Tellura Youth Journal: Issue 4 Mar 2025 by tellura

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CoverdesignedbyAnicaChoi Thearticleswithinthispublicationaretheintellectualpropertyoftheir respectiveauthors,andmustbecitedappropriately.Theymaynotbereproducedinanywaywithoutprior permissionfromtheauthors.Notealsothatthecontentsorconclusionsderivedwithinthesearticlesrepresent theviewpointsoftheirrespectiveauthors,notanyoftheTellurastamembersoreditors.Theremaining contentwithinthispublicationisunderanMITLicense,andsupportstheOpenSourceInitiative More informationcanbefoundonhttps://tellurascisquarespacecom

Authors,listedalphabetically

SophiaAnderson AvaFarbeez

TelluraMembersInvolved

DevPandya,HeadofYouthJournal

EthanSchmidt,HeadofYouthJournal

SameehaAli,Editor

KashishKakar,Editor

AnicaChoi,IssueDesigner

HeerudSeyedian,President

TelluraisastudentorganizationaliatedwiththeMcMasterStudentsUnion(MSU).Itsmissionistoprovidea setofaccessibleguides,materials,andopportunitiesthathelphighschoolandmiddleschoolstudentslearn aboutscienticresearch.Foranyquestionsorconcerns,pleasecontact tellura@mcmasterca

1 Introduction i 2 UnmaskingCancer:UnderstandingItsCauses,Types,andTreatments……………………………………….2

3TheGut-SkinAxis:TheIntricateConnectionBetweenGutHealthandSkinConditions 7

Conclusion……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………14

1 Introduction

DearReader,

WelcometoIssue4oftheYouthJournal!IthasbeenorganizedbyTellura,whichisanMSU-aliated studentclubatMcMasterUniversity.Telluraprovidesguidanceandresourcesforstudentsingrades7 to12onscienceresearch Theyouthjournalarticlesarewrittenbysecondaryschoolstudentswhoare pairedupwithundergraduateeditorsandreceiveguidanceandfeedbackfromthem.Thisjournalaims togivesecondaryschoolstudentsachancetopracticesciencewritingandimprovetheirskillsthrough receivingandapplyingfeedback.

Inthisissue,weexploreavarietyoftopicsincludingcancerandthegut-skinaxis.

Wearegratefulforthehardworkanddedicationoftheyouthjournaldepartmentandalltheauthors, toprovideyouwithhigh-qualitystudentwork

Wehopethatyouwillenjoythesecondissueofouryouthjournalandwillndthearticlesvaluable andinsightful

Allthebest,

AnicaChoi

IssueDesigner

UnmaskingCancer: UnderstandingItsCauses,Types,andTreatments

SophiaAnderson January31,2025

WhatIsCancer?

Cancerisagroupofdiseasesmarkedbythegrowthandspreadofabnormalcells(Tropy etal.,2010).Theseabnormalcellscanformtumors,whichmayeitherbebenign(non-cancerous) ormalignant(cancerous)(Patel,2020).Malignanttumorsareparticularlydangerousasthey invadenearbytissuesandspreadtootherpartsofthebodythroughthebloodstreamorlymphatic vesselsformingsecondarytumours;aprocessknownasmetastasis(Patel,2020)However, metastasisistheprocessbywhichcancercellsspreadfromtheprimarytumortodistantorgans throughthebloodstreamorlymphaticsystem,formingsecondarytumors.Thisprogression makescancermoredifficulttotreatandisaleadingcauseofcancer-relateddeaths(Patel,2020).

CommonTypesofCancer

Cancercomesinmanyforms,withover100knowntypesclassifiedbythetissueororgan wheretheyoriginatefrom.Asof2022,thetopfivemostcommontypesofcancerinascending orderarelung,breast,colorectal,prostate,andstomachcancer(WHO,2024).Thesecancersvary intheirriskfactors,symptoms,andtreatmentapproaches,butearlydetectionandtherapiescan significantlyimprovepatientoutcomes.Whilesomecancersarelinkedtogeneticmutations, othersareinfluencedbylifestylefactorssuchassmoking,diet,andsunexposure(Tropyetal., 2010).Understandingthedifferencesbetweenthesecancersisessentialforprevention, diagnosis,andeffectivetreatment.Belowaresomeofthemostcommoncancertypes.

A) LungCancer

Lungcancer,aformofcancerinthelungs,isstronglyassociatedwithsmokingand causessymptomslikepersistentcoughingandchestpain,andisoftencategorizedassmall-cell ornon-small-celllungcancer.Small-celllungcancerisafast-growing,aggressiveformthat oftenspreadsquickly,andnon-small-celllungcancerbeingthemorecommon,slower-growing type,accountingfornearly85%ofcases(MayoClinic).Asthecancerprogresses,itcanspread tootherorgans,leadingtocomplicationssuchasdifficultybreathing,fluidbuildupinthelungs, andsevereweightloss.Inadditiontosmoking,exposuretoradongas,airpollution,and occupationalcarcinogenslikeasbestoscanalsoincreasetheriskofdevelopingthedisease.

B) BreastCancer

Amongthemostcommonisbreastcancer,whichaffects12%ofwomenintheUnited Statesoverthecourseoftheirlifetimesandtypicallyarisesintheductsorlobulesofthebreast. Lobulesaretheglandsresponsibleforproducingmilk,whileductsarethethinchannelsthat carrymilkfromthelobulestothenipple(Barzamanetal.,2019).Breastcancerisextremely deadly,whichresultsinapproximately19.3deathsper100,000womenannuallyintheU.S (NationalCancerInstitute).Earlydetectionthroughmammogramsplaysacriticalrolein managingthisdiseasebyidentifyingtumorsbeforesymptomsappear.Usinglow-doseX-rays, mammogramsdetectabnormalitiesearly,allowingformoreeffectivetreatmentandincreasing

survivalrates.Early-stagedetectionoftenenableslessaggressivetreatmentsandreducestherisk ofcancerspreading(NationalInstituteofBiomedicalImaging&Bioengineering,n.d.).

C) ColorectalCancer

Colorectalcancerbeginsinthecolonorrectum,oftenasbenignpolyps,whichare noncancerousgrowthsinthecolonorrectumthatcandevelopintocancerovertimeifnot removed.Screeningviacolonoscopyiskeytoearlydetection(Cash,2013).Inmen,prostate cancerisafrequentdiagnosisandtypicallygrowsslowly,withPSAtests(bloodteststhat measureprostate-specificantigenlevels)aidinginearlyidentification(Morera&Abern,2018). Skincancer,whichincludesaggressivetypeslikemelanoma,underscorestheimportanceof monitoringchangesinmolesorlesionstocatchthediseaseearly(Marks,1995).Theseareonlya fewtypesofcancer.Eachtypeofcancerhasitsowntreatmentprotocol;somemayrequire surgeryorothertreatmenttechniques.

RiskFactors

Cancerarisesduetoacombinationofgeneticandenvironmentalfactors.Insomecases, cancercandevelopinindividualswithnofamilyhistoryofthediseaseandwithoutknown exposuretocommonenvironmentalriskfactors.Thissuggeststhatsporadiccasesmayresult fromrandomgeneticmutations,changesinthegeneticcode,thatoccurduringcelldivision. Additionally,variousriskfactors,suchasprolongedexposuretocarcinogens,chronic inflammation,poordiet,andlifestylechoiceslikesmokingorexcessivealcoholconsumption, cancontributetocancerdevelopment,eveninindividualswithoutaclearpredisposition.Genetic predisposition,suchasafamilyhistoryofcancer,canincreaseanindividual’srisk. Environmentalfactorsalsoplayasignificantrole.Smoking,excessivealcoholconsumption,and prolongedexposuretoUVradiationorhazardouschemicalscanalltriggergeneticmutationsthat leadtocancer.Lifestylechoices,includingdietandphysicalactivity,alsoinfluencerisk,asdoes aging,whichreducesthebody’sabilitytorepairDNAdamageandincreasesvulnerabilityto mutationsovertime(Waly&Rahman,2018).

SymptomsandDiagnosis

Symptomsofcancercanvarysignificantlybasedonitstypeandlocation.Common warningsignsincludeunexplainedweightloss,persistentfatigue,unusuallumps,andchangesin bowelorbladderhabits(Cleeland,2000).Earlydetectionisessentialtoimprovetreatment outcomes,andavarietyofdiagnosticmethodsareemployed,includingimagingtests(like X-raysorMRIs),biopsies,andbloodteststhatdetectcancermarkers(Wilczynski,2007). However,thislistofsymptomsisnotexhaustive,andthepresentationofcancercandiffer greatlyfrompersontoperson.Additionally,experiencingthesesymptomsdoesnotnecessarily indicatecancer,astheycanalsobecausedbyarangeofbenignconditions.

Treatments

Cancertreatmentoptionsdependonthetypeandstageofthedisease,aswellasthe patient'soverallhealth,withcommonapproachesincludingsurgery,chemotherapy,and immunotherapy Surgeryisoftenusedtoremovetumorsandaffectedtissues,whileradiation therapyemployshigh-energyraystokillcancercells(King&Primrose,2003).Chemotherapy targetsrapidlydividingcancercellsbutcanalsoaffecthealthycells,leadingtosideeffects includingfatigue,nauseaandvomiting,hairloss,temporarylossofhair,lossofappetiteand weightchanges,andmouthsores(Mukherji,2018).Advancesincancertreatmentinclude immunotherapy,whichenhancestheimmunesystem’sabilitytofightcancer,andtargeted therapy,whichspecificallyfocusesonmoleculesinvolvedincancergrowth,reducingharmto healthycells(Krseketal.,2023).Thechoiceoftreatmentistypicallytailoredtotheindividual, balancingeffectivenesswithqualityoflife.

LivingwithCancer

Acancerdiagnosiscanbelife-changing,butadvancementsintreatmenthave significantlyimprovedsurvivalratesformanytypes.Earlydetectionthroughregularscreenings andadoptingahealthylifestylecanreducetheriskofdevelopingcancer.Forthoseundergoing treatment,emotionalsupportandcommunityresourcesareinvaluableinnavigatingthe challengesofthedisease.Cancer-specificsupportgroupsandorganizations,bothlocaland online,canprovideessentialassistance,rangingfromfinancialaidtopsychologicalcounseling. Thesegroupsalsoofferguidanceontreatmentoptions,helpingpatientsandtheirfamiliesmake informeddecisionsabouttheircare.

Conclusion

Cancerremainsamultifaceteddiseasethatimpactsmillionsoflivesworldwide,but continuedresearch,awareness,andproactivepreventioneffortsofferhope.Bystayinginformed, undergoingregularscreenings,andembracingahealthylifestyle,individualscancontributeto theongoingfightagainstcancerwhileimprovingtheirchancesofearlydetectionandsuccessful treatment.

References

Barzaman,K.,Karami,J.,Zarei,Z.,Hosseinzadeh,A.,Kazemi,M.H.,Moradi-Kalbolandi,S., Safari,E.,&Farahmand,L.(2020).Breastcancer:Biology,biomarkers,andtreatments. InternationalImmunopharmacology,84,Article106535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.intimp.2020.106535

Cash,B.D.(Ed.).(2013).Colorectalcancerscreeningandcomputerizedtomographic colonography:Acomprehensiveoverview SpringerScience+BusinessMedia. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5943-9

Cairns,J.(1975).Thecancerproblem.ScientificAmerican,233(5),64–79. https://www.jstor.org/stable/10.2307/24949939

CancerStatFacts:FemaleBreastCancer.NationalCancerInstitute. https://seer.cancer.gov/statfacts/html/breast.html?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Cleeland,C.S.(2000).Cancer-relatedsymptoms.SeminarsinRadiationOncology,10(3), 175–190.https://doi.org/10.1053/srao.2000.6590

King,A.T.,&Primrose,J.N.(2003).Cancertreatment.Surgery,21(11),284–289. https://doi.org/10.1383/surg.21.11.284.22291

Krsek,A.,Krpina,K.,Samarzija,M.,Detel,D.,Baticic,L.,&Sotosek,V.(2023). Immunotherapyincancer:Whereweareandwhatthefuturebrings?Trendsin Immunotherapy,7(2).https://doi.org/10.24294/ti.v7.i2.2186

Lungcancer MayoClinic.

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/lung-cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20374 620

Marks,R.(1995).Anoverviewofskincancers. Cancer, 75(2),607–612. https://doi.org/10.1002/1097-0142(19950115)75:2607::AID-CNCR28207514023.0.CO;2 -8

Moreira,D.M.,&Abern,M.R.(2018).Prostatecancer:Overview,detection,treatment.In Encyclopediaofreproduction(2nded.,Vol.4,pp.474–478).Elsevier. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-801238-3.65168-1

Mukherji,A.(2018).Basicsofplanningandmanagementofpatientsduringradiationtherapy:A guideforstudentsandpractitioners.SpringerNatureSingapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-6659-7:contentReference[oaicite:0]{index=. NationalInstituteofBiomedicalImaging&Bioengineering.(n.d.).Mammography TechnologiestoShapetheFutureofHealth.

Patel,A.(2020).Benignvs.MalignantTumors.JAMAOncologyPatientPage,6(9):1488.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamaoncology/fullarticle/2768634

Tropy,MJ.,Lynm,C.,Glass,R.M.(2010).Cancer:TheBasics.JAMANetwork.

https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/185548

Waly,M.I.,&Rahman,M.S.(Eds.).(2018).Bioactivecomponents,dietandmedicaltreatment incancerprevention.SpringerInternationalPublishing.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-75693-6

Wilczynski,S.P.(2007).IntroductiontotheDiagnosisofCancer.SystematicOncology,78(2). https://doi.org/10.1002/9780470025079.chap33.pub2

WHO.(2024).Globalcancerburdengrowing,amidstmountingneedforservices.WorldHealth Organization.

https://www.who.int/news/item/01-02-2024-global-cancer-burden-growing--amidst-moun ting-need-for-services?utm_source=chatgpt.com

TheGut-SkinAxis:TheIntricateConnectionBetweenGut HealthandSkinConditions

By:AvaFarbeez

Everwonderedwhyyouracneneverseemstogoaway,orwhynoskincareproduct seemstohealyourdryskin?Skincarehasbecomeamajoraspectofthebeautyindustry.Nearly halfofCanadiansspendbetween$100and$499onskincareproductsperyear,yetinmany cases,skinconcernsremainunresolved(Wex,2023).Understandingthegut-skinaxisandthe relationshipbetweenthetwoorganscanbethekeytosimultaneouslyhealingthegutand achievingabalanced,glowingcomplexion.

Asthelargestorganinthebody,theskinisaremarkablyintricatesystemthatservesasa protectivebarrierbetweenourinternalorgansandtheoutsideenvironment(ClearSky Dermatology,n.d.).Likeothersystemswithinthehumanbody,theskinisheavilyinterconnected withthebody’soverallhealthandoftenactsasacanvasreflectingourinnerhealth.Peopleofall agesstrugglewithskinconditions,includingacne,dryness,rosacea,eczema,andpsoriasis (Cook,2022).Insteadofdealingwiththeseconditionsasisolatedproblems,itiscrucialto recognizethattheymaybesignsofinflammationandmicrobiomeimbalanceinthegut(Clear SkyDermatology,n.d.).

Thegutisamajorpartofthegastrointestinaltract,orinsimplerwords,thedigestive system,whichisresponsibleforprocessingthefoodandnutrientsthatthebodyconsumes.The Gut-Skin Axis referstotheinterrelationshipbetweengutandskinhealth.Researchershavefound thatskindeteriorationsuchasbreakouts,redness,andagingarelikelytooccurduetopoorgut health(West,2022).

Thebodyishometotrillionsofmicroorganismsincludingbacteria,fungi,andviruses (Taylor,2023).Together,theymakeupthemicrobiome,locatedinparticularpartsofthebody includingtheskinandgut(Taylor,2023).Themicrobiomeprovidesseveralbenefitssuchas shapingtheimmunesystem,defendingpathogenicbacteria,breakingdownmetabolites,and maintainingahealthybarrier.AccordingtostudiesdonebyDr.JenniferHTaylor(2023),thegut microbiomeandtheskinareconnectedinmanyways,makingthegutaleadingfactorinskin conditionsthroughvariousmechanismsincludingmicrobiomedysbiosis,inflammatory responses,andintestinalpermeability(Taylor,2023).

Ahealthygutcontainsabalancedcombinationofgoodandbadbacteria.Goodbacteria arereferredtoashealthyflora,whichpreventsinflammation(Taylor,2023).Animbalanceinthe microbiomeisknownasdysbiosisandcanoccurduetoalackofhealthyflora,anexcessive amountofbadbacteria,orsimplyalackofdiversityinthebacteriapresentinthemicrobiome. Dysbiosismaydevelopduetooralantibiotics,smoking,nicotine,stress,vitaminDdeficiency, poordiet,andlackofhumancontactduringandafterbirth(West,2022).Animbalancedgut microbiome,whetherduetoabacterialinfectionoraninflammationfromfoodsensitivities,can havedirectconsequencesonskinhealth.In2021,researchpresentedattheEuropeanAcademy ofDermatologyandVenereologySpringSymposiumsuggestedthatdysbiosisinthegut microbiomecouldplayasignificantroleintheprogressionofHidradenitisSuppurativa,a chronicinflammatoryskindisease(Stocum,2021).Conditionssuchaseczemaandpsoriasis havealsobeenlinkedtoanimbalanceinthegutmicrobiome,highlightingthe interconnectednessofthesetwosystems.

Thegutwall,whichprovidesabarrierbetweenthedigestivetractandthegeneral circulation,consistsofmicrovillithatexpandthesurfaceareaoftheguttoapproximatelythe

sizeofatenniscourt(Cook,2022).Becauseofitslargesize,anythingthatcausesirritationand inflammationtotheliningofthegutcanleadtoinflammationintheskinaswell.Thesefactors includefoodallergens,alcohol,medications,antibiotics,foodadditivesorartificialcolouring, anddietslowinfibreandhighinsugar(Cook,2022).Whengutinflammationoccurs,thenerves inthedigestivetractreceivesignalsthattheguthasbeenattacked,triggeringthebody’sstress responseandtheimmunesystem.Thesetriggersdisruptthenormalfunctioningoftheskincells, promoteinflammatoryresponses,andcontributetochronicinflammation,rashes,andother inflammatoryskinissues(Cook,2022).

Figure1:Acomparisonofthehealthyvs.dysbioticstateofthegutandskin

Acomparisonofahealthystateinthegutandskin(left)andadysbioticstate(right).The dysbioticstateshowsimbalanceinthegutmicrobiome,gutinflammation,adisruptedgutbarrier,

whichinturn,couldleadtoanimbalanceintheskinmicrobiome,animpairedskinbarrier,skin rashes,andinflammation.

AccordingtoresearchdonebyDougCook,aregistereddieticianintheCanadian DigestiveHealthFoundation(2022),skinconditionssuchasatopicdermatitis,dermatitis herpetiformis,andpsoriasis,prevailwithinflammatoryboweldiseasessuchasulcerativecolitis andCrohn’sdisease.Astudydemonstratedthatadrugusedtotreatpsoriasissurprisingly resultedinlessdiseaseactivityinCrohn’spatients(Mulloy,2015).Celiacdiseaseandgluten sensitivityarealsolinkedwithseveralskinconditionsincludingatopicdermatitis,psoriasis,and dermatitisherpetiformis,aconditioncausingskinrasheswiththepatient’sglutenconsumption (Mulloy,2015).

Ahealthygutbarrierkeepsthecontentsofthegutoutofcirculation.Aconsequenceof gutirritationandinflammationisadisruptedbarrier.Thisconditionisreferredtoasintestinal permeability,ortheleakygutsyndrome,whichisdevelopedwhentheintestinalwallsdevelop increasedpermeability.Asaresult,bacteriaandotherpathogenscanenterthebodyalongwith proteins,activatingtheimmunesystemandcausingwhole-bodyinflammation.Aleakygutis knowntocreateautoimmuneresponsesthatmayresultinrashesorbreakoutsintheskin.Many peoplewhohavethisconditionalsodemonstratetohavecommonskinissuessuchaseczemaor psoriasis(West,2022).

Althoughtherearecurrentlynomethodstoexamineifskinconditionsaregut-related, therearecertaindiagnosticteststhatcanassessoverallguthealth,includingagutmicrobiome test,anintestinalpermeabilitytest,andaCalprotectintest,whichmeasuresgutinflammation (West,2022).

A2021studysuggeststhateatingmorefruits,vegetables,fish,beans,nuts,probiotics, low-fatfermenteddairyfoods,andavoidingsodas,alcoholicdrinks,andhigh-fatprocessed meatscanhaveapositiveeffectonthecompositionofthegutmicrobiome(Breton,2021).

Takingtheseprecautionsreducesinflammatorymarkers,contributingtonotonlyimprovedinner guthealthbuthealthy-lookingskinaswell(West,2022).

Despitesignificantinvestmentsinskincareproductstoeliminateskinimperfections,very littlehasbeeninvestedinaddressingtherootcausesofthem(West,2022).Inmanycases,even aftertheuseofskincareproducts,unresolvedskinissuespersist,whichmayindicateunderlying guthealthconcernslikeinflammation,microbiomedysbiosis,andintestinalpermeability.These conditions,triggeredbyfactorssuchasantibiotics,stress,andpoordietcantriggerimmune responsesthatmanifestasinflammationandskinconditions(West,2022).Diagnostictests assessingguthealth,suchasgutmicrobiometestsandintestinalpermeabilitytests,offeravenues forunderstandingandaddressingunderlyinggutissuescontributingtoskinconcerns.Dietary interventionspromotingguthealthwhileavoidinginflammatoryfoodscanpromise improvementsinbothgutandskinhealth.Byadoptingaholisticapproachthatconsidersthe gut-skinaxis,individualscanworktowardsachievingabalancedandradiantcomplexionwhile promotingoverallhealthandwell-being(West,2022).

References

Breton,L.(2021). Gut–Skin Axis: Current Knowledge of the Interrelationship between Microbial Dysbiosis and Skin Conditions NCBI.RetrievedJanuary29,2024,from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7916842/ Cook,D.(2022). How Does Your Gut Health Affect Your Skin? CanadianDigestiveHealth Foundation.RetrievedJanuary29,2024,from https://cdhf.ca/en/how-does-your-gut-health-affect-your-skin/

How does gut health affect the skin? (n.d.).NewLifeNutrition.RetrievedJanuary29,2024, from https://www.newlifenutrition.com.au/gut-and-bowel-health/how-does-gut-health-affect-th e-skin/

How Skin Relates to Gut Health - CLEAR SKY DERMATOLOGY.(n.d.).clearskydermatology.

RetrievedJanuary29,2024,from https://clearskydermatology.com/how-skin-relates-to-gut-health/

Mulloy,K.(2015). How Your Gut—Yes, Your Gut—Affects Your Skin.Women'sHealth.Retrieved January29,2024,from https://www.womenshealthmag.com/beauty/a19984618/the-skin-gut-connection/

Stocum,L.(2021). Gut Bacteria Linked to Inflammatory Skin Disease.DermatologyTimes. RetrievedJanuary29,2024,from https://www.dermatologytimes.com/view/gut-bacteria-linked-to-inflammatory-skin-disea se

Taylor,J.H.,&Oakley,A.(2023). The gut microbiome in skin disease.DermNet.Retrieved January29,2024,fromhttps://dermnetnz.org/topics/the-gut-microbiome-in-skin-disease

West,M.,&West,M.(2022). Eczema, gut health, and the microbiome: Is there a link? Medical

NewsToday.RetrievedJanuary29,2024,from https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/eczema-gut-health

Wex,S.(2023).Findingthefinancialbalanceinskincareroutines. CityNews Toronto

https://toronto.citynews.ca/2023/07/11/finding-the-financial-balance-in-skin-care-routine s/

Conclusion

Thispublicationwasaculminationoftheeortsofourauthors,theyouthjournaldepartment,andthesupport ofallourmembers.Wehopetocontinueprovidingyouthjournalsregularlyinthefuture,andwehopethatthis servedwellasalearningandteachingtoolonhowtoapplyscienticwritingandskills

Thankyou,Reader,forhelpingfurtherourgoalofpromotingscienticcommunication

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