Why couldnt the answer have been B or C? The answer was D.
H. pylori mcat question
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Why couldnt the answer have been B or C? The answer was D.
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A: obviously false since bacteria don't insert DNA into host tissue
B: no support for this answer in the passage
C: the passage states that 75% of people with active infections don't develop cancer. Therefore defeating the infection is not the cause of the lack of cancer.
The only remaining answer is D.
B: no support for this answer in the passage
C: the passage states that 75% of people with active infections don't develop cancer. Therefore defeating the infection is not the cause of the lack of cancer.
The only remaining answer is D.
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This is more of an AAMC critical thinking Q as opposed to a pure science question. A is just wrong on the science, C goes against what the passage explicitly tells you. This leaves B and D.
B might be true but once could argue that immune system strength is not definitive of defeating cancer, which is uncontrolled cell growth. Also, would these robust immune systems not be able to fight off an infection before it gets close to the cancerous stage (which the passage says occurs after infection)?
This leaves choice D, which would explain why these people do not get cancer even with an H. pylori infection. I know it seems kinda dumb because all its saying is "these guys don't get cancer because they don't develop tumors" which seems kinda obvious, but the AAMC will have questions this obvious/dumb. Don't get intimidated, the MCAT is predictable and beatable.
B might be true but once could argue that immune system strength is not definitive of defeating cancer, which is uncontrolled cell growth. Also, would these robust immune systems not be able to fight off an infection before it gets close to the cancerous stage (which the passage says occurs after infection)?
This leaves choice D, which would explain why these people do not get cancer even with an H. pylori infection. I know it seems kinda dumb because all its saying is "these guys don't get cancer because they don't develop tumors" which seems kinda obvious, but the AAMC will have questions this obvious/dumb. Don't get intimidated, the MCAT is predictable and beatable.
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A) Doesn't happen ever
B) There's no evidence given regarding the "robustness" of the immune system and gastric cancer
C) The passage indicates that "although many individuals develop antibodies against H. pylori antigens, these antibodies rarely eradicate the infection" which indicates that they still have the bacterium in their stomach.
D) Similar logic to C, it's indicated that many people are infected but it is "unclear why this bacterium causes chronic infections in some individuals but not others; many infected persons do not develop ulcers" and "infected individuals have a two-fold increased risk of gastric cancer, although >75% of patients with active infections do not develop cancer"
B) There's no evidence given regarding the "robustness" of the immune system and gastric cancer
C) The passage indicates that "although many individuals develop antibodies against H. pylori antigens, these antibodies rarely eradicate the infection" which indicates that they still have the bacterium in their stomach.
D) Similar logic to C, it's indicated that many people are infected but it is "unclear why this bacterium causes chronic infections in some individuals but not others; many infected persons do not develop ulcers" and "infected individuals have a two-fold increased risk of gastric cancer, although >75% of patients with active infections do not develop cancer"
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