Week 2: A Deep Dive Into Medical Operations

Anaisabel P D -

Hello everyone and thank you for coming to read what I’ve been up to during week 2!

This week I began the process of finding research papers related to my project and reading more about the different types of heart complications that may arise because of chemotherapy. As I began viewing more research papers I felt as though It would be more effective to focus my research on a specific type of chemotherapy drug. I ultimately decided on the anthracyclines doxorubicin and daunorubicin as they are among the most well-documented for causing heart damage.

Even though my project is virtual I still want to gain the same familiarity with different clinical processes that I would gain if I were in person. I also feel as though this knowledge would provide me with more necessary context for when I’m analyzing research papers.

For this reason alongside beginning to look at research papers, I spent time learning about the process of chemotherapy medications being administered through a port. A multitude of patients who need to receive chemotherapy medications undergo surgery to get a port in order to reduce needle sticks and give healthcare providers easier access to a vein when administering an IV. The port can additionally be used to draw blood which is necessary for monitoring the patient’s overall health, red blood cell count, organ function, platelet count, and ensuring they don’t have an infection.

I was also able to find a multitude of videos that delved into how healthcare providers conduct an MRI and generate detailed images. I invested time into this as I know that MRIs are a valuable resource for observing cardiovascular health. These videos also made me realize the importance of having an understanding of the heart’s anatomy for positioning an MRI scan, so I dedicated time to learning more about this as well.

 

Even though I haven’t made much progress on my overall research I’m glad I’ve gained more insight on the complexities of treatment. Thank you for joining me in my endeavors! I’ll see you next week!

 

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    ganesha_g
    Hi Ana, I also spent the majority of my week going through research papers. I think it's interesting that you're deciding to focus on one specific chemotherapy drug. Do you plan to look more into other drugs in the future? Also, what exactly is this "port" that patients get? Overall, you have very interesting work and I'm excited to see what else you will learn!
    March 27, 2025 at 9:49 am - Reply
    michael_s
    Hello Anaisabel! I think it's very nice that you are committed to gaining actual practical skills from this project even outside of your research. It's also interesting to see you narrowing down your research on the specific substances as they are more documented. Great work this week!
    March 27, 2025 at 11:26 am - Reply
    william_q
    Hello Anaisabel! The project looks interesting, especially since it is dealing with one of the most impactful unsolved issues of our time. It seems pretty good so far, but try to expand on how the research papers and videos help you specifically with the project and what the knowledge gained from each part of your experiences could possibly imply for research.
    March 28, 2025 at 2:00 am - Reply
    anaisabel_p_d
    Hi Zaara! Thank you for the kind words! I definitely do see myself continuing this research in the future, and expanding to different types of chemo drugs. I do wish I could expand my research for my senior project, but I don't think I could make much progress with the time constraints. A "port" is a small disc-like structure that’s surgically placed under a patient’s skin, usually near the chest. At the top of the port there is a rubber-like material called a septum, which is the entry point for the needle. The septum is designed to form a seal and leave no holes once the needle is removed to maintain sterility. The port also consists of a catheter which is a tube that connects to a vein and allows for direct access to a blood stream.
    March 30, 2025 at 8:22 pm - Reply
    anaisabel_p_d
    Hello Michael! Thank you for being supportive! I'm happy my project is giving me the opportunity to learn about practical skills I can apply beyond my research, and I'm excited for what the next weeks will bring. Thank you again for the compliments!
    March 30, 2025 at 9:02 pm - Reply

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