American Foreign Policy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

American Foreign Policy - Essay Example Seeking to explore the effects of the end of the Cold War on the foreign of policy of the United States, this essay will address the changes caused by this tumultuous event on the international geopolitical system. Has American state self-interest changed following the collapse of bipolarity? What motivates US foreign policy in this New World Order? During the Cold War, the United States and the Soviet Union were locked in a bitter confrontation pitting two opposite poles in the international order against one another. In this period of bipolarity, state behavior was mediated by concerns regarding the stability of the international system as well as the state interest and behavior of the other major power. Today, the United States operates in a unipolar world and is the world’s hegemonic state. State behavior is less constrained as it was during the Cold War but US state interest today reflects power conditions and the maintenance of overall system stability which promotes the supreme status of the United States in the international system. Power is a â€Å"hard† issue and a primary concern for survival; so called â€Å"soft issues† like human rights and democracy are far less salient. In the anarchic world of international affairs, hard or core issues always supersede soft issues and are integral to defini ng state interest and behavior. What is the state of the international system following the end of the Cold War? In an article entitled â€Å"Soft Balancing in the Age of U.S. Primacy†, T.V. Paul addressed the issue of hegemonic power and stability in the post-Cold War period and explores the means through which other powers have attempted to counteract the global supremacy of the United States. As the world’s hegemonic power, the United States has, in the Cold War period, resorted to unilateralism and expansive military might. The systemic level response, according to this article has been a variety of soft-power strategies by

Cause & Effect Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cause & Effect - Essay Example In as much the Arab Spring has brought some impact into the governance system of many Islamic nations, it has failed in many ways to liberate the nations from authoritarianism and bad governance. According to The Economist (2014) Arab Spring has failed to liberate North African and Middle East states from totalitarianism, as many of the newly elected leaders follow the exact footsteps of their predecessors. It has led to the narrowing of the democratic state of the Islamic nations because the Islamic fundamentalists cannot tolerate dissenting opinions. Additionally, corruption and infringement of the rights of the citizens have since increased, especially in the aftermath of the Arab Spring. Contrary to its intended mission of bringing peace and uniting all Muslims living in the Islamic States, the Arab Spring has ignited fresh conflicts and terrorism in such states. The effect of this is that more than 300,000 people have dies in Syria since 2011 when the war erupted. Sectarian interests have been the cornerstone behind numerous conflicts that have wreaked havoc in the Middle East with the Islamic State of Iraq and Greater Syria (ISIS) gaining the impetus to fight the Jihad war in Iraq (The Economist, 2014). In conclusion, the Arab Spring has had many adverse effects in North African states and the Middle East States. The Arab revolution has had many spill-over effects with many terrorist groups gaining momentum from the conflicts. For example, Al Qaeda has expanded its territory to many parts of the Middle East with Iraq being the hot spot. In addition, the Arab Spring has brought more divisions and deaths due to civil wars and continuous terrorist attacks (The Economist, 2014). The Economist (2014). Tethered by history: The failures of the Arab spring were a long time in the making. Retrieved from

The Internet and It's Use in Politics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Internet and It's Use in Politics - Essay Example In May 2010, a survey observed the Republicans (who were Congress members) as reaching out to new Facebook connections at a faster rate than the Democrats. As a result, by August 2010, members of the Republic Party claimed to possess double the amount of â€Å"fans† of the Democrats on Facebook. Prior to this, Hillary Clinton, the present US Secretary of State and Paul Nelson, the Republican member of the South Dakota House of Representatives had used the YouTube and MySpace sites for their respective election campaigns. (Bardes, Shelley,Schmidt, 192) How media sites encourage public involvement in politics The social networking sites undertake special projects to increase public participation in political issues.In January 2008, Facebook cosponsored a primary debate regarding the candidature of US Presidentship. This was the media site’s first notable political project, where one million of the site’s users participated in debate groups and were also allowed to present their own questions to the concerned candidates. Facebook also organized debates on the implementation of the US health care bill. Though, these were not initiated for any achieving any particular objective, important insights were gained from the passionate arguments that took place regarding the bill. This ultimately paved the way to the complete transformation of the US health-care system in March 2010. The social networking sites have the young population as the majority of its members. Modern politicians have realized that they can use thesenetworking platforms to disseminate their political ideologies among the youth of the country (Bardes, Shelley,Schmidt, 192). Social Media’s influence on Campaigning In the 20th century, political campaigns were mainly conducted on the streets with the help of posters, placards and bill boards. To reach out to a wider population, the campaigners relied on the traditional means of communication like advertising through the tele vision, radio, phone banks, newspapers and e-mail. In contrast, political campaigns in the 21st century depend heavily on the online communication methods. Political advertising is conducted through the Internet, RSS feeds, podcasts, interactive websites, social media sites, blogs, microblogs, mobile text messages and the e-mail. Campaigners specially utilize the platforms of YouTube, My Space, Facebook, other networking sites and micro-blogs like Twitter,to communicate their ideas to potential voters.The on-street campaigns had adequate time (days and sometimes weeks) to design advertising messages to influence the voters. After the election, the polling results also required some time to be analyzed and reported. On the other hand, the modern online campaigns operate at a phenomenal speed throughout the entire day. Election results, on field data and early voting information are received, deciphered and reported within a matter of a few hours. The on-street campaigns could involve a limited number of participants in their election propaganda.The rest of the population was left as spectators who were only required to cast their votes on the election day. In comparison, the online communication methodsensure the involvement of a greater number of potential voters in the election campaign. People

The hidden meaning of the movie Avatar Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The hidden meaning of the movie Avatar - Essay Example The film gives an insight to cultural and religious trends that give rise to the film and the reasons those trends are feared, criticized and resisted enabling them to fight with their own views about the controversy. Like the film itself, Avatar and Nature Spirituality gives a prospect for considering the ongoing struggle to decide how we should live on the home planet and sort sorts of spiritual values and practices in terms of politics and economics would best guide us. The cultural ethnocentrism inherent in the movie is Hinduism. Hinduism believes that Avatar is sent to us for very specific jobs and he is the God Vishnu; the following quote from Gita tells us more about Vishnu; â€Å"Whenever righteousness wanes and unrighteousness increase I send myself forth, for the protection of good and for the destruction of evil †¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Gita: 4.7–8) Apart from sharing the same instincts of Vishnu in the movie, it also considers Shiva and Ganesha because according to the Hindu mythology they are also described as the descending in the form of avatars. Bron Taylor, a professor of ecology founded the journal for the study of Religion, Nature and Culture published in 2007, which illuminated the questions like; what are the relationships among human beings and what does the terms religion, nature and culture signify and what is the relationship between species and places which we inhabit etc. This journal illuminated James Cameron, director of Avatar with various facts and elements associated with nature and its meaning.

Adele Is My Role Modle Essay Example for Free

Adele Is My Role Modle Essay Adele Laurie Blue Adkins was born in Tottenham, north London, England, to Penny Adkins, an English teenager, and Mark Evans, a Welshman, on 5 May 1988 Evans walked out when Adele was two, leaving her 20-year-old mother to raise her single-handedly,for which Adele has still not forgiven him. She has a younger half-brother on her fathers side, Cameron Evans. She began singing at age four and asserts that she became obsessed with voices. Adele has cited the Spice Girls as a major influence in regard to her love and passion for music, stating that they made me what I am today. Adele impersonated the Spice Girls at dinner parties as a young girl. To make her look like English RB and urban contemporary singer Gabrielle, her mother made an eye patch with sequins, which Adele later said was embarrassing. See more: Examples of satire in adventures of huckfinn essay At the age of nine, Adele and her mother, a furniture-maker and adult learning activities organiser, relocated to Brighton. Despite this move, she remains an ardent fan of her hometown Premier League football club Tottenham Hotspur. Two years later, she and her mother moved back to London; first to Brixton, and then to neighbouring district West Norwood, in south London. West Norwood is the subject for Adeles first record, Hometown Glory, written when she was 16. After moving to south London, she became interested in RB artists such as Aaliyah, Destinys Child and Mary J. Blige. Adele says that one of the most defining moments in her life was when she watched Pink perform at Brixton Academy. It was the Missundaztood record, so I was about 13 or 14. I had never heard, being in the room, someone sing like that live [ ] I remember sort of feeling like I was in a wind tunnel, her voice just hitting me.

Men are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Essay Example for Free

Men are from Mars, Women Are from Venus Essay This is the title of the 1990’s Best Selling book which tells that Men and Women are different in their own natural ways. But nowadays, most of the people think that sometimes this is not applicable to both genders. Dual Personality is very common and frequently seen in these days. In fact, Male Vanity is widely experience by most of the men. They are typically described as vain in the way they take excessive measures in making sure they always look gorgeous in social situations, quietly suffer from stress levels that are more taxing than what women experience for the same thing, according to researchers. A lot of women wonder how do men became meticulous and how to identify if a man is already becoming vain. So here’s some of my observations regarding with the reasons why a lot of men are experiencing male vanity and the signs of being vain. Women are known for being beauty conscious. We really like to have fair and white skin, looking sexy and gorgeous all the time and to be beautiful inside and out. And to achieve these things, we sometimes depend on beauty products, herbal medicines and Derma Clinics. But nowadays, the rise of male grooming has led to men taking almost twice as many electrical items with them as women, based on new researches. Beauty Products for men are frequently seen on TV ads. They are answering the demand with products streamlined for the male consumer. Clinique has developed an entire line of skin care products exclusively for men. Their All About Eyes cream diminishes the appearance of eye puffs, darkness and fine lines. They point out that the cream-gel actually helps hold eye makeup in place. Yes. Were still talking about the mens line. Generally, looking clean and pressed is a good idea. But applying expensive moisturizers, powders and creams before and after bedtime is another thing. Should we call it ‘Vanity’? I guess so. Most of the propagandas that women usually read has reached men. Especially in terms of Diet and Health. We can say that a man that is considered vain is also a diet-crazed. A basic guy’s activities to maintain his good health like sports, balance diet and manual labor are enough to offset a normal diet. But if a man knows about yoga, ab cruncher, pilates or a guy who works for better biceps have no purpose for bigger biceps other than self-admiration is not normal anymore. In terms of their outer looks, Fashion and pop culture have a lot to do with the change. The ultra-slim silhouette and skinny jeans that hit the high-fashion world several years ago have infiltrated men’s departments in mainstream stores like Banana Republic and Old Navy. And because of social media websites like Facebook and Twitter, men constantly are confronted with photos of fit male celebs. Men like to live up to a certain standard, a certain level of providing income. The image of a career, however, has become more important than the actual work. Today, men seek clean, domesticated, polite, sedentary jobs. Fathers used to be firemen, farmers and construction workers, which meant getting their hands dirty. Plastic surgery clinics are reporting a surge in business from men seeking a helping hand to stave off the ageing process. And men arent just interested in looking younger, but also thinner and more polished. It is no surprise then that according to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery (ASAPS), nearly 171,000 Americans under the age of 18, had some form of plastic surgery in 2000 with the most common operation being rhinoplasty or surgery to change the size or shape of the nose. Joshua Parilla, 25 years old and a call center agent was asked if he shows some signs of being vain as what people had observe to him. And he replied, â€Å"I visit the Parlor twice a month because I want to have a different styles of haircut. Then I visit a massage spa at least once a month as a reward for myself every time I receive my monthly salary. And sometimes I went to a Derma Clinic to maintain my good skin. And I must admit it.† Not only the ordinary men experienced Vanity but also the once who we did not expect to be vain. I had watched a show titled Palaban, hosted by Mareng Winnie Monsod, Malou Mangahas and Miriam Quiambao. Palaban discusses male vanity with Dr. Kho, actor-model Alfred Vargas, Navotas Mayor Toby Tingco, cosmetic surgeon Dr. Manny Calayan and Carole Sarthou of market research firm Synovate Philippines. Women swoon over them and some of their secrets are regimen that includes regularly going to the gym, use of skin care products, getting a hot oil treatment, and even having cosmetic laser treatment. Some of them have taken to stuffing their bag with their own â€Å"kikay kit (vanity kit). They use products intended for women too. So now, who says only women can be vain? It seems that Vanity truly changed the name of men. And the rise of Male Grooming has changed the point of views of many people. Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus but we are on Earth so there’s no boundaries here. Self-improvement is a good thing as it makes us feel more confident when we face the world. However, our confidence is and should always be in our own selves as individuals.

Prostate Cancer Causes And Treatment Health And Social Care Essay

Prostate Cancer Causes And Treatment Health And Social Care Essay This paper will investigate several different academic journal articles and some popular media articles that are about prostate cancer. These articles discuss prostate cancer causes, (hypothetical and known), detection methods, and treatment options. A couple of the articles also focus on the cost of treatment for patients, as well as the risks involved with the differing methods of treatment. Several treatment options for prostate cancer are still being studied. This essay will critically analyze and compare prostate cancer detection methods, (such as Prostate-specific antigen or (PSA) tests) treatment options, and the differing success or failure of each method, as well as focusing on the increasing cost of treatment that patients are forced to pay. Some of the articles also suggest that more resources and more education are needed to help lower the mortality rate from prostate cancer. This paper will explore what is being done to help lower the mortality rate as well as what is be ing done to help increase the rate of early detection of prostate cancer. Keywords: Prostate-specific antigen Prostate Cancer: Causes and Treatment Options Available in Todays Scientifically Advanced Society According to the Prostate Cancer Foundation, prostate cancer occurs when cells within the prostate grow uncontrollably, creating small tumors. The term cancer refers to a condition in which the regulation of cell growth is lost and cells grow uncontrollably. Prostate cancer is a disease of epidemic proportions. 1 in 6 American men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer and new cases are diagnosed every 2.7 minutes (Charles 2009). As prostate cancer poses such a threat to men worldwide, more time and money should be spent to improve upon the existing methods and technology as well as invested towards education and awareness programs. The fact that these statistics are real is why prostate cancer awareness and education is so essential because many deaths could have been prevented if the cases had been detected at earlier stages of the cancer. Prostate cancers specific cause is still unknown, however scientists hypothesize that genes play a role, because the risk factor for getting pro state cancer is substantially higher if you have a family history of it. The two main methods used for prostate cancer screening are rectal examinations and prostate-specific antigen (PSA) blood testing. Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008) remind men 50 years and older that the American Cancer Society recommends that men receive annual rectal examinations and PSA blood tests. Treatment methods for prostate cancer are limited, but new technology has allowed for a higher survival rate because of early detection. The first point of interest is that the costs of prostate cancer treatment have gone up substantially in the last 20 years according to USA Today reporter Lisa Szabo. In her article entitled Patients bear brunt as cancer spending hits $90 billion she discusses how these rising costs have been driven by forces such as new drugs, robotic surgeries, and radiation techniques (2010). In her findings she discovered that from 1991 to 2002 the cost of treatment for cancer doubled. These increases are unsustainable claims John Seffrin, CEO of the American Cancer Society. Because of the increasing costs of treatment the American Cancer society can only help 1 out of 6 patients as opposed to in the past when they were able to help 1 in 5. When one takes into account how many cancer patients are in the United States, then they can realize how many people are forgoing treatment because they are uninsured and cannot afford treatment. It is tragic that the rising costs are resulting in preventable deaths. In another article reviewed, Krahn, Zagorski, Laporte, Alibhai, Bremner, Tomlinson, Warde, and Naglie, (2009) set out to discover healthcare costs in relation to prostate cancer. They researched direct medical costs for around 42,000 men over the progression of the disease. The costs they found were between $2,000 to around $16,000 dependent on where the individual patient was in the treatment process and how advanced their cancer was. The resulting conclusion was that prostate cancer costs are highest around two events, cancer diagnosis and cancer death (Krahn et als. 2009). The second point of interest is that drug company Roches Avastin a prostate cancer drug recently hit headlines and not in a good way. According to the Wall Street Journal, Roche Holdings released a statement that said that Avastin had failed in late stage prostate cancer trials. This news was not good for stockholders who are estimated to have lost projected sales of 7.48 billion dollars. The other bad news is that people who have been using Avastin an antibody for treatment of cancer, are also paying for something that is not as effective as they have been lead to believe. The third point of interest is that although scientists know what causes cancer, new steps are being made to discovering what specifically causes prostate cancer, and other types of cancer. In an exciting article in Science News, author L. Sanders reviews a new study that suggests probable links between self-renewing stem cells and prostate cancer (2010). The study suggests that genes are the culprit. Think about cancer as a disease of stem cells, Mutations in these cells can cause normal stem cells to lose their regularized behavior and instead turn into an incipient cancer (Sanders 2010). The researchers also found that prostate tissue cells called Basal stem cells are the most likely culprit in laboratory tests done on mice. In all the research they have done, Basal stem cells are what drives the cancer, regardless of the type of mutation says Owen Witte, a researcher at the University of California. A specific gene called Bmi-1 plays a significant role in Basal stem cells renewal process, when Bmi-1 activity was reduced, the cells were no longer able to self renew, nor did they form tumors (Sanders 2010). The fourth point of interest is that studies show family history of prostate cancer as one of the leading risk factors associated with prostate cancer. As Damber and Aus (2008) discovered while researching prostate cancer, family history is a large factor when assessing ones individual risk factors. They hypothesize that one apparent reason for this is that genes are passed down biologically from father to son. They also believe that the cancer causing genes mutate, but the reason(s) why are still unknown. According to the textbook authors, Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008) consuming high amounts of animal fats has been shown to increase ones risk of getting prostate cancer. They also discuss how the chances are higher in black males than in white males. One thing Damber and Aus (2008) did note in their study was that the number of cases of prostate cancer was higher in men in urbanized nations as opposed to Asian men. The resulting studies showed that lifestyle differences as well as exposure to radiation were the reasons for the different statistics between Asian men and those in more urbanized nations. They also discuss how PSA and other screening methods are still being studied too analyze just how effective they actually are. Once men are suspected of having prostate cancer, the most common method of diagnosis is a biopsy which is surgically removing a small portion of the suspected tumor for testing. Most patients once they are diagnosed with the disease, are concerned with how concentrated the cancer is, because it is this factor more than any other that determines how long they have to live. In other words, the disease establishes the prognosis more than the choice of treatment. (Damber and Aus 2008) Treatment methods are varied and all have risks involved, but as the authors pointed out, most treatment plans are based on factors such as the PSA number, (how high or low) the level is, the size and placement of the tumor, as well as the patients individua l life expectancy. Treatment plans also vary depending on if the cancer is localized to just the prostate, or if it has advanced (grown) within the prostate, or if the cancerous cells have spread to other parts of the body more serious treatment options will be considered. Damber and Aus (2008) theorize that treatment methods for both localized and advanced prostate cancer will remain the same for the time being. The fifth point of interest is the actual treatment procedures that are currently used. According to K. Charles in her article about prostate cancer in the Daily News, NY, she discusses the three major ways to treat prostate cancer. Surgery, external beam radiation, and radioactive seed implant therapy. A fourth new and radical treatment option is known as active survellaince, which is basically doing nothing but constantly monitoring the cancer. She discusses in her article that doctors have not yet been able to decide which treatment option is more effective than another, as they say that the results of each treatment option vary case to case. These variants also depend on how progressed the cancer is and how healthy the patient was before they got cancer. The sixth point of interest is a possible prostate cancer treatment that is still being researched called Cryotherapy. In an article by A. Gardner, she discusses how several prostate cancer patients had successful cryoblation and their tumors were successfully thwarted. The method is still in research however, and as Dr Debra Monticciolo said, The concept is good, but we need a bigger study with longer follow up. It takes a while for a couple of tumor cells left behind to gather enough steam to be noticed (Gardner 2010). One of the most controversial methods of treatment is to do nothing and just check in on the cancer frequently, to ensure that it has not grown or spread. In an article by Johnsun and Treurnicht, they claim that, The majority of men with low-risk prostate cancer will die of unrelated causes (2009). They also discuss how this newer method of treatment, officially known as active surveillance challenges the old method of radiation, and instead theorizes that attentive non-action, with only minimal treatments is possibly more effective. Johnsun and Treurnicht researched a group of 549 cancer patients who were offered active surveillance or surgery. The patients chose the surgery. Over an 8 year time span, it was discovered that the only way to ensure if active surveillance is an effective method of treatment is by repeated studies of men who have had biopsies. In another article I reviewed, author R. Lane and C. Metcalfe looked into a study that is being conducted in the UK. The study is a randomized controlled trial evaluating different prostate cancer treatments (2008). In the article, they claim that repeat PSA testing is one of the most effective methods for deciding if one needs surgery. According to the article, men whose PSA levels are between 3.0 and 19.99 ng/mL are all candidates for treatment and most likely, a biopsy. Also according to Lane and Metcalfe, in the trial referred to in the article, the participants were between 50 and 70 years old. The conclusions of the authors was that repeat PSA blood testing, particularly in men aged The seventh point of interest in regards to Prostate Cancer detection methods is the conflict over PSA testing and its accurate results, or is it as accurate as one would hope? Nogueira, Corradi, and Eastham (2009) explore other biomarkers besides PSA tests. They believe that although PSA is the best cancer biomarker available, it is not perfect. It lacks both the sensitivity and specificity to accurately detect the presence of prostate cancer (Nogueira et al., 2009). In their article, they evaluate the progress that is being made towards being able to use newly discovered biomarkers to help screen for prostate cancer. The studies that they review show that Human Kallikrein 2 or (hK2) is a serine protease that is closely related to PSA in sequence. The studies have revealed however, that (hK2) is not ready to be used yet as it can indicate that there are cancer cells active in the blood, but not accurately enough. This is similar to the problem that researchers run into with PSA test ing. Several other membrane antigens and antibodies are also being studied, but none of them are yet ready to be used as further research and testing is still needed. In the textbook, Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008) agree with this article that PSA testing is the best method available. This should not be seen as though no progress has been made however, because as Dr. Richard Stock said, The past 40 years have seen a revolution in prostate cancer treatment. Not only are 90% of cases caught before they metastasize, but doctors have vastly improved technology for fighting cancer in the other 10% of patients (Charles 2009). The eighth point of interest is the recent news that the American Cancer Society has released new guidelines on prostate cancer screenings. In the article by A. Gardner, it discusses how the American Cancer Society is now putting less emphasis on routine PSA testing and more emphasis on doctor-patient conversations and decisions. These new guidelines are issued as a result of research and the ongoing conflict over how accurate PSA testing really is. According to a statement issued by the American Cancer Society, men with no symptoms of prostate cancer who are in relatively good health and can expect to live another 10 years should make an informed decision with their doctor about prostate cancer screening after learning the uncertainties, risks, and potential benefits associated with such screening (Gardner 2010). These new statements disagree with with what Rathus, Nevid, and Rathus (2008), state in the textbook, The American Cancer Society recommends that men receive annual digital rectal examinations beginning at the same age as PSA tests (Rathus et al. 2008). They are now suggesting that PSA testing should not be a requirement for all men over 50. The ninth point of interest, however, is that many agree that PSA testing is still not a very reliable or effective method of detection. In an article in Practical Nurse, urologist Professor Roger Kirby, director of the Prostate Centre in London, states that, PSA testing is hugely controversial because the number of false positives and missed diagnoses of prostate cancer generated by the test raises questions about its usefulness (2009). In the article Kirby also points out that although PSA testing is so sketchy, that unfortunately men do not have many other options for detection. He calls for more research into alternative testing methods for the presence of cancerous cells in ones blood. He also calls for more education among men, to make them aware of their risk of contracting prostate cancer. Personal education and personal awareness are key elements in fighting the mortality rate of prostate cancer. The tenth point of interest is the progress being made towards educating the public on prostate cancer. In the European Journal of Cancer Care, contributing author S. Bowen, discusses a public health program in Ireland called the National Cancer Information Service. It was developed because of the National Cancer Forums, concern that high quality, accurate information and resources should be available to the public (Bowen 2010). The majority of people who called in to the service concerned about prostate cancer were men in their 50s to mid 60s. The service also found that most men were calling to find out how and where to get screened for prostate cancer. Bowen thinks this is due to not enough public awareness of prostate cancer, he believes that, as the public becomes increasingly aware of cancer, it is important that they have access to clear unbiased information from a responsible quality service informed by ongoing evaluation (2010). Overall, the popular media articles that I reviewed did seem to agree with the academic journal articles. In regards to the cost of prostate cancer treatment, the textbook did not really go into depth on the topic, but the two articles that I reviewed did seem to agree with the consensus that prostate cancer treatment is expensive, and that the cost of treatment is rising. Another issue that I reviewed was also not really covered by the textbook, but the article that I reviewed was convincing in that it shows that more research is needed for prostate cancer drugs. Another issue that I reviewed was also not covered by the textbook, but I found it fascinating that scientists are coming so close to finding a way to cure cancer. Another issue I reviewed was agreed upon in my textbook, the academic article and the popular media that risk factors for prostate cancer are pretty consistent. Another issue that I reviewed was the actual procedures which did agree with my textbook. Another issu e I reviewed was Cryotherapy, which is an experimental method, not covered in the textbook. Another issue was conflict over PSA testing, and I found that the academic and popular media did agree mainly when it came to this issue. I do not feel that anything was left out in these articles or the textbook. I did feel that the academic studies were and are legitimate. I believe that future studies should focus on prostate cancer detection and treatment. The articles that I reviewed were very promising as they show that a lot of progress has already been made in reference to prostate cancer treatment and detection. I think that scientists and researchers should continue what they are doing, especially with the research on stem cells and their direct connections to cancer. I think that finding the cause of prostate cancer should be the number one priority of researchers. I also feel that finding the future cure to cancer can only be done if much more extensive stem cell and gene research is conducted. Until that cure is found howver, I believe it is important to focus todays research on finding more accurate methods of testing, as PSA blood testing has been shown time and time again to not be as reliable as medical professionals would like it to be. The new findings that I discussed are quite exciting though, and the possibility of finding a 100% ac curate test for cancerous cells in the bloodstream is most likely soon to be a reality. The discovery of a new and more accurate testing method for prostate cancer would help increase the number of survivors as well as decrease the number of false readings and wrong diagnoses. I feel that the important message throughout the articles and research that I conducted is that men need to be more educated and more aware of prostate cancer and its symptoms and that doctors need to spend more time with their patients who are diagnosed with prostate cancer. I think that families with a history of prostate cancer need to have father-to-son discussions about prostate cancer and that they might want to cut down on their intake of animal fats and their exposure to radiation as that raises their risk. Black men who consume a lot of red meat with a family history of prostate cancer should be especially concerned. The other important thing is that men who are diagnosed with prostate cancer need to be informed of all their options, not just the options that benefit and are profitable to the medical institution providing the treatment, or the drug company providing the drugs for treatment. The new active surveillance prostate cancer treatment method is still under scrutiny as to whether it is as effective as medical professionals are hoping it will be. I also think that reform is needed in regards to the outrageous cost of treatment, which for the average person, is very hard to afford. The general public needs to be more aware and educated; more societies such as the American Cancer Society are needed to help raise awareness and to provide valuable information, resources, and support to those who are affected. The financial burden on those with prostate cancer is also something that needs to be addressed. The future of prostate cancer is one that is hard to predict however, because cancerous cells and genes are constantly mutating and changing generation from generation. The sheer amount of time, money, and resources that have been put into cancer research and treatments is incredible. I think that the future of prostate cancer will hopefully be cut short by the discovery of a way to prevent the cancerous cells from mutating, whether it is from radiation, antibodies, or removal of the cancerous cells. I also feel that the important message to anyone reading this is personal responsibility and personal awareness and education. It is not groups such as the American Cancer Societys responsibility to educate and help those who are fighting prostate and other forms of cancer, it is the individuals responsibility to do all that they can, within reason, to prevent and detect cancer early, before it is too late. Fear, procrastination, ignorance, and lack of health care and coverage are big issues when it comes down to the truth. The fact of the matter is that many people who are dying and have died from prostate cancer could have been saved if they had detected it earlier. The importance of getting routine screenings for men over 50 years old is crucial. The testing methods may not be 100% accurate, but it is better to be informed than to just take a chance with your life.