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Patho Exam 1 > Cancer > Flashcards

Cancer Flashcards

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0
Q

What is a malignant neoplasia known as?

A

Cancer

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1
Q

Abnormal growth of tissues resulting from loss of responsiveness to growth control signals

A

Neoplasm

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2
Q

Cancer of the blood stream (WBCs) is known as:

A

Leukemias

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3
Q

Malignant neoplasms of mesenchymal origin is known as:

What is considered mesenchymal tissue?

A
  • Sarcomas

- fat, bone, muscle

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4
Q

Cancer of epithelial origin is known as:

A
  • Carcinomas
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5
Q

Cancer at the site of the lymph nodes is known as:

A
  • Lymphomas
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6
Q

Suffix -oma indicates that abnormal cells are:

A
  • Benign
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7
Q

Suffix -carcinoma & -sarcoma indicate the growth/cells are:

A
  • Malignant
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8
Q

An increase in the number of a cells is known as:

A
  • Hyperplasia
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9
Q

Some cellular and nuclear changes (loss of differentiation) leading to loss of cell uniformity and abnormal tissue architecture is known as:

A

Dysplasia

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10
Q

Undifferentiated cells, variable in size and shape; numerous and atypical mitoses, lack of organized tissue architecture is known as:

A
  • Anaplasia
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11
Q

What are 3 characteristics of benign neoplasms:

A
  • well differentiated
  • well demarcated (no invasion of surrounding tissue)
  • no distant metastases
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12
Q

3 characteristic of malignant neoplasms:

A
  • lack of differentiation (anaplasia)
  • locally invasive, infiltrating surrounding tissues
  • distant metastases
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13
Q

T/F: Normal cells proliferate.

A

True : cell proliferation is limited to certain types of cells and processes

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14
Q

Which cells/processes in the body under NORMAL conditions can go under cell proliferation?

A
  • BM myeloblasts
  • Immune cells
  • Epidermal cells
  • Epithelial cells (gut)
  • Regenerating tissues
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15
Q

Cell damage or perturbation in the cell cycle leads to:

A
  • Apoptosis (programmed cell death)
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16
Q

List the 7 factors/processes that characterize a Cancer Cell:

A
  • Self sufficiency in growth signals
  • Insensitivity to growth inhibitory signals
  • Evasion of apoptosis
  • Limitless replicative potential
  • Sustained angiogenesis
  • Ability to invade & metastasize
  • Evasion of host immune response
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17
Q

An increase in growth factors, increase in transcription factors, increase in the number of signal-transducing proteins, increased receptor gene signaling or gene signaling not being turned off all can lead to:

A
  • Stimulation of cell proliferation
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18
Q

___________ encodes proteins that normally stimulate cell proliferation.

A

Proto-oncogenes

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19
Q

Altered or mutated forms of proto-oncogenes is known as:

A
  • Onco-genes
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20
Q

In cancers, ________ have sustained gain of function alterations resulting from changes in the ________.

A
  • Onco-genes

- Genome

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21
Q

Mutations of proto-oncogenes arise ________ and are _________.

A
  • Somatically

- Dominant (meaning only one allele has to be effected for uncontrolled proliferation to occur)

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22
Q

Proto-oncogenes: Growth Factor Receptors

Mutated forms of receptors have __________ activity.
In addition to, over expression of ______ ________.

A
  • Constitutive ( meaning the receptors are always on)

- Growth Factors (over expression of ERBB2 (HER2) in breast cancer)

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23
Q

Proto-oncogenes: Growth Factors

Oncogenes cause over expression of ___________ growth factors.

A
  • Autocrine (dominant defect - one allele affected and causing uncontrolled proliferation)
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24
What are 2 ways in which a cell can undergo uncontrolled growth?
- increase the number of receptors | - the receptor is constantly activated (on)
25
When GTP is hydrolyzed (converted) to GDP this signals the receptor to __________.
- turn off
26
Proto-oncogenes: Signal Transducing Proteins RAS encodes for _______ which transmits a mitogenic signal for activated growth factor receptors that causes a cascade of _____________ that act on the ________. (this is a normal process)
- p21 G protein - Transducing proteins - Nucleus
27
RAS mutation: Mutations affecting __________ lead to constitutive activation of the mitogenic cascade.
GTP hydrolysis
28
What is the most common abnormalities in human cancer (particularly high incidence in colon and pancreatic cancers)
- RAS mutations
29
Proto-oncogenes: Signal-Transducing Proteins Proto-oncogenes stimulate expression of several growth-related genes, including _______________.
- Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs)
30
MYC as a proto-oncogene is known for normal growth -> MYC activates _____________ genes -> to increase growth
- growth related
31
_______ is most commonly involved in human cancer.
- MYC
32
Proto-oncogenes: Signal-Transducing Proteins MYC in its altered form continues to activate _______. An increase in MYC leads to an _______ cell growth.
- CDKs | - Increase
33
MYC in breast, lung and other cancers is overexpressed due to ____ ____________.
- Gene amplification
34
Progression of the cell cycle is driven by ______ and __________.
- Cyclins | - Cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs)
35
The cell cycle is tightly controlled by _____________.
- CDK inhibitors
36
Dysregulation of ______ and _____ expression or their mutation occur often in cancer cells and promote proliferation.
- Cyclin | - CDK
37
The most common insults affect proteins involved in ______ transition
- G1-S
38
_____ ___________ _____ encode proteins that normally inhibit cell proliferation or stimulate apoptosis upon cell damage.
- Tumor suppressor genes
39
Tumor suppressor genes are _________ in cancer cells by mutations, truncation, deletions or methylation, leading to _______________.
- Inactivated | - Uncontrolled growth
40
Proto-oncogenes -> _____ __________. | Tumor suppressor genes -> _____ _______.
- Favors growth | - Inhibit growth
41
Mutations of tumor suppressor genes are usually _________.
- Recessive (meaning 2 alleles must be altered to lose their function)
42
__________ ________ develop earlier in age than sporadic malignancies and often arise in multiple locations.
- Hereditary cancers
43
Tumor suppressor genes- p53 -> controls ____ __________ and ________: it detects cellular stress and prevents propagation of damaged cell.
- Cell proliferation | - Apoptosis
44
Under normal conditions, p53 is bound ________ ______ -> which causes its degradation and short half-life
- MDM2 gene
45
Upon cellular stress _____ is released from the complex with ______ -> which increases its half-life and activates it ___________ ______ activity
- p53 - MDM2 - transcription factor
46
Active p53 stimulates transcription of ____ __________ (p21) -> which leads to _____ growth arrest: simulataneously DNA repair systems are activated (GADD45)
- CDK inhibitor (p21) | - G1
47
____ is the most commonly mutated genes in human cancer (over 70%)
- p53
48
Mutations or loss of p53 leads to _________ and _________ of mutated and damaged cells.
- Accumulation | - Propogation
49
p53 functional form is a _______.
- Tetramer
50
p53 protein is a _____________ ______ -> which binds to DNA sequence of genes encoding proteins responsible for cell cycle arrest and ________.
- Transcription factor | - Apoptosis
51
In this scenario, the mutant p53 does not interfere with the actions of the wild type allele.
- Loss of function
52
In this scenario, the mutant p53 forms a complex with the wild type allele and prevents its binding to the target gene promoters.
- Dominant negative mutant
53
In the scenario, the mutant p53 binds to different DNA sequences and activates different target genes -> which leads to cell proliferation
- Gain of function
54
T/F: DNA repair genes usually are NOT directly involved in cell cycle regulation.
- True
55
Lack of DNA repair facilitates mutations in genes including _________ and _____ __________.
- Oncogenes | - Tumor suppressor genes
56
In regards to breast cancer, both ______ and ______ encode for nuclear proteins involved in response to DNA damage and in DNA repair.
- BRCA1 | - BRCA2
57
Deregulation of apoptotic mechanism leads to:
- Propagation of damaged, mutated cells
58
___________ is an enzyme, which in stem cells maintain normal telomere length preventing their senescence.
- Telomerase
59
In most cancers _________is up-regulated which allows for _________ cell divisions.
- Telomerase | - Unlimited (limitless replicative potential)
60
_______________ - the growth of capillary blood vessels -> tumor growth and metastasis depend on this.
- Angiogenesis
61
Perfusion supplies nutrients, growth factors and oxygen, preventing _______-___________ apoptosis.
- Hypoxia-induced
62
What is the Angiogenic switch?
- scale is tipped so more pro-angiogenic factors exist than anti-angiogenic factors (= more angiogenesis -> tumor growth)
63
Invasion and metastasis occurs by invasion of the ___________ ______, which is mediated by ________ motility factors and stimulated by _______________.
- Extracellular matrix - Autocrine - Chemoattractants
64
Name 3 main players in cellular effectors of anti-tumor immunity:
- CD8 T cells - NK cells - Macrophages
65
Name 3 ways a tumor can escape the immune response of the host:
- selective outgrowth of antigen negative cells - loss of expression of MHC-1 - secretion of immunosuppressants
66
Factors that can cause cancer:
- Viruses/Bacteria - Chemicals - Radiation
67
Viruses can contribute to cancer development by:
- synthesizing proteins inactivating human genes involved in the cell cycle (HPV) - expression of proteins stimulating cell proliferation (EBV, HBV) - tissue injury leading to induction of regeneration processes (HBV)
68
Tumor progression occurs d/t deregulation of DNA replication causes genomic instability -> cancer. Name the 3 alterations in the process that causes this to occur.
- Altered cell checkpoints - Altered apoptosis - Altered DNA repair
69
Non specific signs of tumor progression:
- unexplained weight loss - fever - fatigue - pain - skin changes
70
Why do we die of cancer?
- Cytokine- induced cancer symptoms
71
Cancer diagnosis can be determined by:
- imaging (xray, CT, MRI, PET) - biopsy (histopathological analysis) - immunocytochemistry
72
This technique for diagnosing cancer detect tumor cells by using antibodies against tumor-specific antigens
- immunocytochemistry
73
Tumors are complex tissues containing:
- tumor cells - fibroblasts - immune cells - blood vessels (endothelial cells) - lymphatic vessels
74
Cancer therapy consists of:
- surgery - chemotherapy - radiation
75
Chemotherapy and radiotherapy target _______ ________ cells.
- rapidly dividing | - (these therapies target all proliferating cells in the body)
76
Inherited mutations of the ______ _________ ______ contribute to familial cancers.
- tumor suppressor genes

Patho Exam 1 (3 decks)

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