Animals Used in Cancer Research

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nIntroduction

nConducting experiments on animals is crucial in order to comprehend important measures that can be used to pin point malignancy and create ways that can improve prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer (Herceg & Ushijima, 2010, p. 5). It is therefore, important for analysts to conduct tests on living animals to know the development and spread of cancers within the body. By being able to discover this, they will be able to come up with advanced and more effective methods that can be utilized to detect and control cancer (Herceg & Ushijima, 2010, p. 11).

nConducting experiments on animal forms a great step in identifying complex procedures that help detect cancer in a living organism. Additionally, such experiments are of importance to law enforcing agencies prior to the examination of any chemical substance in a person (Herceg & Ushijima, 2010, p. 15).

nAnimals Used in Cancer Research

nThe type of an animal to be utilized is dependent upon various aspects such as species of the animal, presence of agents and apparatus to be used in the experiment as well as similarity to an individuals phenomenon. The animals that are majorly utilized as paradigmatic in cancer study are rodents mainly mice and rats (Herceg & Ushijima, 2010, p. 23). Mice have been found to possess the same genetic features as human beings, and therefore conducting studies on them assist analysts comprehend cancer disease in an individual. They possess common genes that are incorporated in many cancers.

nMoreover, mice are easily available and their ability to contract human cancers as well as being implanted human tumors has greatly played a crucial role in cancer management (Herceg & Ushijima, 2010, p. 35). Experts use all possible ways to limit the quantity of animals utilized in studies, to refine the study in order to make better the welfare of the animals, and finally substitute the utilization of animals when an option is present. These animal experiments have significantly lowered cases of various types of cancers and raised the ability of one to survive from cancer, hence resulting in many lives being liberated (Klionsky, 2009, p. 4).

n For instance, tamoxifen drug, that is used to manage cancer of the breast, was formulated as a result of tests done that incorporated the use of animals. It became the most useful drug of every time to manage cancer. The substance of interest was imatinib and has been utilized to treat people suffering from myeloid leukemia that is chronic (Klionsky, 2009, p. 9). Mice were utilized to determine the potential of imatinib to treat cancer. Furthermore, use of mice has helped in formulation of treatments of antibodies for cancer. Early studies in mice assisted in finding a way to create huge samples of these molecules to be utilized to manage patients (Klionsky, 2009, p. 14).

nDogs, normally young beagles that have been raised purposely, have also been used in cancer experiments. They have been used to identify particular volatile organic compounds of prostate cancer in samples of urine. It has also been found that sniffer dogs can detect cancer of the lungs from a sample of exhaled air. Other animals used as cancer study subjects include rabbits, cats, fish and livestock. Rabbits have been utilized to identify skin cancer and environmental toxicity tests (Klionsky, 2009, p. 16). Analysts have further used cats to detect genetic disorders like tumor growths, while nonhuman primates have been utilized to test the toxicity and gene therapy. In addition, it involves identifying genes with defects together with molecules that result to cancer.

nConclusion

nThe utilization of animals as subjects in cancer studies have been a success due to various reasons (Klionsky, 2009, p. 19). Animals possess shorter spans of life and quicker rate of generation in contrast to humans; hence more progress of disease resulting in quick outcomes being obtained. Additionally, animals represent real systems which are alive, hence forming better prediction of the outcome in people (Klionsky, 2009, p. 24). Through these activities, analysts have relied on common and unique features among species to know the sources of different cancers and type of interventions to manage them.

nReferences

nHerceg, Z., & Ushijima, T. (2010). Epigenetics and Cancer. London: Academic Press.

nKlionsky, D. (2009). Autophagy in disease and clinical applications. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press/Elsevier.