Unit 3.2: Reducing Your Risk Flashcards
(29 cards)
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What are the four types of risk factors?
- Behavior Risk Factor: behaviors that you can change (smoking)
- Environmental Risk Factor: toxins found in your environment that increase your risk
- Genetic Risk Factors: determined by your genes and are inherited from your parents
- Biological Risk Factor
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What are the three main external factors that contribute to cancer development?
Chemicals, radiation, and viruses/bacteria
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
Why are different cancer rates seen in different countries?
Differences in heredity and/or environmental risk factors
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What is known as the greatest public health hazard and the #1 cause of cancer?
Tobacco smoking
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What is the relationship between radiation and the development of cancer?
Increased rates of cancer have been detected in those who have been exposed to high-strength forms of radiation
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What are Carcinogens?
- Chemicals and radiation that are capable of triggering the development of cancer
- They initiate a series of genetic mutations and stimulate cells to grow rapidly
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
How can cancer viruses trigger tumor metastasis?
Viral genetic information that is carried in the nucleic acids of these viruses are inserted into chromosomes of the infected cell
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What is Helicobacter pylori?
- A bacterium
- Can cause stomach ulcers
- Associated with the development of stomach cancer
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
Why are chances of getting cancer higher as one ages?
- There has been more time for mutations in the body to build up
- They have longer exposue to risk factors
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
What are some ways to lower risks of cancer?
- Avoiding tobacco/cigarette smoking
- Avoid excessive exposure to sun, using sunscreen, wearing protective clothing
- Avoid excessive amounts of alcohol
- Limit fat consumption & calorie intake
3.2.1 Am I At Risk
Important types of cancer
- Cervical Cancer - cancer in cervix
- Colorectal Cancer - cancer in rectum
- Lung Cancer - cancer in lungs
- Prostate Cancer - cancer in prostate
- Skin Cancer - cancer in skin
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
What is Melanoma?
A tumor of high malignancy that starts in melanocytes of normal skins/moles and metastasizes rapidly and widely
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
Basal & Squamous Cell Skin Cancer
- Non melanoma skin cancer
- Basal starts in the lower section of the epidermis - waxy in texture
- Squamous starts in the upper section of the epidermis - dry/scaly in texture
- Basal doesnt spread, Squamos spreads
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
Merkel Cell Skin Cancer
- Rare type of skin cancer
- Develop in areas of skin that has been exposed to the sun
- Symptoms: single, shiny, painless bump on the skin that is either pink, red, or purple
- Can grow quickly
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
Kaposi Sarcoma
- Starts in cells the line lymph and blood vessels
- Affected people with weakened immune system as well as those who carry HHV-8
- Lesions look purple, pink red, or brown
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
What are the ABCDEs of Skin Cancer
- Asymmetry
- Border
- Color
- Diameter
- Evolving
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
What is 5-fluorouracil and why is it important?
- 5-fluorouracil: pyrimidine antagonists that interfere with DNA & RNA synthesis
- Well known treatment for AK lesions
- Prevents abnormal production of uracil
3.2.2 Skin Cancer Prevention
What are some ways to treak skin cancer or prevent it?
- Chemotherapy
- Radiation Therapy
- Excision Surgery: removes tumor and healthy skin around it
- Mohs Surger: tumor taken out in layers
- Electrodessication
- Cyrosurgery: freeze & destroy tissue
- Photodynamic Therapy: light therapy
- Laser Surgery
3.2.3 Breast Cancer Screening & Prevention
What is the difference between sporadic, hereditary, and familial?
- Sporadic: By chance
- Hereditary: Mutated gene is passed on
- Familial: Genetic and environmental factors that members of family are exposed to
3.2.3 Breast Cancer Screening & Prevention
What is BRCA
- Breast Cancer Gene
- BRCA 1 (Chro 17) & BRCA II (Chro 13)
- They are TSGs; play a role in preventing cancer
- Its mutation causes cancer
3.2.3 Breast Cancer Screening & Prevention
What is a DNA Marker Analysis?
- A marker helps analyze one specific gene rather than the whole sequence
- The alteration can help indicate an increased risk of acquiring a specific disease
- Markers are short sequences of DNA called STPs (aka microsatellites)
- STRs can be used to differentiate between different alleles
Short STPs influence size of fragment
3.2.3 Breast Cancer Screening & Prevention
What is the Rf formula?
The distance the DNA fragment has migrated from the origin (gel well) / Distance from origin to reference point
3.2.3 Breast Cancer Screening & Prevention
What are some preventive measures that can reduce the risk of breast cancer?
- Nutrition
- Physical Activity
- Hormonal/anti-estrogen therapy
- Prophylactic surgeries
3.2.4 Virology
What is HPVs?
- Human Pailloma Viruses
- Sexuallly transmitted infection
- Main cause of cervical cancer and can be linked to throat & mouth cancer
- Vaccine available protects against 4 types of HPV
