Diet and Chronic Disease: Cancer

Question 1

what is cancer?

Answer 1

a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell growth (genetic mutations and epigenetic alterations in gene transcription) and spread of abnormal cells throughout the body (metastasis)

Question 2

what dietary factors can lead to cancer?

Answer 2

low fruits and vegetables; low dietary fiber; excessive energy intake and obesity; high fat (meat and fried foods…acrylamide); excess alcohol; protective role of certain micronutrients (vit. D and calcium); protective role of certain phytochemicals (polyphenols)

Question 3

what are the types of genetic alterations caused by carcinogenesis?

Answer 3

point mutations; polymorphisms; copy number variants

Question 4

what are epigenetic alterations caused by carcinogenesis?

Answer 4

DNA methylation; histone covalent modifications; microRNAs

Question 5

what are consequences of uncontrolled cell growth and migration?

Answer 5

inhibition of tumor suppressor genes; activation of oncogenes; changes in signal transduction pathways; chromosomal rearrangements; genome instability

Question 6

what is epigenetics?

Answer 6

the study of heritable changes in the phenotype or gene expression caused by mechanisms other than changes in DNA sequences