Name: ________________________________________
Date: _____________________
Block: ___________
Cancer Research Essay
Background Information: Most Common Cancer Types
This list of common cancer types includes cancers that are diagnosed with the greatest frequency in the
United States, excluding nonmelanoma skin cancers:
Bladder Cancer
Breast Cancer
Colon and Rectal Cancer
Endometrial Cancer
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
Leukemia
Lung Cancer
Melanoma
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Pancreatic Cancer
Prostate Cancer
Thyroid Cancer
Cancer incidence and mortality statistics reported by the American Cancer Society1 and other resources
were used to create the list. To qualify as a common cancer for the list, the estimated annual incidence for
2013 had to be 40,000 cases or more. The most common type of cancer on the list is prostate cancer, with
more than 238,000 new cases expected in the United States in 2013. The next most common cancers are
breast cancer and lung cancer. Because colon and rectal cancers are often referred to as "colorectal
cancers," these two cancer types are combined for the list. For 2013, the estimated number of new cases of
colon cancer and rectal cancer are 102,480 and 40,340, respectively, adding to a total of 142,820 new cases
of colorectal cancer. Kidney cancers can be divided into two major groups, renal parenchyma cancers and
renal pelvis cancers. Approximately 92 percent of kidney cancers develop in the renal parenchyma,2 and
nearly all of these cancers are renal cell cancers. The estimated number of new cases of renal cell cancer for
2013 is 59,938.
The following table gives the estimated numbers of new cases and deaths for each common cancer type:
Cancer Type
Bladder
Breast (Female – Male)
Colon and Rectal (Combined)
Endometrial
Kidney (Renal Cell) Cancer
Leukemia (All Types)
Lung (Including Bronchus)
Melanoma
Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma
Pancreatic
Prostate
Thyroid
Estimated New Cases
72,570
232,340 – 2,240
142,820
49,560
59,938
48,610
228,190
76,690
69,740
45,220
238,590
60,220
Estimated Deaths
15,210
39,620 – 410
50,830
8,190
12,586
23,720
159,480
9,480
19,020
38,460
29,720
1,850
Cancer Research Essay: Requirements
The purpose of this 5-paragraph essay is to connect what you learn about cell cycle regulation to
cancer and the treatment of cancer. Research = 30 pts, graphic organizer = 20 pts, essay = 50 pts (100 pts total)
PART 1 – Choose the type of cancer on which you wish to focus. It may be from the list or another
type of cancer. (*If not on the list, it needs to be approved by the teacher.)
PART 2 – Research the causes, symptoms, treatments, and side effects of the type of cancer you chose.
Use the “Science in Context” database for science-based information. (Access through LHS Library
website – High School Resources – CITE YOUR SOURCES!)
PART 3 – Begin to fill out your graphic organizer, making sure to give the necessary information.
Follow the format given:
Paragraph 1 – Thesis/Intro – What is cell cycle regulation?
THESIS: I think cancer is related to the cell cycle because …
Paragraph 2 – Factors (internal and external) of regulating cell division (in relation to cell
cycle regulation)
Paragraph 3 - Causes and Symptoms of Cancer (in relation to cell cycle regulation)
Paragraph 4 – Treatments and Side Effects of Cancer Treatment (in relation to cell cycle
regulation)
Paragraph 5 – Conclusion – How does understanding cell cycle regulation relate to cancer and
its treatment?
CONCLUSION: Cancer is related to the cell cycle in the following ways:
PART 4 – Begin typing your essay in Google Drive. Remember to share your document with Mr.
Andreucci [and Mrs. Meyers] because this is how it gets “handed in”. It must be completed by
Friday, December 20th. They will be graded over the holiday. Research = 30 points, graphic
organizer = 20 points, and essay = 50 points (100 points total). Be sure to CITE YOUR SOURCES!!
Accessing Google Docs (students)
Step1: Sign in to gmail.com (EVERY student has a gmail account now!)
username: last two digits of grad year + first initial + middle initial + first three letters of last name + last three digits of
student ID (Example: 14JASmi567)
password: entire graduation year + Study Island password (Example: 2014tack23)
Step 2: At the top, right side of email screen, you will see something like this:
Click on the grid (to the left of the bell) and choose Google Drive.
Step 3: Click CREATE on the left side, then choose Document.
Step 4: Title the document “BK ? Last Name, First Name - Cancer Research Essay” (BK 1 Andreucci, Robert
Cancer Research Essay) *VERY IMPORTANT, otherwise we get 170 documents called “Cancer Research Essay”.
Step 5: Share the document with your biology teacher, Mr. Zahm (gzahm@basdschools.org) or Mr. Andreucci
(randreucci@basdschools.org) [and, if in a class co-taught by Mrs. Meyers, to smeyers@basdschool.org)] so that it
can be graded. Click the blue “share” button, type in the email address of the person or people you are sharing your
document with. You can choose each person’s access (can edit, can comment, can view). Choose “Can Comment”.
Click “done” and it will share the document with the people listed.
Step 6: Begin typing the essay, using the graphic organizer as your guide. Your document will be saved
automatically each time you make a change. (No more lost papers, not being able to print, or other technical issues!!)
Once shared with Mr. Andreucci (and Mrs. Meyers), we can go in and grade it; no need to hand it in.
Cancer Research Name: __________________________
Date: _____________________
Type of Cancer Chosen: _______________________________________
Block: ___________
*CITE YOUR SOURCES
Factors (internal and external) of regulating cell division (in relation to cell cycle regulation)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Causes and Symptoms of Cancer (in relation to cell cycle regulation)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Treatments and Side Effects of Cancer Treatment (in relation to cell cycle regulation)
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________