Case Study #1

Case Study #1: Integumentary System

Part I—"Soaking Up the Sun" Questions

* What are some differences between Judy and Mariah that might make Judy more "at risk" for skin cancer than Mariah? (2 points)

Judy is considered more at risk for skin cancer because she has pale skin and red hair, whereas Mariah has tan skin and black hair. With Judy’s light complexion, she doesn’t have the melanin (or quite enough melanin) in her skin that fights off UV rays. Mariah, having darker skin, does have this defense from the sun.

* What observations did Judy make concerning her mole? How could they have used the ABCDE’s of skin cancer assessment to further assist their observations? (2 points)

Judy observed that her mole was bigger, had jagged edges, had different colors from one side to the other, and had a raised purplish-black spot in the middle. They could have used the ABCDE’s of skin cancer to assess this mole by observing how the mole was asymmetrical (A), its jagged border (B), the color change (C), its larger diameter (D), and the elevated spot in the middle (E).

* Should Judy be concerned? Why or why not? (2 points)

Yes, Judy should be concerned because all of the factors (ABCDE’s) are there in plain sight, indicating that she could very well have skin cancer.

Part II—"The Basics of Cancer" Questions

* Considering the differences between a benign tumor and a malignant tumor, why might a benign tumor be easier to treat? (3 points)

A benign tumor would be easier to treat because once the mole is cut off, that is the end of it. With a malignant tumor, doctors have to go in surgically and remove the tumor, along with any other cancerous cells that may have spread, on top of chemotherapy treatments to remove any of these cancerous cells they may have missed.

* Judy learned that every single person has these cell cycle genes so cells in our body can divide when necessary. What are some normal circumstances where our bodies might need to...