Intro to Cancer (FS - Week 7) Flashcards
What is cancer?
a cellular disease caused by uncontrolled division of abnormal cells - it arises from mutations in normal cell DNA
What is a tumour
lumps of tissue formed by growth of abnormal or damaged cells - they can be malignant or benign
What does metastasis mean
tumours that travel to distant organs to form new tumours
Name 5 genetic changes in cells that can cause cancer
- error during cell division
- DNA damage due to harmful substances in the environment e.g. chemical in tobacco
- hereditary
- loss of ability to eliminate cells with damaged DNA before they turn cancerous
- accumulation of genetic changes/mutations
Name 3 genes that contribute to cancer
- Proto-oncogenes - involved in normal cell growth - when mutated or over-activated they become cancer-causing genes (oncogenes) allowing cells to grow and survive when they shouldn’t
- tumour suppressor genes - control cell growth and division - mutations in TSGs may divide in an uncontrolled manner
- DNA repair genes - involved in fixing damaged DNA - cells with mutations in these genes develop additional mutations in other genes e.g. duplications or deletions of parts of chromosomes = cancer-causing
What is meant by the hallmarks of cancer
biological capabilities acquired during the multistep development of tumours
Name 6 properties of a cancer cell according to the hallmarks of cancer
- sustaining proliferative signalling
- evading growth suppressors
- activating invasion and metastasis
- enabling replicative immortality
- inducing angiogenesis
- resisting cell death
Name 2 emerging hallmarks of cancer
- deregulating cellular energetics
- avoiding immune destruction
What are carcinogens and how do they work?
substances, radiation or radionuclides that promote carcinogenesis. They work by interacting with a cells DNA and induce genetic mutations
Name 5 features of benign tumours
- small
- slow-growing
- non-invasive
- well-differentiated
- stay localised (can’t metastasize
Name 5 features of malignant tumours
- Large
- Fast-growing
- invasive
- poorly-differentiated
- metastasize
What is hyperplasia?
enlargement of an organ or tissue due to fast multiplying cells
What is dysplasia?
abnormal growth of cells/organs and/or abnormal cells or anatomical structure
What is meant by carcinoma in situ?
abnormal cells found only in the place where they first formed in the body, sometimes called stage 0 cancer but not cancer as it has not invaded nearby normal tissue
What are melanomas
arise in melanocytes (skin pigment) - they form solid tumours
