Question

This unit’s assigned reading focuses on chemical-induced mutagens. For this assignment, compare and contrast a carcinogen that is a mutagen to a carcinogen that is not a mutagen. Find at least four peer-reviewed journal articles published within the last 7 years that discuss the carcinogens and the cancer that each causes.

Compare the means of exposure of each chemical and the type of cancer each causes. Be sure to integrate the perspective and information gathered from each article into a discussion in your own words.

The Business Source Ultimate database is a good source of journals for safety-related articles from the CSU Online Library.

Your literature review must include the following components:

• an introduction of your topic of choice (include some background information on the origins of exposure and cancer),
• the methods used to search for the articles,
• the results of the articles,
• a discussion and conclusion with your own opinion, and
• APA references and in-text citations for the article.

The literature review must be three to four pages in length, not including the title or reference page, and follow APA formatting.

Answer 1

A Mutagen can be defined as an agent which causes mutations in the genetic makeup of the cell. Mutagen can be either in the form of radiation, chemical, or any other form of the agent.

Carcinogens are those agents which lead to cancer i.e. converts a normal cell to cancerous cell. The cancer is due to activation of oncogenes, overexpression of myc proteins (or other transcriptional factors), DNA breaks, etc. All the agents which can lead to a rapid and uncontrolled proliferation of the cell are termed as carcinogenic. Carcinogens can be any chemical, radiation, mutagen etc.

Though carcinogens are mutagenic, it is not necessary for all conditions. Mutagen leads to change in the sequence of the DNA. However, a carcinogenic agent can be an epigenetic factor (Epigenetic drug) which is not altering any genetic sequence but altering the gene expression.

Thus, we do not classify all the carcinogens as a mutagens. It also not necessary that mutagens can lead to cancer. Hence, both the terminologies are completely different.

Carcinogens that do not directly damage DNA include substances that accelerate cell division, thereby leaving less opportunity for cell to repair induced mutations, or errors in replication. Carcinogens that act as mutagens may be biological, physical, or chemical in nature, although the term is most often used in relation to chemical substances.

Overall, the difference between mutagensand carcinogens is that mutagen can actually change the DNA structural form and carcinogens just affect uncontrolled cell divisions making too much of something.

Articles:

Presumptive Evidence for ADAR1 A-to-I Deamination at WA-sites as the Mutagenic Genomic Driver in Hepatocellular and Related ADAR1-Hi Cancers

Robyn A. Lindley, Edward J. Steele

Clinicopathological significance of immunohistochemical expression of Filamin A in breast cancer

Lokavarapu Manoj Joshua, Farhanul Huda, Shalinee Rao, Bina Ravi J Carcinog 2020, 19:13 (5 December 2020) Assessment of Knowledge on Cervical Cancer among Bangladeshi Women: A Hospital Based Cross Sectional Study Arun Shahi Haque, Nabila Binte Haque, Tajul Islam and Mollah Obayedullah Baki Research Article: Journal of Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis Differences in MUC4 Expression in Pancreatic Cancers and Pancreatic Cysts in Egypt Asserewou Etekpo, Ahmad Alghawalby, Marwa Alghawalby, Amr S Soliman, Ahmed Hablas, Baojiang Chen, Surinder Batra and Ghada A Soliman Research Article: Journal of Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis Elevated Serum Levels of Estradiol Induce Endometrial Hyperplasia Rather than Carcinoma in a Mouse Model Using a Carcinogen Ryoichi Asaka, Tsutomu Miyamoto, Yasushi Yamada, Hirofumi Ando, David Hamisi Mvunta, Hisanori Kobara, Hiroyasu Kashima and Tanri Shiozawa Research Article: Journal of Carcinogenesis & Mutagenesis There are many risk factors for cancer: age, family history, viruses and bacteria, lifestyle (behaviors), and contact with (touching, eating, drinking, or breathing) harmful substances. More than 100,000 chemicals are used by Americans, and about 1,000 new chemicals are introduced each year. These chemicals are found in everyday items, such as foods, personal products, packaging, prescription drugs, and household and lawn care products. While some chemicals can be harmful, not all contact with chemicals is dangerous to your health. Some factors that increase your risk of developing cancer include behaviors such as smoking, heavy alcohol consumption, on-the-job exposure to chemicals, radiation and sun exposure, and some viruses and bacteria. When all these risks are considered together, the role of chemical exposures in causing cancer is small and, as of now, not very clear. Scientists know very little about how contact with most chemicals causes cancer. Substances known to cause cancer are called carcinogens. Coming into contact with a carcinogen does not mean you will get cancer. It depends on what you were exposed to, how often you were exposed, and how much you were exposed to, among other things. Getting cancer from a chemical depends on the following: • The kind of chemical you were exposed to, • How much of the chemical you were in contact with, • How long the contact lasted, • How often you were exposed, • When you were exposed, • How you were exposed, and • Your general health. Damage to DNA in cells can lead to cancer. However, cells can often repair DNA damage. If the damage is extreme, the cells may die. Unrepaired DNA damage can lead to mutations, or changes, in genes, and mutations in certain genes can cause cancer. You can also inherit mutations. Because cancer has a long latency period, determining which exposure, if any, may have led to a mutation is difficult. Therefore we know very little about specific causes of cancers.