Questions we Can Help you to Answer
Paper Instructions:
A 64-year-old retired male went to his doctor, complaining initially of leg pain that started in his lower back, which then radiated down across the side of his thigh and over the front of his knee. Subsequently, he developed pain that radiated from his back to his front at two different levels: at the chest through the level of his nipples and also at the umbilicus.
His physician performed a history and physical, followed by laboratory tests. He discovered a hard nodule on his prostate and an elevation in several of the blood tests. His PSA (prostate specific antigen), an enzyme secreted by normal prostate tissue (0-4 ng/ml) was 450. Alkaline phosphatase was also elevated at 157 U/L, an indication of bone involvement.
A bone scan was ordered to visualize the bone involvement. (This test uses a calcium analogue attached to a radioactive tag. A special scanner can pick up images of this radioactivity and create an anatomical picture of the skeletal system. The radiation shows up as black spots on the film.)
Your essay should include the answers to the following questions. The paper should be written in paragraph format in complete sentences with correct grammar. Answers in bulleted form/incomplete sentences are not acceptable and will earn a lower grade points.
1. What is the diagnosis of this man, and how common is it in the USA?
2. Why would the scan show bone abnormalities?
3. Describe which endocrine organs responsible for serum calcium levels and how do they
maintain this level?
4. Describe the feedback loop between the anterior pituitary and the production of testosterone in
the testes.
5. Describe a mechanism by which a drug could act on the anterior pituitary to lower the
Testosterone, a form of androgens, level in the human body.
6. Describe which organs produce the androgens in female, and describe the importance of androgens in female.
7. Describe the currently available method(s) of treatment, with pros and cons, of the condition.
