Module 12: Cancer Genetics

Question 1

Neoplasia

Answer 1

Uncontrolled cellular proliferation

Question 2

Neoplasm

Answer 2

Mass or tumor resulting from neoplasia

Question 3

Malignant

Answer 3

Tumor capable of invading (metastasizing) to neighboring tissue (cancer)

Question 4

Benign

Answer 4

Tumors that do not invade other tissues (not cancer)

Question 5

Sarcoma

Answer 5

Tumor arises from mesenchymal tissue (such as bone, muscle, connective tissue, nervous system)

Question 6

Carcinomas

Answer 6

Tumor arises from epithelial tissue (such as lining of intestine, bronchi, mammary ducts)

Question 7

Hematopoietic & Lymphoid

Answer 7

Originate in bone marrow and spread through lymphatic system & peripheral blood (such as leukemia & Lymphoma)

Question 8

Oncogenes

Answer 8

Mutant allele of the proto-oncogene that facilitate malignant transformation by stimulating cell proliferation and inhibiting apoptosis

Question 9

What do Tumor Suppressor Genes do?

Answer 9

• Regulate cell growth
• Loss of function mutation in both alleles contributes to developing cancer
• Inactivate genes that suppress cell proliferation
• Inactivate genes that regulate apoptosis

Question 10

Mismatch Repair Genes

Answer 10

Maintain genomic stability

Question 11

Proto-oncogene

Answer 11

Class of normal cellular protein-coding genes that promote growth and cell survival

Question 12

Functions of Oncogenes

Answer 12

• Encode growth factors
• Encode growth factor receptors
• Membrane associated proteins
• Control transcription in the nucleus

Question 13

Types of Tumor Suppressor Genes

Answer 13

• Gatekeeper TSG’s

- Caretaker or maintenance TSG’s

Question 14

Gatekeeper TSG’s

Answer 14

Control cell growth to block tumor development

Question 15

Caretaker or Maintenance TSG’s

Answer 15

Maintain the genome by repair of DNA damage

Question 16

What is the function of genes that are mutated in cancer?

Answer 16

Regulate the cell cycle

Question 17

What are proto-oncogenes?

Answer 17

Genes that control cell proliferation and apoptosis

Question 18

What are common mechanisms to activate a proto-oncogene?

Answer 18

• Viral insertion into a gene
• Reciprocal translocation or creating a new gene function
• Point mutation from an environmental event

Question 19

What is the likely outcome if one copy of a tumor suppressor gene is mutated in a gene pair?

Answer 19

Normal cell growth

Question 20

(T/F) Mutations in multiple genes often determine the type of cancer and cancer growth.

Answer 20

True

Question 21

What is the role of DNA mismatch repair genes in the cell cycle?

Answer 21

To identify and repair mistakes that occur during replication