Cancer+and+AIDS+&+HIV+-+Period+1

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__Overview__
toc Pediatric Cancer Pediatric cancer is classified as uncontrollable growth in abnormal blood cells. But in this case, it is focused on children and adolescents between the ages of 1 to 18 (“Children”). In the United States, childhood cancer is the leading disease killer. It passes asthma, cystic fibrosis, [|diabetes], and pediatric AIDS combined (THON). Since there are 12 major categories of cancer, childhood cancer happens to fall under all 12 of these categories.

Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer is when cells in the breasts are abnormal, and the make "copies" of themselves and more and more of those harmful cells develop in the breast (Kid’sHealth). Soon those cells come together and create the harmful tumor causing the cancer (Kid’sHealth). This fatal disease is most common in older women, the older the women gets, the higher the risk becomes. But it's not only women, men can get it too.

AIDS
Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome, also known as AIDS, is a killer disease with countless ways of attack (Mirza). AIDS is caused by Human Immunodeficiency Virus, also known as HIV. HIV breaks down the immune system, and leaves a person open and less likely to be able to fight opportunistic infections and certain types of cancers (AIDS/HIV).HIV is often a silent killer. Undiagnosed and undetected, yet still destroying the body until it has reached AIDS status. Some people don’t have any symptoms for a few months, some not even for a few decades (AIDS/HIV).

Pediatric Cancer
People may think pediatric cancer isn't that common in today's society, but they are wrong. Each year, one in almost every 330 Americans will be diagnosed with some type of cancer by the young age of 20. There is an average of 12,500 children and adolescents in the United States that develop a form of cancer every year ("Welcome"). Unlike adult where cancer reflects their lifestyle like smoking, their diet, occupation, and other cancer exposure to cancer-causing agents; there does not seem to be a specific cause of cancer in children. Since there is no main cause of cancer found in children, there is no way of preventing it. Even though the cancer death rate in children and adolescents have decreased the past couple of years, around 2,300 children and teenagers will still die each year from cancer. Some cancers found in children such as brain stem tumors, metastatic sarcomas, relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia, and relapsed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; there is not a very good chance of recovery or a positive outcome ("Welcome").

AIDS Transmission
There are many ways to contract HIV/AIDS. These modes of transmission are a definite problem in society. Ways to get infected include “immoral” sexual contacts, homosexual, heterosexual, or with multiple partners, or being born to a HIV positive mother (Mizra). Also receiving HIV infected plasma, blood, vaccines or intravenous drug abuse using infected syringes. HIV/AIDS is transmitted when bodily fluids that contain the virus get into your system (CDC’S).The most common mode of transportation is sex. Anal sex, vaginal sex, and oral sex, in that order. HIV can enter the body through [|mucous membranes] during sexual activity (“AIDS/HIV”). Women can transmit HIV to their babies during pregnancy, breastfeeding, or birth.

No Cure
There is no vaccine for HIV. There is no cure for HIV. Some medicine types can prolong misery from the disease and reduce or delay the effect of opportunistic infections. This medicine does not eliminate HIV, but suppresses the growth of the virus. AIDS is a fatal disease (AIDS/HIV). The only true method of treatment, is prevention.

Cost to Society
A person with AIDS has a huge effect on society. The average annual cost for the care of an HIV-infected individual is between $10,000 and $15,000 in the U.S. (Lo). For people that are more advanced in the stages of AIDS, the annual cost is $34,000. Because of large [|budget deficits], many states and countries are finding it hard to pay for such expensive care. Although it is expensive, special funding for HIV is necessary because it is for public health reasons (Lo). HIV is an infectious disease.

Breast Cancer
Breast Cancer, just like AIDS and Pediatric Cancer, is carried through the cells in the body. But it the cells attack the cells in the breast in the men and women. A common way to tell if breast cancer is in your breast, is if your rub the breast and there’s a bump. It is very common in women because In 2007, 202,000 women were diagnosed with Breast Cancer in the US (CDC). It is very deadly if not treated by medicine or removed by surgery. Not only were many diagnosed in 2007, yet 40,500 women died of Breast Cancer in 2007 in the US (CDC). Many risk factors are age, because the risk rises as you age, genes, and personal factors. HER2 (Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2) also known as Neu, ErbB-2, CD340 (cluster of differentiation 340) or p185 is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ERBB2 gene. HER2 is a member of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR/ErbB) family. Amplification or over-expression of this gene has been shown to play an important role in the pathogenesis and progression of certain aggressive types of breast cancer and in recent years it has evolved to become an important biomarker and target of therapy for the disease ("Neu"). So the drug that would block this receptor is the drug Trastuzumab or Herceptin ("Trastuzumab").

AIDS Prevention
If we ever want to be able to fight AIDS, prevention needs to be worked on the hardest. It needs to be made certain that there are the fewest number of people contracting HIV/AIDS so that those that are already infected can be managed (As). Condoms can reduce the risk of contracting HIV/AIDS sexually. Only use clean, sterile needles and syringes. If you are sexually active get tested regularly. Avoid contact with other people’s blood (“AIDS”).

AIDS Treatment
Treating those who already have AIDS helps the epidemic. Most patients in the U.S. survive many years after diagnosis because of the availability of HAART. HAART is highly active antiretroviral therapy and is a mixture of different medications used to treat HIV/AIDS, suppress the virus, and make your immune system as normal as possible (“AIDS”). When people are on HAART, the possibility of transmission is reduced. HAART does not cure HIV, but it has been highly effective for the last 12 years. Also, when HAART is started in the early stages of HIV, the annual cost of care lowers dramatically. HAART gives those with AIDS a chance for a almost healthy normal life.

Pediatric Solutions
All treatments depend on the type of cancer the severity of it. The three main type of treatments for cancer. Chemotherapy, surgery, and radiation therapy although there are some alternative treatments ("How"). Also, more than one of these treatments can be used in different cases. The most commonly used and most effective treatment is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is most effective because it affects the rapidly growing cells. Children usually recover from higher doses of chemotherapy unlike their parental counterparts. More intensive treatment equals better chances of treating the cancer more effectively, but more intensive treatment can lead to long/short term side effects. But doctors can try balance the more intensive treatment with less side effects ("How").

Cancer Treatment
Surgery; Surgery is usually used for many solid tumors which means it is a very essential part of the treatment. Surgery is used to remove the tumor. Along with the tumor there may be some surrounding tissue and [|lymph nodes] removed during the operation. In some cases the victim may go through radiation therapy or chemotherapy to shrink the tumor before the surgery. Think makes it easier for the surgeon to remove the tumor ("National Cancer").

Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is known as "anticancer drugs" that helps treat cancer. Chemotherapy is also known as systemic therapy, this means that the drugs the children are given flow through the bloodstream to almost every part of the body to kill cancer cells wherever there may be cancerous cells. There are some drugs that work more effectively together, so some cases may need more than one drug to help treat it. This chemotherapy tactic is called combination chemotherapy ("National Cancer").

Radiation Therapy
Radiation therapy is a treatment using high energy rays targeting cancer cells to either damage or destroy them. The rays are aimed at the part of the body that has cancerous cells and the radiation destroys the cells in that general area. Doctors can use radiation the shrink tumors before surgery. Then radiation therapy can be used to stop the growth of cancer cells after the surgery ("National Cancer").

Breast Cancer Therapies
All cancer types are different which means they all have different types of treatments. Three of the main treatments are Chemotherapy, Surgery, and Radiation Therapy. For Breast Cancer, it all depends on the type of cancer. With lumpectomy, the cancerous tumor is removed by surgery. To rid of mastectomy of the breast, the entire breast will be removed to completely remove the tumor. The purpose of Breast Cancer treatment is to rid of the cancer and prevent it from returning. This treatment is the one most recommended to treat and control cancer. It is a treatment of cancer with an antineoplastic drug or a with a combination of such drugs into a standardized treatment regimen. The most common chemotherapy agents act by attacking the cells the divide rapidly. This means that chemotherapy also harms cells that divide quickly under normal circumstances like bone marrow, digestive tract, and hair follicles. This means a big side effect to chemotherapy is hair loss. Another side effect would be Mucositis, of inflammation of the digestive tract. Targeted therapy is not chemotherapy. Targeted Therapy is when the anticancer drugs act directly against the abnormal proteins in the cancer cells ("Targeted"). Targeted cancer therapies may be more effective than current treatments and less harmful to normal cells ("Targeted"). The definitive experiments that showed that targeted therapy would reverse the malignant phenotype of tumor cells involved treating Her2/neu transformed cells with monoclonal antibodies in vitro and in vivo by [|Mark Greene's laboratory] ("Targeted"). Using targeted therapy would mean lowering the risk of hair loss or Mucositis from the chemotherapy, yet still target and eliminate the harmful cancer cells.

Breast Cancer Medications
Medicine is usually used after surgery would happen. Breast Cancer risk is raised by estrogen, the female hormone. So after the breast surgery is finished, Anastrozole is prescribed to the patient to lower or inhibit the synthesis of estrogen ("Anastrozole"). There are also drugs that would work along with the chemotherapy, such as Gemcitabine or Gemzar ("Gemcitabine"). Then there are drugs that can act alone to stop breast cancer. One of those drugs is Trastuzumab or Herceptin. It acts by interfering with the HER2/neu receptor, by doing this it it stops the uncontrollable reproduction of the cancerous cells ("Trastuzumab").

__** References **__

 * 2005 Human Pink Ribbon. Digital image. Electronic Cigarette Blog. 8 Apr. 2011. Web. 16 May 2012. <[]>. **


 * "AIDS/HIV." Global Issues in Context Online Collection. Detroit: Gale, 2012. Global Issues In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. **


 * "AIDS." The New York Times Health Guide. The New York Times Company. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . **


 * "Anastrozole." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2012.  **


 * "As complicated as ABC: condoms and abstinence can both play a role in AIDS prevention." Christianity Today Feb. 2004: 25. Student Resources in Context. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. **


 * CDC Breast Cancer Home Page. Usa.gov. Web. .  **


 * CDC's Role in Global HIV Care and Treatment." Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 09 Aug. 2010. Web. 12 Apr. 2012. . **


 * "Children's Cancer Research Fund." About Childhood Cancer. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. < http://www.childrenscancer.org/main/about_childhood_cancer/>. **


 * "Gemcitabine." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 29 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. .  **


 * "How Are Childhood Cancers Treated?" American Cancer Society. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. .  **


 * Kid's Health- Breast Cancer. Nemours. Web. . **


 * Lo, Bernard, Leslie E. Wolf, and Bernard Lo. "AIDS: II. Healthcare and Research Issues." Encyclopedia of Bioethics. Ed. Stephen Post. 3rd ed. Vol. 1. New York: Macmillan Reference USA, 2004. 129-137. Global Issues In Context. Web. 20 Mar. 2012. **


 * Mirza, Moazzam Baig. "Some facts about AIDS." Economic Review Sept. 1994: 21. Student Resources in Context. Web. 16 Mar. 2012. **


 * "National Cancer Institute." Young People with Cancer: A Handbook for Parents -. Web. 02 Apr. 2012. .  **


 * "Neu." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 24 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. .  **


 * "Targeted Therapy." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 21 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. . **


 * THON THURSDAY – What Is the Four Diamonds Fund? Digital image. The Corner of College and Allen. Penn State University, 29 Oct. 2009. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. . **


 * "Trastuzumab." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 25 Mar. 2012. Web. 30 Mar. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trastuzumab>.  **


 * Using New Media to Act against AIDS. Photograph. Blog.AIDS.gov. Web. 27 Apr. 2012. <http://blog.aids.gov/2009/04/using-new-media-to-act-against-aids.html>.**


 * "Welcome!" Home. Web. 06 Mar. 2012. <http://www.thon.org/whatisthon>. **

__** External links **__

 * AIDS **


 * National Breast Cancer Foundation **


 * The Pediatric Cancer Foundation **


 * Pediatric Cancer Foundation **


 * Center for Disease Control and Prevention **