Tumour markers Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Tumour markers - Essay Example Therefore, it is important to understand that it is the quantity and not just the presence of these compounds that must be considered in assessing the clinical use of tumour markers. Tumour markers are usually proteins (structural proteins and enzymes), cell-surface carbohydrate antigens, cellular receptors, and genes, which are detected in tissue, urine, and blood samples. Markers can be specific for a certain type of cancer, while there are markers that are common for different cancer types. Some markers also show increased concentration in the tissues and body fluids even in the absence of cancers. Due to this, tumour markers by alone should not be used in to diagnose cancer. In an ideal situation, screening and early diagnosis of cancer are the major goals for using tumour markers. To be able to do this, a marker must be highly specific for a certain cancer. It must not come up with too many false positive results that could lead to unnecessary and expensive follow-up tests, not to mention the psychological effects that come with the possibility of having cancer. Markers levels should be elevated enough, and ideally can be used to screen asymptomatic individuals, meaning that they can be used to detect cancer early. However, because markers are present in low concentrations in the body, screening for asymptomatic individuals is only recommended for those who have a genetic predisposition towards getting cancer. Currently, only the Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) has been recommended and approved for general screening of prostate cancer in men over 50. A positive screening result for PSA is still not an indication of cancer, and PSA screening should be d one in conjunction with a digital rectal examination of the prostate gland for diagnostic purposes. Markers are used to identify the local source of metastasized cancers, and could therefore aid in making a correct diagnosis. The recurrence of cancer can be checked by testing the levels of a

Mansoor Ahmad Saad Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Mansoor Ahmad Saad - Essay Example 5.Is the sample appropriate? Is the sample large enough? Is the sample truly representative of the relevant population? What are the particular issues with this population? Are the tasks and materials appropriate? To answer the first question of the critique, the rationale for carrying out the research is discussed. As argued by Prezant and Marshak (2006), parents of children with disabilities need a broad range of support services from service providers and child care units so that they could facilitate positive outcomes for their children and these support services will have to be aimed in a manner that meets the needs of the parents of children with disabilities. The needs of the parents may be varied and they may not always agree with professionals on what actions or services are truly helpful. In order to understand the parents viewpoints on the type of support services required, this research paper by Prezant and Marshak (2006) have focused on the aims of examining provisions of health care services provided to disabled children from the parents’ perspectives. The authors cite Kerr (1984) suggesting that the concept of help may differ from one person to another and that parents may have different opinions of help when compared with the professionals so it is necessary to understand parents view of what constitutes ‘help’. The theoretical framework thus seems strong in this case as the authors provide their case and their argument in a convincing manner, drawing on a conceptual framework of help and service. Help could be understood not only on the basis of unmet needs but also the type of nature of help needed. Marshak and Present (2006) suggest that parental perspectives on the kind of services provided to their children are very important as parents decide on what kind of help should be available to their children and what is most suitable for their children. Considering this, the authors do provide a string rationale