Thalidomide Cancer Treatment

8/16/2019 Thalidomide Cancer Treatment

1/13

Thalidomide

Thalidomide: A Cancer Treatment

Overview:

This activity was designed to be incorporated into instruction on the effects of environmentalfactors on human development. Students visit six different stations to learn about the use ofthalidomide, a known teratogen that is used to treat some types of cancer. They answer thequestions in the student handout. The activity could be completed in 60 minutes.

Teacher instructions:

ach student will need one copy of the student handouts !case study and station instructions"for this activity. #egin this activity by reading the first page of the student handout !$% &aseStudy' Thalidomide(" aloud in class. %llow )0 minutes for teams to work together to discuss thefacts of this case study and to list questions that they have about the case. Then, ask studentsto follow the instructions on the student handout and answer all questions.

*rovide computer access for each team or provide print handouts from the websites to eachteam. +f students have access to 6 classroom computers, this activity can be done as a directed$web quest.( +f students do not have access to classroom computers, the teacher can print therelevant resources needed for each station. *ut the print handouts in sheet protectors so thatthey do not get mixed up with students handouts. *ut the print handouts into 6 folders ornotebooks clearly labeled with each station number.

+f time permits, ask teams to revisit the questions that they had about the case. -iscuss theanswers to questions that were not answered by doing the web quest.

Station )' Thalidomide and #irth -efects

*repare three copies of the following four documents. +t is suggested that you put these insheet protectors so that they do not get mixed up with students handouts. +n addition to theseprint resources, students who have access to a computer might be directed to the isiblembyo web site at' http'//www.visembryo.com/baby/index.html

ife Sciences earning &enter 1 &ancer ducation *ro2ect&opyright 3 4005, niversity of 7ochester 8ay be copied for classroom use

1

Cancer Education Project

http://www.visembryo.com/baby/index.htmlhttp://www.visembryo.com/baby/index.html


2/13

Thalidomide

The Effects of Thalidomide on Human Embryological Development

9hen a pregnant woman takes thalidomide :;


3/13

Thalidomide

Birth Defects

ach year many children are born with birth defects. #irth defects may affect body structurescausing minor to ma2or structural malformations. They may also affect brain function


4/13

Thalidomide

Table ! Human Embryonic Development

Critical Periods of Human Development

+mage Source' http'//embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/8edicine/images/hcriticaldev.gif


4

http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/Medicine/images/hcriticaldev.gif


5/13

Thalidomide

Table ": #enstrual Cycle

+mage source'http'//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/8enstrual&ycle.png/;55px


6/13

Thalidomide

Station 4' %ngiogenesis +nhibitors in the Treatment of &ancer

*rovide computer access tohttp'//www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/angiogenesis7 prepare threeprinted copies of the documents found by clicking on these two sites.

Station 6' 9hat *atients Should Fnow %bout &linical Trials

*rovide computer access to http'//www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/understanding/what


7/13

Thalidomide

A Case Study:

THALIDOMIDE!

Kathy knew that her mother was worried. She reassured Sharon that the FDA

(U. S. Food and Drug Administration) had approved thalidomide as a cancer treatment.

Kathy also explained that she was participating in a hase !!! clinical trial. hase ! and !!

trials "or thalidomide treatment had #een very promising. Kathy talked a#out thalidomide

#eing a new kind o" #iological therapy$ an angiogenesis inhi#itor.

For Sharon$ images o" the #a#ies #orn with "lipper%like arms or legs that she had seen

"lashed into her head. Sharon knew Kathy was likely to regard anything she said as

motherly inter"erence. She had to make sure that Kathy understood the risks associated

with thalidomide.

Brainstorm with your team members:

• &hat do you know a#out this case study'

• &hat uestions do you have a#out this case study'


7

Sharon was horri"ied. &hy would a

doctor use thalidomine to treat her

daughter Kathys multiple myeloma'

*ay#e the doctor is too young to

remem#er what thalidomide did to

#a#ies. +here had to #e other things

that could #e used to treat her ,-

year old daughters cancer.


8/13

Thalidomide

Station 1: Thaidomide and Birth Dee"ts

erhaps this thalidomide was not as #ad as Sharon remem#ered. e"ore she panicked and

got Kathy upset$ she should "ind out whether thalidomide really did cause #irth de"ects.

+he "irst documents she read were /0+ at all encouraging1

2. 3ead the in"ormation at this station and highlight the weeks (on +a#le 2) during which

thalidomide is likely to a""ect the developing em#ryo. /ote4 +his is trickier than it

"irst seems. 5ook at #oth +a#le 2 and +a#le , #e"ore you do this.

Table ! Human Embryonic Development

Critical Periods of Human Development

+mage Source' http'//embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/8edicine/images/hcriticaldev.gif

,. 5ist six organs in the em#ryo that are "orming during the weeks when thalidomide

a""ects em#ryological development'


8

http://embryology.med.unsw.edu.au/Medicine/images/hcriticaldev.gif


9/13

Thalidomide

Station #: An$io$enesis Inhibitors in the Treatment o Can"er

Kathy had said that scientists thought that thalidomide was an angiogenesis inhi#itor.

Sharon wondered what that meant. 5ook at these sites to help Sharon answer these

uestions.http466www.cancer.gov6cancertopics6"actsheet6+herapy6angiogenesis%inhi#itors

http466www.p#s.org6wg#h6nova6cancer6"a.html7n82

2. &hat is angiogenesis'

,. &hy might angiogenesis #e important in normal em#ryonic development'

-. &hy might angiogenesis promote the growth o" cancer'

9. &hat is an angiogenesis inhi#itor'

:. &hy might an angiogenesis inhi#itor inter"ere with the normal em#ryonic development

process'

;. &hy might angiogenesis inhi#itors inter"ere with the growth o" cancer cells'


9

http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/angiogenesis-inhibitorshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/cancer/faq.html#n01http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/angiogenesis-inhibitorshttp://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/cancer/faq.html#n01


10/13

Thalidomide

Station %: Inormation on dierent ty&es o terato$ens

As part o" her research$ Sharon discovered a we# site that had in"ormation a#out

thalidomide as a teratogen. !t also had in"ormation a#out other kinds o" teratogens. +ake

a look at this site. http466teratology.org6


11/13

Thalidomide

Station ': The (is)s and Beneits o Ta)in$ Thaidomide

Sharon reali=ed that there was a we#site she should visit. She knew the *arch o" Dimes

is a non%pro"it organi=ation that "ocuses on preventing #irth de"ects. +heir site might #e

one that encourages women o" child%#earing age not to participate in the thalidomideclinical trials. Sharon discovered that the *arch o" Dimes site wasnt opposed to the use

o" thalidomide as a cancer treatment. !nstead$ it listed the risks and #ene"its and

discussed ways to reduce the risk to em#ryos.

5ook at the in"ormation at this site to help you answer these uestions4http'//www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/6C)D))54.asp .

2. &hat are the #ene"its o" thalidomide use'

,. &hat are the risks o" thalidomide use'

3. &hat >trade%o""s? or >compromises? could people use to #alance the risks and #ene"its

o" thalidomide use'


11

http://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_1172.asphttp://www.marchofdimes.com/professionals/681_1172.asp


12/13

Thalidomide

Station *: The +DA ,osition on Thaidomide -se

Sharon still couldnt #elieve that thalidomide had FDA approval "or treating cancer

patients@particularly "or a young woman1 She logged onto the we# site4

http466www.cancer.gov6clinicaltrials6learning6approval%process%"or%cancer%drugs6 She then "ollowed the drug in"ormation link on the right to get speci"ic in"ormation on

thalidomide at the we# site4 http466www.cancer.gov6cancertopics6drugin"o6thalidomide

2. &hat is the FDA'

,. !magine you are a FDA o""icial who must decide whether or not thalidomide can #e

placed on the market "or use #y cancer patients. &hat decision would 0U make'Support your position.

-. &hy might other people oppose your decision' &hat reasons might they have "or their

position'

9. &hat actions has the FDA taken to reduce the risks associated with thalidomide'


12

http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/approval-process-for-cancer-drugs/http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/druginfo/thalidomidehttp://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/learning/approval-process-for-cancer-drugs/http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/druginfo/thalidomide


13/13

Thalidomide

Station .: /hat ,atients Shoud 0now About Cini"a Trias

Sharon decided that hase !!! clinical trials sounded risky. &hy should Kathy #e involved

in some experiment to test this drug' &ouldnt it #e #etter to

Thalidomide Cancer Treatment

Documents

Transcript of Thalidomide Cancer Treatment