Complete Module 4 Teacher Support Materials - NIH Office of ...

Comparison of Alzheimer’s Disease, MEN II, and HNPCC*Disease Characteristics Alzheimer’s Disease MEN II HNPCCPart of body (most)affectedExamples of other partsof the body that couldalso be affectedBrain Thyroid gland Large intestine, colon— Adrenal glands, parathyroidglands, bones, brainCancer? No Yes YesStomach, uterus, ovariesCopyright © 2009 Education Development Center, Inc. Exploring Bioethics.Permission granted for classroom use.Age of onset 65 or older Teens, 20s, 30s Mid 40s, on average; onsetbefore age 20is very rare.Positive test resultindicates what lifetimepercentage chanceof disease?13–57% Nearly 100% 80% by age 75Medical followupavailable?Mutation inheritableby future generations?Mutation typeNo medical interventionis known to lowerone’s chance of developingAlzheimer’s disease.General wellness should bestressed, as it should be forany patient.Yes, full removal of thyroidfollowed by daily medication.This eliminates anychance of thyroid cancer.Yes Yes YesAutosomal, incompletedominanceAutosomal, dominant*MEN II, multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2; HNPCC, hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer.Yes, more regular colonoscopies(usually beginningat age 20 to 25) inhopes of early detectionof any colon irregularities.Also, dietary changesand medication might berecommended. Surgery isalso possible (to removecolon, ovaries, etc.), butfrequent screenings arethought to offer the samemedical benefit in terms oflifespan.Autosomal, dominantTeacher Support Materials, Module 4TSMPage 4-10