In your assigned readings, you learned how cells divide in order to replace damaged and dead cells.

Normally, division is regulated resulting in healthy functional tissue. Cancer occurs when normal
regulation of cell division is lost and becomes uncontrolled. Uncontrolled division results in massive
reproduction of abnormal cells. Cancer is the result of unchecked cell division caused by a
breakdown of the mechanisms that regulate the cell cycle. The loss of control begins with a change
in the DNA sequence of a gene that codes for one of the regulatory molecules. Faulty instructions
lead to a protein that does not function as it should. Any disruption of the monitoring system can
allow other mistakes to be passed on to the daughter cells. Each successive cell division will give
rise to daughter cells with even more accumulated damage. Eventually, all checkpoints become
nonfunctional, and rapidly reproducing cells crowd out normal cells, resulting in a tumor or leukemia
(blood cancer).
For this discussion, you will select a specific cancer. What cell type is affected? Describe the defect
in cellular reproduction responsible for the cancer. Discuss therapy available for treatment of the
disorder. Does the therapy treat the symptoms or the genetic nature of the disease? Explain.

DISCUSSION ASSIGNMENT 4
PROSTATE CANCER
Cancer has over the years been killing a lot of people in the society due to some uncontrollable cells
in the body. It starts when the cells in the body grow out of control. In this process, when new cells
evolve and old ones don’t die when they should it results in the cells inability to perform its normal
function. Some patients get successful treatment but in Africa it’s been a bit difficult because a lot of
patient had died out of cancer.
As discussed earlier that cancer begins when cells in the body grow out of control. Prostate cancer
begin when cells the prostate gland starts to grow out of control. Prostate is a gland found only in
males which helps in the production of semen. Over the years researchers have tried to know what
really causes prostate cancer. They have at least found some risk factors and still studying to know
how these factors might cause prostate cells to become cancer cells. Basically prostate cancer is
cause by the changes in the DNA of a normal prostate cell. In this case, DNA fails to control the
growth of cells because of the changes in the normality of it.
In the mid-1980s the method for the treatment of prostate cancer with brachytherapy used
permanent implants. Brachytherapy is one the most suitable and effective treatment for prostate
cancer. High Dose Rate (HDR) brachytherapy is mostly used in the combination with external
conformal radiotherapy and hormone therapy. This HDR brachytherapy as an overdose after
radiotherapy is recommended in male patients who have not received radiotherapy treatment for
their prostate cancer. In most case HDR brachytherapy used as a monotreatment. Before the
implant an epidural anaesthesia is applied. HDR brachytherapy can be also performed over a few
sessions consisting of inserting catheters within the gland using high-activity radioactive sources of
iridium-192. This technique is mainly used as a boost to the prostate in combination with EBRT, but
monotherapy is safe and effective as well.
This HDR brachytherapy involves placing radioactive sources in the prostate gland, where the
radiation kills the cancer cells while causing less damage to healthy tissue nearby. It delivers a high
dose of radiation in a few minutes before the sources are removed.

REFERENCES:
• Clark, M. A., Choi, J. H., & Douglas, M. M. (2018). In Biology. essay, OpenStax, Rice University
• What Is Prostate Cancer? American Cancer Society. (n.d.). https://www.cancer.org/cancer/prostate-

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 cancer/about/what-is-prostate-cancer.html.
• Prostate radiotherapy. Treatment of prostate cancer. Instituto Imor. (2020, August 5).
https://imor.org/en/services/locations/prostate/?
gclid=CjwKCAjw87SHBhBiEiwAukSeUVWc1tShHH1CLCKEnxT-
oiRWccbMEDRzrI2qD075U91LcNwikgcQUBoCZSoQAvD_BwE.
• Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. (2020, March 10). Prostate brachytherapy.
Mayo Clinic. https://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/prostate-brachytherapy/about/pac-
20384949.

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