BIOL 304 Step 2 – Finding Information Sources Discussion – Public Service Announcement Project

The risk factor that could lead to cancer that surprised me the most was an individuals’ diet. Scientists have conducted studies to determine whether specific dietary components or nutrients could be the underlying cause and association of cancer (NIH, 2015). There are few dietary components that were studied in association with cancer such as alcohol, which causes risk of developing cancer of the oral cavity, liver, breast, and colon, as well as calcium, associated with prostate cancer (NIH, 2015).

In order to minimize the risk of cancer caused by an overconsumption of alcohol and calcium, the individual can simply remove or reduce the dietary component intake from their diet. Reducing or eliminating heavy or regular consumption of alcohol can effectively decrease the risk of obtaining cancers associated over time (NIH, 2021). Consuming the accurate amount of calcium for a healthy diet can decline the risk of cancer. The appropriate dosage of recommended calcium is determined by the age of the individual. Too much calcium, or hypercalcemia, found can lead to unwanted side effects (NIH, 2009), such as headaches nausea and fatigue (NIH, 2022).

NIH. (April 29, 2015). National Cancer Institute. Diet. Retrieved from

NIH. (July 14, 2021). National Cancer Institute. Alcohol and Cancer Risk. Retrieved from 

NIH. (May 4, 2009). National Cancer Institute. Calcium and Cancer Prevention. Retrieved from

Cleveland Clinic. (August 5, 2022). Hypercalcemia. Retrieved from

BIOL 304 Step 2 – Finding Information Sources Discussion – Public Service Announcement Project

Step 2 – Finding Information Sources  Discussion (3%) – Week 4

1. Review the Is My Source Credible? site from the UMGC library:  

2. Locate three (3) reliable information sources that you may use for your project that provides information about your chosen type of cancer as it relates to carcinogens, genetics factors, screening, and/or treatment options.

• • One of the three sources must be a peer-reviewed scholarly article. If you need help identifying and finding peer-reviewed scholarly articles, see this site:
  • Choose a few keywords (suggestions: name of cancer and one of the following: carcinogens, genes, genetics, screening, treatment) and enter them into the UMGC’s Library  One Search: 
  • Consider using the “Ask a Librarian” option if you need help locating a relevant article.
  • You may also use other search engines like Google. Two of your sources could be websites, YouTube videos, textbook chapters, or non-scholarly articles.

3. Write a 100–200-word summary about why you believe these three sources are reliable, and why you believe they will be useful for your project.

• • Include references to the three information sources you describe in APA format: 
  • Submit your main response to the designated discussion topic by the due date listed in the syllabus.

4. Reply to at least two other students’ posts who have no replies yet. Your comments should include a statement about the reliability of their resources , and a statement about the accuracy of their APA citations.  If you see APA citation errors, please include a statement about at least one correction of an APA citation error(s).

Note: You will likely need additional information sources for your project, and you are not required to use the three resources you found and described this week.