438 Chapter 22
In 2009 the World Health Organization
(WHO) reported that people under
age 30 who regularly use tanning
beds increase their risk of developing
skin cancer by 75 percent. Although
critics have cited some flaws in
the WHO study, lawmakers in the
United States and some other nations are developing stricter
restrictions on tanning bed use. At this writing, thirty-three
states regulate the use of indoor tanning beds by anyone under
the age of 18, and the states of California, Nevada, Texas,
Illinois, and Vermont have banned the practice for that age
group. The indoor tanning industry says more regulations aren’t
needed. Regardless of how the current debate turns out, in the
future it’s likely that the safety of tanning bed use—especially by
those under age 18—will continue to receive increased scrutiny.your future
- A textbook on cancer contains the following statement:
“Fundamentally, cancer is a failure of the immune system.”
Why does this comment make sense? - Ultimately, cancer kills because it spreads and disturbs
homeostasis. Consider, for example, a kidney cancer that
metastasizes to the lungs and liver. What are some specific
aspects of homeostasis that the spreading disease could
affect? - Over the last few months, your best friend, Mark, has
noticed a small, black-brown, raised growth developing
on his arm. When you suggest that he have it examined
by his doctor, he says he’s going to wait and see if it gets
any larger. You know that’s not a very smart answer. Give
three arguments that you can use to try to convince Mark
to seek medical advice as soon as possible. - Some desperate cancer patients consume pills or other
preparations containing shark cartilage, which the manu-
facturers tout as an anti-angiogenesis compound. The
basis for these claims is the fact that blood vessels do not
grow into cartilage. Responsible researchers point out
that, regardless of the properties of cartilage, there is no
way that eating it could provide any anticancer benefit.
Why is this counterargument correct?
James Stevenson/
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