lecture 7 - the spread of cancer

Question 1

What are the 5 steps required for a cancer to metastasise haemotagenously?

Answer 1

1. Invasion
2. Intravasation
3. Circulation
4. Extravasation
5. Colonisation

Question 2

What structure must cancer cells invade through initially to mestastasise?

Answer 2

Basement membrane

Question 3

What are the key differences between epithelial and mesenchymal cancer cells?

Answer 3

Epithelial cells are more proliferative, while mesenchymal cells are more likely to be able to move/invade

Question 4

What transition do epithelial cancer cells make to be able to migrate?

Answer 4

They transition into mesenchymal cells

Question 5

What is cancer intravasation?

Answer 5

The invasion of cancer cells into blood vessels

Question 6

What is cancer extravasation?

Answer 6

The migration of circulating cancer cells across the endothelium of capillaries to invade the underlying tissues

Question 7

What are periotneal and pleural metastases?

Answer 7

When cancer cells are able to spread through the pleura or peritoneal cavities to invade within the intrathoracic or intrabdominal cavities