Essay Assignment

Write a research paper on a specific type of cancer occurring in either the digestive system or endocrine system.

Your assessment involves researching a cancer that affects the digestive or the endocrine system and learning how the disease affects the body as it progresses or spreads. You will also examine the therapies available for treatment of this specific type of cancer, and lifestyle choices, such as changes to diet and nutrition, that might aid in prevention or treatment of this type of cancer.

By successfully completing this assessment, you will demonstrate your proficiency in the following course competencies and assessment criteria:

• Competency 1: Describe the organization of the human body at increasingly complex levels.

o Describe cancer in biological terms at the levels of the cell.
o Describe the steps in the progress of a specific type of cancer.
• Competency 2: Explain homeostasis as it relates to human biology.

o Explain how cancer disrupts homeostasis.

• Competency 5: Evaluate the objectivity and legitimacy of biology information found in articles and online.

o Identify a high-quality and appropriate scientific information source on a biological topic.

• Competency 6: Apply biological concepts to factors related to human health.

o Discuss the therapies available for treatment of a specific type of cancer.
o Discuss the lifestyle choices that might aid in prevention or treatment of a specific type of cancer.

• Competency 7: Communicate effectively in a variety of formats.

o Write coherently to support a central idea in appropriate format with correct grammar, usage, and mechanics, including correct APA format and citations.

Fundamentally, cancer is a failure of the immune system. Cancer kills because it spreads and disturbs homeostasis. For this assessment, select, research, and then describe a specific type of cancer occurring in either the digestive system or endocrine system. Note: If you choose the digestive system, you may discuss a cancer of the primary digestive system or that of an accessory organ. To select the specific type of cancer you wish to research for this assessment, you are encouraged to refer to the materials linked in the Resources.

In order to complete this assessment, you will need to find high-quality, appropriate, and credible research resources on a specific type of cancer. Resources in the Capella library are recommended because they have been selected for quality and credibility, and are peer-reviewed. If you conduct Internet research outside the library, your resources must be reliable. The "Top 100 List: Health Websites You Can Trust" article, linked in the Resources under the Internet Resources heading, will be of particular help in selecting appropriate sources.

Assessment points will be deducted for citing unreliable sources such as Wikipedia, or other sites based on user-generated content. These sites are not peer-reviewed, and, in the case of Wikipedia, anyone can add an entry or change an entry. Hence, these types of sources should not be cited in college-level research papers. However, you may find Wikipedia useful as a starting point for your Internet research, as Wikipedia entries may provide links to other resources that are reputable and reliable.

Based on your research, write a paper that addresses all of the following:

• Identify the type of cancer of the endocrine or digestive system that you have researched. Which cancer did you choose, and what part of the body does that cancer affect?

• What are the biological changes that occur at the level of the cell that result in this type of cancer? What are the biological changes that occur at the level of the major organ as this cancer progresses?

• What characteristics of cancer cells distinguish them from normal cells?

• Consider how the disease affects the body as it progresses or spreads. What are some specific aspects of homeostasis that the spreading disease could affect? What self-regulating systems are upset because of this disease?

• Which therapies are available for treatment for this specific type of cancer? How do these therapies work biologically to treat this type of cancer?

• What are some lifestyle choices that might aid in prevention or treatment of this type of cancer? How do you incorporate these lifestyle choices in your daily life?

• How are the biological changes of this cancer, at the level of the cell and organ, similar to and different from changes in other types of cancer?

Formatting Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication should be free of errors that detract from the overall message.

• APA formatting: References and citations should be formatted according to APA (6th edition) style and formatting.

• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12-point.