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Biology of Cancer > What is Cancer? > Flashcards

What is Cancer? Flashcards

1
Q

How often is someone diagnosed with cancer in the UK?

A

Every 2 minutes

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2
Q

How many new cases were diagnosed every day in the UK in 2015?

A

990 cases

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3
Q

How often does someone die from cancer in the UK?

A

Every 4 minutes

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4
Q

What is the risk of of someone catching cancer in the UK if born after 1960?

A

1 in 2

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5
Q

What is the survival rate of cancer in England/Wales

A

50% survive disease for 10+ years

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6
Q

How many cancer cases in the UK are linked to lifestyle habits?

A

42% (4 in 10)

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7
Q

List 9 carcinogens that can increase the risk of cancer

A
  • Smoking
  • Obesity and poor diet
  • Hormones
  • Alcohol consumption
  • Certain workplaces
  • UV light from sun/sunbeds
  • Infections and HPV
  • Inherited genes
  • Air pollution and radon
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8
Q

List 5 preventatives that can decrease the risk of cancer

A
  • No smoking
  • Reduced alcohol consumption
  • Physical activity
  • Healthy diet
  • Less exposure to UV
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9
Q

What is cancer?

A

The name for a group of diseases characterised by different hallmarks

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10
Q

What are the 4 main stages of cancer?

A
  1. Abnormal cell proliferation
  2. Tumour formation
  3. Invasion of neighbouring normal tissue
  4. Metastasis to form new tumours at distant sites
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11
Q

Define abnormal cell proliferation

A

Cells that have lost the ability to control growth and therefore multiply rapidly

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12
Q

Define tumour formation

A

Has not been picked up by the immune system and has evaded cell death to form a clinically detectable tumour

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13
Q

Define invasion of neighbouring normal tissue

A

Cells of the tumour have been able to move around and migrate to different tissue

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14
Q

Define metastasis to form new tumours at different sites

A

The tumour cells that have invaded new tissue begin to form new tumours at these sites

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15
Q

How many different types of cancer have been classified according to their origin?

A

Over 200

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16
Q

What are carcinomas?

A

Cancers found in epithelial cells

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17
Q

What percent of cancers are carcinomas?

A

Approx 85%

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18
Q

What are sarcomas?

A

Cancers derived from mesoderm cells in bones and muscles

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19
Q

What are adenocarcinomas?

A

Cancers found in glandular tissues

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20
Q

What do carcinogens do to DNA?

A

Cause alterations, specifically mutations and deletions

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21
Q

What is carcinogenesis?

A

The formation of cancer where normal healthy cells are transformed into cancerous cells

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22
Q

What happens when the DNA mutations accumulate over time?

A

It represents the multi step process that is carcinogenesis

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23
Q

When does mutation accumulation in the DNA occur?

A

After the cells defence mechanism of DNA repair has been evaded

24
Q

What happens when the DNA damage is severe?

A

Apoptosis is induced

25
Q

What is apoptosis?

A

Process of planned cell death to eliminate unwanted cells

26
Q

Can cancer cells evade DNA defence mechanisms?

A

If the system is over burdened, the possibility of cells escaping surveillance is increased

27
Q

Does our ability to live longer affect our risk of cancer?

A

Yes as cancer risk increases with age

28
Q

What are germline mutations?

A

Alterations in DNA through point mutations/deletions in egg/sperm cells which can then be inherited

29
Q

What do germline mutations result in?

A

Inherited mutation in offspring which increases their risk of developing certain cancers later in life

30
Q

How many cells are needed to form a primary tumour

A

Only 1 out of the 10^14 somatic cells in the body is used as it divides and produces many clonal cells to form a tumour

31
Q

How many mutations in tumour cells are caused my somatic mutations

A

Almost all

32
Q

How are tumour cells heterogeneous?

A

They have subclonal selection which allows a growth advantage allowing resistance and therefore heterogeneity

33
Q

Is the cell mutation in the same type of cancer in two different people identical?

A

No, it depends on the tumour cells interaction with other tumour cells and the tumour microenvironment

34
Q

What are the 4 steps of the cell cycle of normal cells?

A
  1. Proliferation (controlled division and growth)
  2. Differentiation
  3. Perform function
  4. Apoptosis (programmed cell death)
35
Q

Where in the cell cycle does carcinogenesis occur?

A

Mutations in DNA affect proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis by causing rapid division of the cells into a tumour

36
Q

What do normal genes do?

A

Regulate growth

37
Q

What is an oncogene?

A

A proto-oncogene that has been mutated to signal uncontrollable growth such as cancer

38
Q

What type of gene can be mutated into an oncogene?

A

A proto-oncogene

39
Q

What is a tumour suppressor gene?

A

A gene that inhibits growth and tumour formation by releasing signals during phase G1 to stop or slow the cell cycle before phase S

40
Q

What happens when a tumour suppressor gene is mutated?

A

Their function is disabled resulting in uncontrolled growth such as cancer

41
Q

What happens when a tumour suppressor gene is mutated?

A

Their function is disabled resulting in uncontrolled growth such as cancer

42
Q

How do cancer cells sustain proliferative signalling?

A

They are not dependant on growth factors to divide unlike normal cells and therefore can grow unregulated

43
Q

How do cancer cells evade growth suppressors?

A

They have acquired mutations or gene silencing which interfere with inhibitory pathways used for normal cells

44
Q

How do cancer cells avoid immune destruction?

A

They are able to shield themselves from immune attack and can actively immunosuppress the environment

45
Q

How does the immune system respond to cancer cells?

A
  1. Protect from virus induced tumours
  2. Eliminate pathogens
  3. Identify and eliminate tumours
    All through immune surveillance
46
Q

What is cancer immunoediting?

A

The immunene system attempting to control cancer contested with the ability of some tumours still arising from cancer cells that have evaded the immune system

47
Q

What are the 3 Es of cancer immunoediting?

A

Elimination, Equilibrium, Escape

48
Q

What is elimination in cancer immunoediting?

A

The immune system is able to eradicate developing tumours

49
Q

What is equilibrium in cancer immunoediting?

A

If there is incomplete removal, tumour cells remain dormant and enter equilibrium. The immune system exerts pressure to contain the tumour however some cells may mutate to survive this

50
Q

What is escape in cancer immunoediting?

A

The expanding tumour population becomes clinically detectable

51
Q

How is breast cancer diagnosed?

A
  • Mammogram
  • Ultrasound
  • Biopsy
  • Bone scan
  • MRI
52
Q

How is colon cancer diagnosed?

A
  • Physical exam
  • Blood in stool
  • Colonoscopy
53
Q

How is lung cancer diagnosed?

A
  • Sputum cytology
  • Biopsy
54
Q

How is ovarian cancer diagnosed?

A
  • Pelvic examination
  • CA-125 assay
  • Ultrasound
  • CT
  • MRI
55
Q

How is prostrate cancer diagnosed?

A
  • Digital rectal exam
  • PSA levels
  • Biopsy
56
Q

How is pancreatic cancer diagnosed?

A
  • Physical exam
  • Biopsy

Biology of Cancer (19 decks)

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