Overview of Cancer Flashcards
(38 cards)
What is cancer?
Uncontrolled growth (uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in part of the body)
E.g. metastatic growths
What is a tumour?
A swelling part caused by abnormal growths of tissue, whether benign or malignant.
What is a neoplasm?
A new or abnormal growth of tissue in some part of the body.
What does cancer prevalence refer to?
The number of patients with a certain cancer.
What is the relationship between age and cancer risk?
Cancer is a disease of old age; 65% of individuals over the age of 65 will develop cancer.
How many mutations are typically required for a cell to become cancerous?
About 3 different mutations in a cell are needed to make it cancerous.
How many mutations do most human cancers have by the time they are diagnosed?
Most human cancers will have around 7 mutations within that cell by the time they are diagnosed.
What happens when a cell acquires a mutation?
A cell acquires a mutation, leading to damage in a DNA growth or survival gene, and must survive long enough to grow, divide, and pass the mutation to daughter cells.
What is the effect of aging on DNA exposure?
The longer you live, the more exposed your DNA is to environmental and lifestyle factors that can cause mutations.
What does a family history of cancer before age 60 indicate?
Any patient with a family history of cancer before the age of 60 could potentially have hereditary cancer.
What are the risk factors of cancer?
Cancer risk factors:
- Tobacco smoke - lung cancer
- Occupational - asbestos - lung and mesothelioma
- Radiation - UV -> skin cancers, Nuclear -> leukaemia
- Alcohol
- Viruses:
=> HPV -> cervical cancer
=> Hepatitis -> liver cancer
- Lifestyle - smoking, alcohol, sun (UV)
- Diet - processed food , cured meat, fried food
Reproductive life - hormone dependent cancers, menstrual age, birth control and having children all affect risk
Define benign tumours
Resemble normal cells
Localised, encapsulated
Restricted proliferation
May left untreated
Define excision
Define malignant tumours
Less differentiated
Invasive, metastatic
Proliferating rapidly
Requires treatment
Adjuvant therapies
What are the characteristics of Viral Transformed 3T3 cells?
They are more hairy and rounder, affecting tissue function.
What is a consequence of Viral Transformed 3T3 cells being more likely to break off?
They could circulate around the body and recolonise somewhere else.
Are all breast cancers the same?
No, there are lots of subtypes of breast cancers.
What are some types of breast cancer?
Triple negative, HER2 positive, luminal A, and luminal B.
What can happen if breast cancer breaks out of the duct?
It can spread to other parts of the body.
How does breast cancer typically break out?
1) Breaks out in a particular area around the duct, 2) Breaks out of the wall of the duct, 3) Often goes unnoticed without checks or symptoms.
What are the most common types of hormone receptor positive cancers?
Oestrogen positive and progesterone receptor positive cancers.
What does receptor expression indicate in breast cancer?
Increased receptor expression indicates receptors for growth factors.
What types of therapies are available for hormone-dependent breast cancers?
A range of therapies can treat hormone-dependent breast cancers and HER2 positive cancers.
What is HER2?
HER2 is a version of the epidermal growth factor receptor that drives cell growth.
