Genetic Testing for Colon Cancer

By: Stephen Foernsler

What causes it?

Colon cancer is very prevalent in the United States with over 90,000 new cases each year. A person has about a 6% chance of contracting it without a hereditary history, and of those with colon cancer about 95% are sporadic and not hereditary. Of course, all cancers are heavily impacted by environmental factors, but colon cancer specifically has a high inheritance risk compared to many others. Many genes are involved with this such as MSH2 and MSH6. These genes are both located on the second chromosome and work to repair errors in DNA replication when working normally. Colon cancer is caused when there are mutations in these genes that prevent them from functioning normally. A major syndrome associated with this issue is Lynch Syndrome which is the most common hereditary form of colon cancer through inherited mutations, and having the gene associated with this gives about an 80% chance of getting cancer. It also increases a person’s risk of other cancers such as kidney or stomach.

Why genetic screening?

Genetic screening is a way to look at your own genes and see if you have any mutations that could lead to medical issues such as colon cancer. Many companies such as 23andMe require just a small spit sample to obtain your DNA and then they could look specifically look at the genes related to colon cancer for prices as low as $100. 23andMe looks specifically at the MUTYH gene that also relates to Lynch Syndrome. This can be a great way to give yourself information about yourself and understand what could hurt you. The average colon cancer rate is about 6%, but those with Lynch Syndrome have up to an 82% risk. For many people this could be the difference between life or death because this knowledge would show how they must get checked much more often for colon cancer. A positive test for a mutation will let anyone know they need to get colonoscopies much more often others or even get stool samples tested through new companies such as Cologuard. People are much more likely to make changes to the environment in a healthier way if they know they are naturally predisposed to get colon cancer, so these tests serve to give people tools to do all they can to limit this disease. Someone without any familial history does not necessarily need this test as they will not have the chance of inheriting that someone with history has. If a person knows of a parent or older relative who had colon cancer, it is a good idea to get tested in case it was from a mutated MSH2 or other gene.

What are the possible cons?

While this availability of knowledge seems great, there are many downsides that come with genetic tests. One major one is that a negative test for an MSH2 mutation does not mean you cannot get colon cancer. This could cause people to believe that they do not need to keep up with colonoscopies or other tests if they are not fully informed which is very important to know what exactly is going on. Also, having the mutation does not mean getting cancer is inevitable. A positive test result could cause some undue worry for the person testing as well as those around them. This only serves to make life worse and full of stress rather than freeing things up. It is possible other diseases or DNA mutations can be found in genetic tests that a person may not want to know about because it is one that nothing can be done about. Genetic testing is not something to be done lightly and must have much thought put into it. A genetic counselor or physician is also there to help guide people through the process to ensure they understand what is involved with genetic testing and what the results mean. They are there to make it clear what a positive or negative outcome would mean and limit the stress that can come with genetic testing.

Sources

What are the benefits of genetic testing? – Genetics Home Reference – NIH. (2019, November 12). Retrieved November 13, 2019, from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/primer/testing/benefits.

Collier, R. (2012, May 15). The downside of genetic screening. Retrieved November 13, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3348188/.

What Causes Colorectal Cancer? (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2019, from https://www.cancer.org/cancer/colon-rectal-cancer/causes-risks-prevention/what-causes.html.

MSH2. (n.d.). Retrieved November 13, 2019, from https://www.snpedia.com/index.php/MSH2.

National Center for Biotechnology Information (US). (1998, January 1). Colon cancer. Retrieved November 13, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22218/.

Tailgating Service Outreach- Stephen Foernsler

On Saturday November 9th before the football game against Missouri, me, Richard, David, Nate, and Will did our recycling outreach with tailgaters. We went out to multiple tailgating areas to talk with people and encourage them to recycle. We had buttons to hand out, cheat sheets telling what could and could not be recycled, trash bags, and recycling bags for people to take for their tailgates. We went to multiple tailgates in Myers Quad and the surrounding area since it is such a heavy concentration of people. We would go up and alternate who gave our talk advocating for recycling, and we would give them the tools needed to become more recycling conscious tailgaters. Everyone seemed to be very receptive of what we had to say to them as well as appreciative to have people going out and helping others to be aware.

One thing I noticed that made me happy was the amount of people with recycling already. The school gives out many recycling and garbage bins for game days that many people tailgating had right next to their tailgate in order to be environmentally conscious. The people who did not have their own recycling who we talked to were very accepting of it and glad to do their part. I feel that one of the most helpful items we handed out besides the actual recycling bags was the cheat sheet. Often people do not always know what exactly can or cannot be recycled when it comes to certain items, so our sheets were able to clear up some confusion and help with the recycling process. Even though someone has a recycling bag, it doesn’t necessarily mean that they will recycle. That is why is was important to provide a bit more education and encourage people to be very recycle conscious while tailgating.

One thing that we could have improved upon was helping people follow through with their recycling. Once we went we couldn’t be sure that they would follow our advice, so maybe next time we could have a little longer talk or set up their bag for them in a central place to be seen. This project definitely made me more personally recycling conscious especially with tailgating. It is very easy to toss something in the trash without realizing it instead of recycling, and I see how I must focus on where things belong. The greatest part of this was the actual feedback we would get fro the people we talked to. No one was opposed to recycling or turned us away, and everyone was kind and seemed to want to be as environmentally conscious as possible. The more people that we can reach on campus in the future, the better we can make the campus and our recycling as a whole.

Climate Simulation Reflection- Stephen Foernsler

When I played my role in the policy exercise, I felt that climate change is an issue that cannot be fixed by a single country. I felt that alone as the country of India there was only so much that we could do to have a real impact. It was not an easy thing to get everyone to work together and decide on a good course of action, but luckily for us we were not a major contributor and did not need to have as drastic of changes. The discussions definitely changed as the negotiations proceeded. For example, at first the issue of deforestation and afforestation was a major focus point until everyone realized that peak year and rate of decline had a much larger impact. Also, many countries were unwilling to provide much money to the world fund initially, but as everyone talked more, they were willing to give more so the countries who needed the money could successfully implement ideas. By the last round, everyone was much more agreeable and on the same page in realizing each country had to do their part to get down to two degrees by 2100. Our group didn’t need to have any major changes as negotiations went on since we had reasonable requests and levels, but we did move up our peak year as well as have a higher rate of decline in emissions. Most of this change was because we saw that the trees and forests did not have as large of an impact on temperature as we initially thought, so we wanted to make sure to do the most we could to help out. I think it will be exceptionally difficult to completely cut emissions, but it is possible. If countries devote time and resources and are willing to work together, then emissions can be cut to minimize the effects of climate change. The major barriers in developed countries was the fact that they have used fossil fuels for so long that change becomes difficult as well as the public opinion not being focused on climate change but rather the economy and other issues. In developing countries the main cost was building up technologies with alternative energy so that as they develop they do it in a clean way that will not cause massive emissions. Change in the US really needs to start with the people. The citizens in the United States need to realize that climate change is having a real impact on the world, and if something isn’t done then the world will be negatively changed in the near future. If everyone comes together to really ask for change, the government will need to listen and then we can start to turn to alternative sources of energy, and money can be put into projects for reducing emissions.

Stephen Foernsler Watershed Reflection

In this picture, I see a sewer manhole where that leads to where waste is transported.
I really noticed just how many sewer manholes there were since there is just so much waste that is created in a place like Athens. We aren’t always sure of how secure and healthy these things are and just what is going on where we can’t see.
This is a very common sight for someone, so it might not really be thought about on a first glance. It is inly when someone thinks about it more that they actually think about sewer waste and the impact it can have.
When I look at this picture, I feel like there is so much that we don’t realize about our environment and what can affect it. We are accustomed to seeing things such as this without caring. It is only when you sit back and think about-possible leakages into water or other areas and just how much waste is created in a city that you realize how much you must do to help keep the environment healthy.
I think this picture is really about the unseen things that go on in our environment and the impacts that people never think about. People must be vigilant in being involved in their community to ensure that everything is as healthy and clean as it can be.

Stephen Foernsler

2. I took biology freshman year of high school, chemistry classes sophomore and junior years, and then physics my senior year. I also did the biotechnology pathway at my school over three years which was probably my favorite. I enjoyed the hands on aspect of where I could actually manipulate the DNA of a bacteria or test genes and see the results in front of me.

3. I would like to get a good foundation of biology that I can bring into my life and the real world. It is interesting to see what I learn in the classroom occur in real life. I also want to be able to help others out to better their understanding of biology.

4. The river clean up seems cool to me to always make where you live the best it can be in terms of health and just how it looks and feels. This also goes with the tailgating to see the impacts of a massive pastime at UGA on the campus environment. I think everyone wants to make sure that Athens can be a great, clean place to live and enjoy.

5. I think I will learn about how the little impacts from each thing a person does adds up to a big change. This could be negative if all you do is make things worse for the community, but it can also be very positive. If everyone just got involved to make things better rather than worse giant strides could be made very easily to make the entire community better.

6. I always enjoy learning about the aspects of biology that deal with genetics and DNA because it is really interesting to see how things that you can have no control over affect you every day. I also like seeing how connected everything really is and how it is impossible for any living thing to have no impact on the whole circle of life.