2015年職稱英語(yǔ)考試衛(wèi)生類B級(jí)閱讀復(fù)習(xí)(7)

2015年職稱英語(yǔ)考試衛(wèi)生類B級(jí)閱讀復(fù)習(xí)

The Case of the Disappearing Fingerprints

　　One useful anti-cancer drug can effectively erase the whorls and other characteristic marks that give people their distinctive fingerprints. Losing __(1)__ could become troublesome. A case released online in a letter by Annals of Oncology indicates how big a __(2)__ of losing fingerprints is.

　　Eng-Huat Tan, a Singapore-based medical doctor describes a 62-year old man who has used capecitabine to __(3)__ his nasopharyngeal cancer. After three years on the __(4)__, the patient decided to visit U.S. relatives last December. But he was stopped by U.S. customs officials __(5)__ 4 hours after entering the country when those officials couldn't get fingerprints from the man. There were no distinctive swirly __(6)__ appearing from his index finger.

　　U.S. customs has been fingerprinting incoming foreign visitors for years, Tan says. Their index fingers are __(7)__ and screened against digital files of the fingerprints of bad guys ― terrorists and potential criminals that our federal guardians have been tasked with keeping out of the country. Unfortunately, for the Singaporean traveler, one potential __(8)__ effect of his drug treatment is a smoothing of the tissue on the finger pads. __(9)__, no fingerprints.

　　"It is uncertain when fingerprint loss will __(10)__ to take place in patients who are taking capecitabine," Tan points out. So he cautions any physicians who __(11)__ the drug to provide their patients with a doctor's note pointing out that their medicine may cause fingerprints to disappear.

　　Eventually, the Singapore traveler made it into the United States. I guess the name on his passport didn't raise any red flags. But he's also now got the explanatory doctor's note ― and won't leave home __(12)__ it.

　　By the way, maybe the Food and Drug Administration, __(13)__ approved use of the drug 11 years ago, should consider __(14)__ its list of side effects associated with this medicine. The current list does note that patients may experience vomiting, stomach pain and some other side effects. But no where __(15)__ it mention the potential for loss of fingerprints.