cancer

Question 1

describe cancer

Answer 1

all cancers come from mutations (change in DNA)
All cancers come from unregulated growth (can cant control it, we cant stop it)

cancer is a disease where some cells in the body change and grow out of control. these cells can form lumps called tumors, but not all tumors are cancer.

Question 2

cell growth stages

Answer 2

first stage growth:
- normal cells go through the cell cycle.
- starts off as a new cell and goes through a period where it grows
- at the end of this growth cycle, there is a check (check point one. where the cell check itself to make sure that the DNA is okay.
- if its okay, the cell sends out signals to kill itself so that it doesnt continue to do that.

second stage: synthesis - make more DNA
- check point number 2
- then into growth 2 - replicated stage
- mitosis - check point number 3

Question 3

Benign tumor

Answer 3

• Not causing problems
• cells are mature and the same
• are encapsulated (in a capsule), this stops the spread
  Problem: it can add to much pressure in an enclosed space

Question 4

Malignant tumor

Answer 4

• Cancerous tumour
• cells are immature and undifferentiated
• no encapsulated - meaning they can spread

Question 5

3 kinds of cancerous mutations

Answer 5

1. Proto-oncogene - Accelerator. normal growth gene but in cancer they make to many and put them in the wrong places.
2. tumor suppressor gene- these kill mutated cells. in cancer these tumor suppressor genes stop working. you cant kill off a dangerous mutated cell
3. DNA repair gene - we cant fix our DNA, cancer cells can cause angiogenesis (growing their own veins)
   this can start to insert food into our cancer to feed it
   blood vessels allow spread of cancerous cells

Question 6

factors that increase the risk of cancer

Answer 6

Biological:
- BRCA - a gene that is a tumor suppressor in the breast

• Colon cancers

Environmental:
- radiation (sun, X-rays)
- alcohol and smoking
- dietary- high fat and low residue
- obesity

socioeconomics:
- food choices
- cancer not get found/caught

Question 7

signs and symptoms

Answer 7

C- changes in urine and bowel habits
A- a wound that does not heal
U- unusual bleeding or discharge
T- thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
I- ingestion or trouble swallowing
O- obvious changes in warts or moles
N- nagging cough
U- unexplained weight loss
P- pernicious anemia

Question 8

detection

Answer 8

-MRI/CT/ultra sound
- biopsy
- tumor markers - tests for a chemical that is released from the tumor

Question 9

staging of cancers

Answer 9

TNM system
T= tumor size
N= Number of lumph nodes
M= metastisizes

Question 10

treatment

Answer 10

• surgery to remove the tumour
• radiation - high energy light (localised)
• chemotherapy - medicine that kills any bacteria that grows