intro to cancer

Question 1

Invasive cancer

Answer 1

regulation in lost cancer cells, they grow, divide and survive in an uncontrolled manner spreading throughout the body interfering with function of normal tissues and organs

Question 2

Cancer

Answer 2

uncontrolled growth and inappropriate survival

Question 3

invasive

Answer 3

when spreads throughout the body

Question 4

what are 2 causes of cancer

Answer 4

DNA damaging exposures- mutations in stem cells- cancer
Modulators of risk- genetics, diet and immune system

Question 5

Clonal

Answer 5

a genetic disease at the cellular level

Question 6

Progression

Answer 6

single change can result in normal cells to benign tumour to malignant, metastatic tumour.

Question 7

Role of environmental factors

Answer 7

diet, viruses and chemicals

Question 8

8 Characteristics of cancer cells

Answer 8

-large variable shaped nuclei
-small cytoplasmic volume
-variation in cell size and shape
-disorganised arrangement of cells
-loss of normal specialised features
-elevated expression of certain cell markers
-large number of dividing cells
-poorly defined tumor boundaries

Question 9

Tumour

Answer 9

abnormal proliferation(growth) of cells

Question 10

Benign tumour

Answer 10

remain confined to original locals doesn’t spread throughout the body

Question 11

Malignant tumour

Answer 11

capable of invading surrounding normal tissue and spreads throughout the body via circulatory or lymphatic systems(metastasis

Question 12

3 main groups

Answer 12

Sacromas
Leukaemia
Homeostasis

Question 13

Sarcomas

Answer 13

solid tumours of connective tissue- arise from muscle, bone , cartilage

Question 14

Leukaemia and lymphomas

Answer 14

arise from blood forming cells and cells of immune system

Question 14

Homeostasis

Answer 14

there will be a balance of normal cell division and apoptosis

Question 14

Cancer

Answer 14

Tumour- increased cell division and normal apoptosis or can be the other way round.

Question 15

8 characteristics of Cancer cells

Answer 15

1. Density-dependent inhibition
2. Autocrine growth stimulation
3. Less cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions
4. secrete proteases that digest extracellular matrix
5. Angiogenesis-can invade tissues surrounding – need blood supply because they are growing and can make blood vessels
6. don’t differentiate normally
7. fail to undergo apoptosis
8. Resistance to radiation and chemotherapy-DNA damage
9. capacity for unlimited replication - Telomerase

Question 16

what does cancer cells not being density dependent inhibition mean?

Answer 16

dont respond to signals that cause normal cells to cease proliferation but continue to grow in high cell densities. In cancer cells the epithelial cells will grow and pile up on each other.

Question 17

Autocrine growth stimulation

Answer 17

where cancer secretes its own growth factors

Question 18

6 Hallmarks of cancer

Answer 18

Sustaining proliferating signalling- don’t recognise Hayflick limit
-evade growth suppressors
-activating invasion and metastasis
-enabling replicating mortality
-inducing angiogenesis
-resisting cell death

Question 19

what do the six hallmarks of cancer allow ?

Answer 19

allow the cancerous cells to spread to the body

Question 20

3 steps of cancer

Answer 20

1.initiation
2.proliferating
3.invasion

Question 21

Initiation

Answer 21

in the epithelial cells starts off with one cell being mutated or changed. It then has a survival advantage and increases

Question 22

Progression

Answer 22

so then there is an adenoma in a benign shape- starts growing and proliferating. When breaking its surroundings it releases enzymes -breaks surrounding of tumour and spreads and advance invades its surrounding tissues and starts to circulate in the blood circulation

Question 23

invasion

Answer 23

that’s how it starts to break surrounding and releases enzymes to then break the surrounding of the tumour

Question 24

route cells use for metastasis

Answer 24

1.haematopiesis: using blood vessels or circulation for example sarcomas and carcinoma e.g thyroid cancer is spread through blood circulation

Question 25

how cancer is spread in metastasis

Answer 25

body surfaces , body cavities

Question 26

Newplasia-

Answer 26

term for new growth

Question 27

4 Stages in carcinoma development

Answer 27

1.initial transformed cell 2.epithelial dysplasia 3.carcinoma in situ 4.invasive carcinoma

Question 28

epithelial dysplasia

Answer 28

stages multiple -not cancer yet but there is dysplasia which is a change in the epithelial cells. This is where patient can be given medication. Potentially be benign

Question 29

Carcinoma in situ

Answer 29

if it doesn’t get treated in the previous stage it will lead to this but can be treated

Question 30

invasive carcinoma

Answer 30

this where it is cancer- due to proliferation and change in structure

Question 31

4 different cancer screenings

Answer 31

Mammography with x rays of woman breasts Blood samples Endoscopy all to look into tissues with a scope Biopsy and blood

Question 32

Cancer diagnosis

Answer 32

extracting genetic information of cancer biopsy- helps to diagnose and treat cancer in any one individual

Question 33

Biopsy

Answer 33

surgical removal of small piece of small piece of tissue for microscopic examination

Question 34

Microarrays

Answer 34

determine which genes are turned on or off in sample

Question 35

Proteomic profiles

Answer 35

analysis of protein activity

Question 36

Cervical cancer screening

Answer 36

dysplasia -changes in tissue appearance

Question 37

2 different types of smear test

Answer 37

1.normal Pap smear 2.abnormal Pap smear-patients can be alerted that changes in the epithelial cells undergo colposcopy

Question 38

Surgery

Answer 38

best of curing -lump or tumour found before it spreads can be cut out

Question 39

Radiotherapy

Answer 39

if location of cancer is identified it can shine radiation there -killing rapidly prolierferating cells and damage surrounding cells but there are side effects

Question 40

Chemotherapy

Answer 40

give into blood stream -toxic and has other effects on non-cancer cells

Question 41

what are the effects of chemotherapy

Answer 41

Effects-hair loss, immune suppression, bone marrow suppression

Question 42

3 Preventative measures of cancer

Answer 42

1.genetic risk assessment 2.vaccine 3.drugs

Question 43

Diagnosis

Answer 43

biomarker, new tests and screening

Question 44

Prognosis

Answer 44

personalised therapy -not all patients respond to drugs in same way

Question 45

Therapy

Answer 45

invasive surgery, robotics

Question 46

Targeted drugs

Answer 46

antibodies , small molecules-this correct the tumour and see which drug is useful for it

Question 47

Biological therapies

Answer 47

gene therapy and immunotherapy

Question 48

why is it better to combine gene therapy and target drug therapy?

Answer 48

is better to target that way to combine with historical treatment -make more effective.