of death in males and females under the age of 18?

The most common cause of death in males and females under the age of 18 is motor vehicle accidents. I believe this is due to their lack of responsible driving, texting while driving, and being distracted by friends or family while driving. I don’t find this to be surprising, which is kind of sad. I also feel that teenagers feel the need to drive more recklessly to be “cool.”

5. List one strength and one weakness in the next generation of school age kids and explain your answer.

One strength of the next generation is that they are more educated with higher level degrees than our past generations. It is now the norm for kids to go to college, and parents begin saving money with Florida prepaid for their children before high school or even middle school. One weakness in the next generation is that there is a rapid increase in diabetes type ii in school age children. Lack of adequate nutrition, exercise, and involvement in activities aids in this increase.