The Effects Cancer has on the body Flashcards
(57 cards)
What number cause of death is cancer?
second.
how does cancer occur?
damage to DNA.
- acquired (exposure to carcinogens)
- inherited (mutations in dna from parents)
what does the outcome and prognosis of the cancer depends on?
cell type of origin and the tissue of origin.
how can primary tumours in breasts be removed?
surgically.
examples of slow growing cancers that rarely spreads?
basal cell carcinoma.
features of malignant melanoma?
spreads fast and can be fatal.
examples of changes that can occur from cancer?
- increased cell growth.
- resistance to apoptosis.
- altered tissue invasiveness - can spread and invade to other tissues.
- angiogenic proliferation.
- ability to escape immune surveillance - immune system does not pick them up as being different.
what is cell transformation called?
the change from a normal cell to a cancer cell. –> spectrum of changes.
what do cancer cells look like?
not like normal cells.
how do pathologists diagnose cancer?
use the change in appearance. the pathologists are able to trace back the origin of the cancer. e.g. can identify that cancer cell comes from liver as it vaguely resembles normal liver cell.
features of cancer cells?
enlarged nucleus, changes to the cytoskeleton, loss of specialised features.
- could be due to changes in chromosome number or regulation of nuclear envelope.
- cell change shape.
why do these changes in chromosome number occur?
- could be due to changes in chromosome number or regulation of nuclear envelope.
- cell changes shape.
how do cancer cells function in terms of functions?
cancer cells are immature and are not fully differentiated or specialised so do not carry out the function of a normal cell.
how different is the appearance of the cancer cells between different cancer cells?
there is a spectrum of changes in the appearance to the cancer cell.
-as cancer moves into malignant stage it will change.
benign tumour features? (8)
- appear under microscopes like the tissues they came from?
- low level genetic damage.
- have growth advantage.
- look physically like normal healthy tissue.
- remain localised and do not spread.
- grow in capsule which does not allow it to spread and restricts the size. fibrous capsule.
- usually do not cause problems unless grow in confined space.
- can develop mutations and become malignant.
malignant tumour features? (4)
- do not resemble the tissue or cell origin.
- often have irregular structures
- invade surrounding tissues
- spread out and enlarged
what is metastasis?
when cancers invade other tissues and spread to other parts of the body.
how can metastasis occur?
spread through lymphatic system or blood supply.
what does the spread of cancer depend on?
the type of cancer.
how do cancers spread?
- eventually some cells will have ability to spread.
- secrete enzymes which break through basal lamniane nearby capillaries.
- they have enzymes that punch holes in neraby capillaries and they squeeze through capillaries or into lymphatic system. intravasation.
what types of enzymes break through basal lamina?
proteolytic enzymes.
what happens after intravasation?
- cells circulate.
- cells adhere to capillary walls or simply get stuck in distant capillary bits.
- once they’re stuck to the capillary they can move out of the capillary or lymphatic system by extravasation into a secondary site.
- cells proliferate to form metastasis.
things a cancer cell needs to metastasise?
- genetic change.
- change in cells function and appearance.
- decreased ability of the cells to adhere to neighbouring cells.
- increased ability of the cancer cells to move.
how do cancer cells extend into surrounding tissues?
by degrading ECM. they secrete proteolytic enzymes so cancer cells migrate into lymphatics and blood vessel
