Exam #1: Obesity, Energy Balance & Cancer

Question 1

How do food and nutrition lead to the development of cancer?

Answer 1

Food & nutrient availability influences genetic material within cells

Question 2

What are the six hallmarks of cancer?

Answer 2

1) Growth signal autonomy
2) Evasion of growth inhibitory signals
3) Evasion of apoptosis
4) Unlimited replication
5) Sustained angiogenesis
6) Invasion and metastasis

Question 3

Describe the broad dietary problem of our age.

Answer 3

Overnourished macroscopically; undernourished microscopically

Question 4

What is the relationship between metabolic syndrome & cancer?

Answer 4

Inflammatory state of metabolic syndrome/ obesity promotes genetic instability

Question 5

What does nutrient excess lead to the production of?

Answer 5

ROS, which creates oxidative stress that can damage cell structures

Question 6

Generally, what are the three maladaptive responses to nutrient excess?

Answer 6

1) ROS
2) Impaired ER giving rise to unfolded proteins
3) Accumulation of long-chain fatty acids

Question 7

Why is chronically elevated insulin bad?

Answer 7

Insulin is associated with cell growth, carcinogenesis, & tumor promotion

Question 8

Serum levels of what hormone are associated with poor prognosis of many cancers?

Answer 8

Insulin or C- peptide

Question 9

Describe the mechanism by which hyperinsulinemia leads to carcinogenesis.

Answer 9

• High insulin= upregulation of IGF-1 (liver)

- IGF-1 suppresses apoptosis & initiates cell cycle progression from G1 to S-phase

Question 10

What is the association between VEGF & obesity?

Answer 10

VEGF (angiogenesis) is produced by both adiopocytes & tumor cells

Question 11

At the cellular level, what is the cellular composition of obesity?

Answer 11

Macrophages surrounding necrotic adipocytes

Question 12

What study in mice demonstrated the role of obesity in tumor growth?

Answer 12

• Tumor cells transplanted into under fed and overfed mice

- Underfed had slower growing tumors

Question 13

What hormone links post-menopausal breast cancer & obesity?

Answer 13

Increased ESTROGEN production via adipocytes

Question 14

What proportion of cancers are related to being overweight, obese, or physical inactivity?

Answer 14

1/3

Question 15

What is the largest “medical disaster” of the past 100 years?

Answer 15

Low fat/ high carbohydrate diet

*Food pyramid 1974

Question 16

What is the lipid heart hypothesis?

Answer 16

Saturated fat and cholesterol were the cause of heart disease

Question 17

Where do most of the extra calories in our current diet come from?

Answer 17

Sugar & processed carbohydrates

Question 18

Experimentally, what is the single most effective intervention for preventing cancer?

Answer 18

Restricting food intake