“Whatever signs: small or big, our body gives must not be ignored”

One of the most amazing thing of being young is the fact that youth really do dear to dream: and when studying or working to achieve their dreams they learn even more as the path that leads to the accomplishment of the “dream” is full of reality checks, obstacles and complications that need to be overcome; the little steps you take forward though are very rewarding. Today we are going to spend our time with two senior college students whom on their senior year project amazed many of their teachers and their fellow student colleagues.

-Hello. It is an honor to have you here with us! Can you introduce your selves to the readers?

Hello my name is Selam G. Michael, I went to Sawa for the 22nd round finished high school there and joined the medical college of Asmara afterwards and I am currently working hard on paperwork’s for the end of my senior year.
My name is Abel Mehari, me too a member of the 22nd round and a student about to graduate in the medical college of Asmara.

-Heard that you two have a great chemistry at school, how far does your friendship go back?

Selam: we met in Sawa, we then after a couple of dialogs found out that we had the same immense wish of studying medicine. Since one needs a high G.P.A to go in to med school we started helping each other ever since. We nailed the national matriculation, started studying at the med school and working hard towards the realizations of all our dreams and wishes.

-Would you mind to share your dreams with us?

Selam: well I am half way there but I want to be a pharmacist and assist in creating new pharmaceuticals in the laboratory.

-What about you Abel?

Same goes with me.

-Your senior year project is now days a big heat amongst the college students and the academic board, tell us about it please.

Abel: Selam and I got together for this project because we have this motivating interest on narcotics, so we decided to take on the assignment as a team by facing the disease of cancer and its medications. As we all know cancer is a deadly malady that is not totally curable. We studied the diseases and prepared a paper work based on the studies we undertook and our opinions and suggestions.

-I think our readers would appreciate a more detailed description if don’t mind.

Abel: Of course not… well, Cancer is a class of diseases characterized by out-of-control cell growth. There are over 100 different types of cancer, and each is classified by the type of cell that is initially affected. It harms the body when damaged cells divide uncontrollably to form lumps or masses of tissue called tumors (except in the case of leukemia where cancer prohibits normal blood function by abnormal cell division in the blood stream). Tumors can grow and interfere with the digestive, nervous, and circulatory systems, and they can release hormones that alter body function. Tumors that stay in one spot and demonstrate limited growth are generally considered to be benign. It gets less curable and more dangerous, or malignant, when two things occur on the evolution of the malady; a cancerous cell manages to move throughout the body using the blood or lymph systems, destroying healthy tissue in a process called invasion that cell manages to divide and grow, making new blood vessels to feed itself in a process called angiogenesis. When a tumor successfully spreads to other parts of the body and grows, invading and destroying other healthy tissues, it is said to have metastasized. This process itself is called metastasis, and the result is a serious condition that is very difficult to treat.

-Can it be prevented?

Abel: In some cases it can be, like cancers that are closely linked to certain behaviors are the easiest to prevent. For example, choosing not to smoke tobacco or drink alcohol significantly lower the risk of several types of cancer – most notably lung, throat, mouth, and liver cancer. Even if you are a current tobacco user, quitting can still greatly reduce your chances of getting cancer. Skin cancer can be prevented by staying in the shade, protecting yourself with a hat and shirt when in the sun, and using sunscreen. Diet is also an important part of cancer prevention since what we eat has been linked to the disease. Physicians recommend diets that are low in fat and rich in fresh fruits and vegetables and whole grains. Certain vaccinations as well have been associated with the prevention of some cancers. For example, many women receive a vaccination for the human papillomavirus because of the virus’s relationship with cervical cancer. Hepatitis B vaccines prevent the hepatitis B virus, which can cause liver cancer. Some cancer prevention is based on systematic screening in order to detect small irregularities or tumors as early as possible even if there are no clear symptoms present. Breast self-examination, mammograms, testicular self-examination, and Pap smears are common screening methods for various cancers. Some others unfortunately cannot be prevented, because cancer can be the result of a genetic predisposition that is inherited from family members. It is possible to be born with certain genetic mutations or a fault in a gene that makes one statistically more likely to develop cancer later in life. But the good news is that the earlier cancer is diagnosed and treated, the better the chance of its being cured. Some types of cancer: such as those of the skin, breast, mouth, testicles, prostate, and rectum… may be detected by routine self-exam or other screening measures before the symptoms become serious. Most cases of cancer are detected and diagnosed after a tumor can be felt or when other symptoms develop. In a few cases, cancer is diagnosed incidentally as a result of evaluating or treating other medical conditions. Awareness is important because whatever signs: small or big, our body gives must not be ignored. Matter of fact that is what we worked on passionately, if there is awareness something’s can be prevented and if not at least cured.

-In your paper work you mainly focus on the diagnosis and treatment

Selam: Not entirely but yes we did analyze that too: cancer diagnosis begins with a thorough physicaland a complete medical history. Laboratory studies of blood, urine, and stool can detect abnormalities that may indicate cancer. When a tumor is suspected, imaging tests such as X-rays, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and fiber-optic endoscopy examinations help doctors determine the cancer’s location and size. To confirm the diagnosis of most type cancers, a biopsy needs to be performed in which a tissue sample is removed from the suspected tumor and studied under a microscope to check for cancer cells.

-What was the surprise event that your teachers revealed to you after you submitted in your paper work?

Selam: OH… the conference that we were to give to different college students, professors and doctors from different colleges, universities and hospitals. It was truly an amazing experience; though all we did was passionately consigned the assignment we had, it turned out to be almost everyone was ready to support our drive.

-Well, thanks for being here today with us. We wish you good luck and success so that one day you could be great pharmacists whom deliver ways to cure to the people.

Abel: we will work hard towards it. Thank you a lot.