Cancer
What is cancer? - answer A group of diseases characterized by the uncontrolled and
unregulated growth of cells
Carcinoma - answer Begins in skin of tissues that line or cover internal organs
sarcoma - answer begins in bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels, or other
connective or supportive tissue
leukemia - answer starts in blood-forming tissue such as bone marrow
lymphoma and myeloma - answer begin in cells of the immune system
CNS cancers - answer begin in the tissues of the brain and spinal cord
What are the preventable causes of cancer? - answer Tabacco, nutrition, UV radiation,
infectious exposure
What are the characteristics of normal cell growth? - answer regulated, predetermined
to differentiate into specific cell types, controlled cell death and proliferation, contact
inhibition, cell surface adherence, inability to wander
What are the characteristics of cancer cell growth? - answer defect in differentiation,
secrete enzymes to dissolve binding protein(no cell surface adherence), uncontrolled
proliferation, doubling time, loss of cell borders, ability to form new blood vessels, ability
to free from tissue or tumor of origin, escape immune surveillance, lack of programmed
cell death
What are the genetic influences associated with cancer? - answer Mutations,
Oncogenes, tumor-suppressor genes
Mutations - answer permanent change in DNA nucleotide sequence, arise
spontaneously or from a mutagen
oncogenes - answer Inappropriately active versions of proto-oncogenes, code for
proteins that induce malignant growth by turning on cell division-polypeptides influence
cell growth
tumor-suppressor genes - answercode for proteins to turn off cell growth- loss of
function, recessive
, What are the 3 stages of carcinogenesis? - answerInitiation, promotion, progression
Initiation - answerMalignant transformation causing mutation of DNA-inherited mutation
during DNA replication, exposure to chemical, radiation, or virus, cancer related genes
Promotion - answersecondary effect of an agent, alone may not be able to produce
malignancy, some initiators may act as own promoters(cigarette tar), activities of
promoters is reversible
Progression - answerfinal stage, increased growth rate of tumor, increased
invasiveness, detectable mass=1cm and 1billion cells
Metastasis - answerAngiogensis(migration and proliferation of endothelial cells),
invasion, transport, immunogenicity(tumor cells illicit a immune response), arrest(fibrin
meshwork protection from host's immune cells, establishment of secondary tumor
Cancer Classification categories - answerHistologic, extent of disease, tumor markers
Histological analysis classification - answerappearance and degree of differentiation,
grading: GX-G4
extent of disease classification - answerbased on spread of disease, staging: TNM
classification system, staging 0-4
Tumor markers - answerproteins and antigens, monitor for recurrence: CEA-colon, CA
125- ovarian, Ca15-3 breast, Ca19-9 pancreatic, PSA- prostate
Stage I of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - answerThe cancer is found only in a single lymph
node region OR one organ or area outside of the lymph node
Stage II of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - answerthe cnacer is found in two or more lymph
nodes on one side of the diaphragm
Stage III of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - answerthe disease involves lymph nodes both
above and below the diaphragm
Stage IV of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma - answerthe lymphoma has advanced beyond the
lymph nodes and spleen AND has spread to one or more organs such as bone marrow,
skin, or liver
Histological Classification: Grade I - answercells differ slightly from normal cells
Histological Classification: Grade II - answercells are abnormal, moderately
differentiated