Lecture 2

Question 1

3 major groups of human cancer

Answer 1

• Carcinomas (90%)
• Sarcomas
• Leukaemias/lymphomas

Question 2

Sarcoma origin

Answer 2

Mesodermal origin

Question 3

Cancer that forms in glandular tissue

Answer 3

Adenocarcinoma

Question 4

Examples of how the incidence of certain cancer varies considerably in different cohorts

Answer 4

• Skin cancer in Caucasians in Australia
• Scrotal carcinoma in chimney sweeps in Britain since Georgian times
• Mesothelioma linked with asbestos exposure (occupational cancer)

Question 5

Tumour cell survival mechanisms

Answer 5

• Sustain proliferative signalling
• Evade growth suppressors
• Activate invasion and metastasis
• Enable replicative immortality
• Induce angiogenesis
• Resist cell death

Question 6

Properties of transformed cells

Answer 6

• Altered morphology (rounded shape)
• Loss of contact inhibition
• Anchorage independence
• Reduced requirement for mitogenic growth factors
• High saturation density
• Increased transport of glucose
• Tumorigenicity

Question 7

First immortal human cell line

Answer 7

HeLa, cervical carcinoma cell line from Helen Laine

Question 8

The focus formation assay is a method to assess…

Answer 8

the transforming potential of a candidate oncogene (chemicals, viruses, irradiation etc.) by measuring contact inhibition

Question 9

What cell line is often used for the focus assay?

Answer 9

NIH 3T3 cell line (mouse fibroblasts)

Question 10

Why are nude mice good models of tumour formation?

Answer 10

• no rejection responses (reduced number of T cells)
• hairless (easier to identify tumours)

Question 11

Examples of cancer antigens

Answer 11

• Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA): prostate cancer
• Cancer Antigen 125 (CA125): ovarian cancer

Question 12

Do cancer antigens contribute to tumour formation?

Answer 12

No, but high levels can be used in combination with other detection methods to help diagnose cancer.

Question 13

Why are microarrays used in cancer research?

Answer 13

To generate a molecular fingerprint for an individual’s cancer, and a particular type of targeted therapy can then be offered

Question 14

Advantage of targeted therapy over chemotherapy

Answer 14

More specific

Question 15

Example of a targeted therapy for cancer

Answer 15

Herceptin (Trastuzumab), mAb against HER2, targets HER2+ breast cancer