Effectiveness of Cancer Treatment Research Assignment (Research Paper Sample)

Effectiveness of Cancer Treatment
Name
School
 
Experimental Design
I chose cancer experimental design, and I found out that experimental cancer design involves preclinical and clinical studies. Doctors and scientists conduct pre-clinical and clinical trials on the test drug candidate. In vitro and in vivo assays are used in cancer drug bio screening. The first phase of experimental studies is pre-clinical trials. Researchers use animal analogs like mice to study the genesis of cancer, cancer progression and the effectiveness of the test drug candidate on cancer cells. The second phase of experimental studies is clinical trials. Pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of the test drug are investigated. Clinical trials can either be open blind, single-blind or double-blind. In open blind both the researcher and the volunteer are aware of the treatment, in single blind only the researcher is conscious, and in double-blind both the researcher and the patient are not mindful. A placebo a drug that resembles the test drug but is pharmacologically inactive is used in the double blind trial(Cancer.Net, 2017).
I used the existing standard cancer anti-agents for pre-clinical trials. In vitro assays gave the idea on how anti-cancer agents may work in vivo, Its effect on enzyme systems, nucleic acids, and biomolecules in the body. In vivo assays gave the idea on the effectiveness and potency of the present anti-cancer drug agents. I subjected mice to different carcinogenic chemicals to trigger the development of cancer cells, and later I tried to treat the cancer cells with the existing cancer therapy. As for clinical trials, I interviewed an oncologist and a patient. I had to find out the mechanism of action of cancer drugs, their side effects, and effectiveness in therapy. In spite of the success of this experiment in determining the potency of the current cancer drugs, there were limitations. Specific anticancer agents were ineffective in some animal models unless their genome was manipulated genetically. Genetic engineering is another tedious process(Gengenbacher, Singhal and Augustin, 2017).
Observation
When mice were exposed to carcinogens tumorigenesis process began, and the rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of cells became visible to the human eye. Spontaneous mutations triggered by the carcinogens resulted in the growth of malignant tumors (Balmain and C.Harris, 2017). There were some significant changes I observed. The mice were writhing in pain as a result of tumor progression. They experienced weight loss, changes in feces and urine, eye, and nose discharge, changes in their coat from fine to rough and loss of appetite. They also looked depressed, and they had restricted mobility (Iacuc.ucsf.edu, 2017).
I chose the intraperitoneal route of drug administration as my preferred route and administered the most effective dose. Later I observed the changes that were taking place. There was a definite response in 60% of the population. The rest showed resistance to the existing medications. The ones that were responding to medications stopped writhing in pain as a result of the slow down of tumor progression.
Interviews
I interviewed an oncologist who explained to me the process of pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of cancer drugs in clinical trials as well as their potency and therapeutic effectiveness. I found out that most cancer drugs are administered intravenously to avoid first-pass metabolism hence a 100% bioavailability is attained thus ensuring that the whole active dose reaches the target cancer cell. I also found out that cancer cells are cytotoxic therefore clinicians use monoclonal antibodies to target neoplasms. Monoclonal antibodies are specific hence they will deliver the cytotoxic agent to its particular target cell (Oncohema Key, 2017). I learned that the efficacy of the existing cancer drugs is low and it’s only useful in the early stages of cancer (Anon, 2017). This explains why cancer is a regarded as a killer disease. The oncologist stressed on the need to support cancer research programs and the creation of awareness of this pandemic. The public should be mobilized to go for cancer screening at least twice a year to prevent a possible resistance to cancer treatment. He admitted that much still has to be done to win the battle against cancer.
Cancer patients go through hell psychologically and physiologically. Contracting cancer is like a death sentence to some of these patients. Some respond to medications while others just take medicines in the hope of getting better someday. I interviewed two cancer patients, a stage IV and stage II patient to be precise. The cancer stage II patient was responding well to medication while the stage IV patient was reacting slightly. Stage IV cancer is advanced metastatic cancer unlike stage II which has not migrated too far hence treatment in stage II is more manageable than stage IV. I learned that both patients developed a post-traumatic disorder. They had anxiety and emotional pressures from the diseases. The chronic pain itself enhanced the development of post-traumatic confusion and fear. Chemotherapy and cancer treatment inflicted physiological stress. They lose sleep and appetite, get fatigued and feel nauseated after chemotherapy hence it’s a horrible condition, sometimes they are forced to change medications especially when chemotherapy is not working. The actual cost of cancer treatment is high; this is another stressing factor among cancer patients especially the less privileged ones.
I learned that the current cancer treatment is not potent enough to all types of cancer. Some patients do not respond to cancer chemotherapy. I also found out the need for counseling cancer patients to help them overcome fear and anxiety. The government should also support cancer patients by subsidizing cancer treatment.
Procedure
I had 100 healthy mice as animal models, a weighing balance, vinyl chloride a carcinogen, 1000ml of 0.05 M sodium arsenite also a carcinogen and two Avastin 25mg/ml concentrated solution an anticancer agent as well as 2...