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Sheanna Allen

Professor Malcolm Campbell

UWRT 1104

February 13, 2017

Topic Proposal: A way of reversing the side effects of cancer?

Introduction/ Overview

This topic proposal is about how the damage that is caused by cancer cells can possibly

be replaced by stem cells. Cancer is when cells reproduce uncontrollably and they do not stop

multiplying as normal cells should. Scientist and engineers all over the world have been trying to

develop a cure for cancer since the eighteenth century. Although there have been break throughs

in the treatments to get rid of the cancer cells such as surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation

therapy there is still not a cure for cancer. Meaning once one has gone through surgery,

chemotherapy or radiation therapy cancer cells can still occur and multiply. Another problem

emerges, which is once the cancer cells that are cut or destroyed were taken out of some function

or organ of the body that was important whether it be the heart, lung, breast etc. Since there is a

missing place that the cancer cells were removed from, fully functional cells must replace

them to maintain equilibrium in the body. Stem cells have this potential.

Groups such as anti-abortion religious groups disagree with stem cell research because

stem cells can be obtained from aborted fetus. As this is true there are other ways to obtain stem

cells that most people do not know about. For example, adult also possess stem cells they are just
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not as versatile as embryonic stem cells or stems cells can be obtained from a babys umbilical

cord after they are born and does not harm the child.

Initial Inquire Question(s)

How effective is stem cell research when replacing damaged or destroyed cells? What

side effects will have transplanted stem cells have on the patient? Why are the interruptions of

what stem cell research is so misconstrued? Is there any possible way to make a stem cell

transplant more affordable?

My Interest in this Topic

I am interested in stem cell research because cancer has been a major problem for

humans for centuries and I believe that stem cells can replaced the cells that have been damaged

from cancerous cells. Although stem cells will never be able to cure cancer it can repair damaged

organs caused by the disease and other diseases as well. In this project I will like to learn and

understand more about the phenomena know as stem cells, such as the history of the cells and

what other break though have been made with the cell.

Next Steps

I will continue to do research on stem cells to have a better understanding of them. The

major websites that I will use to research about stem cell research are the John Hopkins website,

cancer.org which is the American Cancer society and I will use sites such as fox news to get a

counter argument on the subject. I will continue to gather books from the Atkins Library that is

on the UNCC campus. These books will primarily focus on cancer and stem cells.
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Reviewed by Logan Williams

Good explanation of cancer.
I would explain what a stem cell is, and a little bit more on how they can help cancer
patients.
Maybe try giving some specific examples.