Symptoms Analysis
Constipation, crampy left lower quadrant pain, and fever – are the symptoms that the patient in the proposed case study has. The patient was diagnosed with colon cancer. Colon cancer is the type of cancer that starts in the large intestine (colon), which is the last section of the digestive tract. Colon cancer is more common in older people, although it can strike anyone at any age. The patient in the case study is 65 years old, which only raises the possibility of cancer development. The disease usually starts as polyps, which are tiny, noncancerous, or benign, clusters of cells that grow on the inside of the colon. Some of these polyps can turn into colon cancer over time. The man has them because of the following reasons: constipation is caused by tumors in the colon narrowing the gut and rectum, resulting in less bowel movement. The placement of the numerous polyps and the restriction of the colonic lumen are to blame for the lower quadrant pain (Thrumurthy et al., 2016). Moreover, the patient suffers from obesity, a sedentary lifestyle, a history of inflammatory bowel disease, a fiber-deficient diet, and a family history of colon cancer. All the above-mentioned elements are risk factors for adenocarcinoma of the colon, and all of the presented components caused the symptoms.
Genes Associated with the Disease
Any disease caused by an aberration in an individual’s genetic composition is referred to as a genetic disease. From a discrete mutation in a single nucleotide in the DNA of a single gene to a massive chromosomal anomaly, including the addition or deletion of an entire chromosome or set of chromosomes, the genetic aberration can range from minor to significant. Mutations in the POLE and POLD1 gene pairs cause familial colon cancer. The MACC1 gene stimulates the expression of hepatocyte growth factor, which is linked to colon cancer metastasis (Bateson, 2017). The MACC1 gene is linked to cancer cell invasion and proliferation in the colon, as well as cancer metastasis and tumor formation. Adenocarcinoma of the colon is caused by a mutation in the APC gene on chromosome 5. The APC gene, which encodes the APC protein, is frequently mutated in colorectal malignancies such as colon adenocarcinoma (Bateson, 2017).
The Process of Immunosuppression
The immune system is a complicated network of cells and proteins that fights infection in the body. The immune system keeps track of every germ, or microbe, it has ever beaten so it can rapidly recognize and eliminate the microbe if it resurfaces in the body (Schooling & Zhao, 2018). Immunosuppression is defined as a decrease in the effectiveness of the activation of the immune system. Immunosuppression can occur as a result of a treatment’s negative effects. Immunosuppression impairs the immune system’s ability to recognize and fight cancer cells, as well as infections caused by cancer (Lopez et al., 2017). As a result, immunosuppression lowers the body’s ability to fight infections, including malignancies, and hence immunosuppression is a key risk factor for the development of several malignancies. Immunocompromised persons, such as HIV/AIDS patients and organ recipients, who have their immune weakened with drugs are an excellent example; research reveals that the incidence of cancer in this patient population is relatively high (Lopez et al., 2017). This suggests that immunosuppression may raise cancer risk.
References
Bateson, P. (2017). Genes in Development and Evolution. In Behaviour, Development and Evolution (pp. 77-90). Cambridge, UK: Open Book.
López, À, Seoane, J., & Sanjuán, M. (2017). Dynamics of the cell-mediated immune response to tumour growth. Philosophical transactions: mathematical, physical and engineering sciences, 375(2096), 1-14.
Schooling, C., & Zhao, J. (2018). Strengthening the immune system for cancer prevention. Proceedings of the national academy of sciences of the United States of America, 115(19), E4316-E4317.
Thrumurthy, S., Thrumurthy, S., Gilbert, C., Ross, P., & Haji, A. (2016). Colorectal adenocarcinoma: Risks, prevention and diagnosis. BMJ: British Medical Journal, 354.