NAU Biology BIO 372
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BIO372 : Cancer : Environment and Cancer : Risks

Exercise: Risks
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DUE: 5-May-2000 Assignments sent after the due date will receive a grade of zero.
We hear more and more about risk assessment and risk management in the workplace. These concepts are also relevant to diseases, especially cancer.

1. Epidemiological studies sometimes reveal interesting patterns in the incidence of a disease. Such analyses are the first step in the scientific investigation, as they represent the observations for which an explanation (hypothesis) is subsequently sought.

a) What was the evidence that convinced epidemiologists that the risk for leukemia was unevenly spread across the United States?

b) Where does the risk for leukemia seem highest from this analysis?

c) What were the factors that the epidemiologists concluded probably embodied the risk that manifested itself in leukemia?

2. Compare the cancer mortality in the United States with another country. Obtain cancer mortality data for the United States and pick another country for which there is cancer mortality data. [In the GLOBOCAN window, click on the third icon from the left on the icon bar. This java applet might not work with Explorer, especially on a Mac. In the view rates large window, pick a country and in the small window pick mortality.] List the country you picked in the assignment database. Do not pick a country that is already listed in the database.

a) What is the other country you picked? What are the numbers of cancer deaths for each sex given for the US and for the other country? Which cancer causes the greatest mortality by sex in each country? The following table may be used to help you obtain and organize the information for these questions before you enter your results in the textboxes.

Name of countryUnited States  ____________  
Cancer mortality (males):____________  ____________  
Cancer mortality (females):____________  ____________  
Cancer with highest mortality (males):____________  ____________  
Cancer with highest mortality (females):____________  ____________  

b) Obtain the population sizes for the US and for the other country. What is the percent of each population 0-14 years of age and the percent 65 years and older (age structure)? What are the death rates per 1,000 individuals for each country? What are the life expectancies for each sex at birth?

Population size:____________  ____________  
Pop percent 0-14 yrs:____________  ____________  
Pop percent 65+ yrs:____________  ____________  
Death rate per 1,000:____________  ____________  
Life expectancy (males):____________  ____________  
Life expectancy (females):____________  ____________  

c) What percent of total mortality can be attributed to cancer in each country? Hint: Average the cancer mortality for males and females. Then divide the average mortality by the number of deaths per 1,000.

Average cancer mortality:____________  ____________  
Cancer deaths as % of total:____________  ____________  

In which country does the risk of cancer seem greater? On what did you base your conclusion?

d) How might your conclusion of risk be affected by each country's age structure or other available information?

3. Twenty to thirty percent of the incidence of cancer in the United States is related to eating and exercise. What are the four recommendations that the American Cancer Society suggests will minimize this risk of cancer?

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E-mail Professor Gaud at William.Gaud@nau.edu
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