Melanoma

By: Zach O’Connor

What is melanoma?

Malignant melanoma is the most serious type of skin cancer, and it is characterized by the uncontrollable growth of melanocytes (skin cells that produce melanin). In the United States, melanoma affects 30 out of 100,000 men and 18 out of 100,000 women (“Melanoma”, 2018).

This photo indicates the progression of melanoma.
Source:https://www.alamy.com/stock-image-schematic-illustration-of-the-process-and-development-of-melanoma-167890640.html

The graphic above illustrates the progression of melanoma. The disease gets more serious as it spreads deeper into the skin. The survival rate of melanoma at the first stage is at 98.5%, and it drops down to 22.5% at the final stage (“Melanoma Survival Rates”, n.d).

Melanoma is a condition where a single gene doesn’t dictate the disease. However, there are many genes that are linked to the disease. Two of the main genes are CDKN2A and BAP1. A mutation of the CDKN2A is linked to greater risk of developing melanoma. (Hayward, 2003). The specific mutation of CDKN2A disrupts the proteins that function as tumor suppressants. The mutation of this gene also leads to developing melanoma at a younger age and greater risks of other cancers. With the CDKN2A mutation, you are around 28% more likely to develop melanoma (“CDKN2A”, n.d.). Another gene linked to melanoma is BAP1. A dominant inherited allele on the rs387906848 SNP causes BAP1 tumor predisposition syndrome (“rs387906848”, n.d.). This condition increases the risk of cancerous and noncancerous tumors from 14% to 29%. The BAP1 mutation also has an incidence of malignancy of around 70% (Carbone et al., 2013).

Why Get Tested?

While genetic tests won’t say you’re set to develop melanoma, it will make you aware of certain risks associated with the disease. Because there are so many genes associated with melanoma, a single gene DNA sequence, whole genome sequence, or a SNP Chip test are recommended. Since the genes linked to melanoma are known, a test would analyze the presence or mutation associated with each gene. Companies such as AmbryGenetics, Invitae, and GeneDx offer genetic tests that will analyze genes associated with melanoma. These tests will indicate if you are more at risk to develop melanoma. When looking at tests, it is best to use one that is able to scan for multiple genes. The whole genome test, while expensive, will show your exact genetic markup. The SNP Chip test is a cheaper alternative that looks at the specific melanoma related genes. Ultimately when deciding on a test, it depends how much you want to know and how much you are willing to spend.

Think Before you Spit

One of the main reasons to not take a test is that it won’t clearly tell you if you will develop melanoma. Around 90% of people who develop melanoma do not have a genetic mutation that accounts for it (“Should I Get”, n.d.). Environmental factors such as UV radiation are the main cause of melanoma. The test results may be confusing for some consumers, and it may cause them to make irrational decisions. Therefore, because of the limited predictive value of the tests, genetic tests for melanoma are not worth the time and money.

PAn early genetic diagnosis could allow a psychiatric disorders prevention The study gives hope to identify eventual gene modifications — Source: http://bioethicsobservatory.org/2017/09/regulation-genetic-testing-united-states/4865

Ethical Considerations

There are some concerns with privacy associated with genetic testing. Some patients are concerned that genetic test results may result in discrimination by insurance providers. However there are laws such as the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act that helps protect patients. There are other ethical concerns associated with genetic testing. For instance, there can be liability issues associated with genetic test results. An example of this is a patient’s decision to conceive children or to terminate pregnancies based on test results (Dickens, Pei, & Taylor, 1996). Genetic tests effectively dictate the decisions people make, and some people may not fully understand the results of the test. Test results can cause stress, and they can drastically change lifestyles. There is also concern about employer discrimination associated with genetic test results.

Asking the Right Questions Before Getting the Test

For melanoma, genetic tests aren’t the sole decider of the disease. The genetic test results will show different genes that put you at risk to develop it. For example, if someone tests positive for the BASP1 tumor predisposition syndrome, it is likely that one of their parents had the condition. This is because the syndrome is autosomal dominant. If someone tests positive for genes associated with melanoma, they should be aware of the risks. The first thing to realize is that you aren’t guaranteed to get it. If you are careful about sun exposure and annual skin screening, you can easily prevent the disease. If they test negative, they should not think that they won’t get the disease and ignore safe lifestyle. People should follow the same advice if they test negative for the melanoma associated genes. Patients should disclose their results with doctors. If they are at risk for developing melanoma, they should make dermatologists aware so that the patient can take preventative measures.

The best way to prevent melanoma is to cover up, use sunscreen, and stay in shade as much as possible. Source: https://www.everydayhealth.com/melanoma/preventing-melanoma-reducing-sun-exposure-damage-key/

References

Carbone, M., Yang, H., Pass, H. I., Krausz, T., Testa, J. R., & Gaudino, G. (2013). BAP1 and cancer. Nature reviews. Cancer, 13(3), 153–159. doi:10.1038/nrc3459

CDKN2A. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.snpedia.com/index.php/CDKN2A.

Dickens, B. M., Pei, N., & Taylor, K. M. (1996). Legal and ethical issues in genetic testing and counseling for susceptibility to breast, ovarian and colon cancer. CMAJ: Canadian Medical Association journal = journal de l’Association medicale canadienne, 154(6), 813–818. Retrieved from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1487772/

Hayward, N. Genetics of melanoma predisposition. Oncogene 22, 3053–3062 (2003) https://www.nature.com/articles/1206445#citeas

Melanoma – Genetics Home Reference – NIH. (2018, August). Retrieved from https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/melanoma#statistics

Melanoma Survival Rates. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.curemelanoma.org/about-melanoma/melanoma-staging/melanoma-survival-rates/

rs387906848. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.snpedia.com/index.php/Rs387906848

Should I Get Genetic Testing For Melanoma? (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.aad.org/diseases/skin-cancer/melanoma-genetic-testing.

Zach O’Connor – Tailgate Cleanup

For my outreach project, I participated in the tailgate cleanup after the Missouri game. Our goal was to collect trash that was left behind after tailgating. The group I was in walked along Tanyard Creek from Oglethorpe to Bolton. On the way back, we walked along South Lumpkin Street. Overall, there was not that much trash left behind. The university hires a crew to clean up after gameday, and they do a great job collecting trash. However, there were still places where we were able to collect trash. The majority of trash found were hidden away next to walking paths. There was also some trash in the creek. The majority of trash collected was related to tailgating. We mainly collected bottles, cans, and red solo cups.

During this project, I was surprised about the tailgate trash situation. I was surprised that a cleanup crew works that well and fast to clean our campus, and I was also shocked that people would throw their trash off to the side or in the creek. What concerned me more was the broken glass that we came across. At a few places, we came across broken glass bottles on the sidewalk. This is dangerous for people to walk around. People need to be more considerate when they have glass bottles. Even with all the trash cans dispersed for gameday, there are some people who will just leave their trash on the ground. By participating in this outreach, it made me appreciate the people who clean the UGA campus. After gamedays, the campus is a wreck, and these workers will clean the whole campus. This experience made me more aware of maintaining a clean environment around UGA. It helped me understand that everyone needs to chip in to keep the great appearance of our campus.

Climate Simulation – Zach O’Connor

When I played my role in the policy exercise, I felt concerned about if dramatic change will actually happen. Each nation had their own interests to pursue, and this made it difficult to negotiate. Some nations were willing to work together, while others were set on their demands and didn’t want to change.

As negotiation rounds passed, I was surprised about the difficulty of lowering the temperature to 2 degrees celsius. At the start, nations were arguing over reforestation and deforestation rates, but the main factor was annual reduction rate. Even when we plugged in best case scenarios, we still failed at lowering the temperature to 2 degrees celsius.

Our group, the United States, maintained a similar goal throughout the simulation. We didn’t want to contribute that much money into the global fund, and our afforestation and deforestation rates remained the same. The most drastic change was that we moved up our peak and reduction year, and we increased our reduction rate.

Our group’s ideas were changed by the fact that a lot more progress needed to be done if we wanted to meet the global goal. We negotiated with China and India to try and meet the goal. We were able to match China with their progress and meet India’s financial need.

I think emissions can be cut, but it’s going to take cooperation from every nation. Everybody needs to realize that the blame doesn’t fall on a single nation, and everyone needs to help to make a change.

The major costs and barriers of participant proposals were the amount of funding they requested. Some nations requested more money in the global fund, but we weren’t willing to give it. We wanted to focus our money on domestic programs. It was also difficult to match the opinions of the American people. Climate change wasn’t ranked as an important concern for our citizens, so we had to factor that into our decisions.

We can catalyze change in the U.S. by educating the population about this problem. People need to understand the negative impacts of climate change. Once there is an agreement that we need to fix this problem, we must work together to propose programs and solutions that will improve the world.

Zach O’Connor – Watershed Reflection

This picture shows the portion of Lilly Branch watershed that goes underground through a culvert.
The one thing that struck out to me was how secluded the culvert was. Because this was so well hidden, I was surprised when I first came across this portion of the creek. Aside from its location, I was also surprised to see the area surrounding the culvert. It was very unnatural. The creek loses its natural aesthetic when it flows between the concrete. Since the area is surrounded by trees, it is difficult for light to shine on the creek. As seen in the picture, the dim nature of this area makes it difficult for some plant life to grow.
This picture made me think about how hidden this culvert was. If I didn’t wander into the woods, I would’ve never stumbled upon it. This picture reinforces the idea that most of the watershed is out of sight. Just because it’s difficult to spot, it doesn’t mean it’s insignificant. People with limited knowledge about the watershed may not see the importance of this culvert and the area around it.
When I look at this photo, I feel a sense of responsibility to maintain the watershed. Even though this portion is out of sight, it brought to my attention that most of the watershed here is hidden. The watershed’s importance does not diminish because it is difficult to spot.
I think this picture conveys the hidden nature of the watershed. It shows that parts of a watershed may be difficult to find, but we should be aware that our actions can affect the health of the watershed.

Zach O’Connor

In high school, I took biology, chemistry, physics, and forensics. I enjoyed forensics the most because of the application with the material.
I would like to learn about the real world applications for the material in class. I hope to utilize the material outside of the class.
The tailgating project interests me the most. I’ve been on a couple of outings where we went through retention bases collecting trash. I think these issues with trash after tailgating would appeal to people. It’s something not many people consider while tailgating.
Through service learning, it may help me gain initiative by advocating for clean-up after events.
Genetics and diseases would be some things I would like to learn about.