4.2.2.7 Cancer

Question 1

What is cancer caused by?

Answer 1

• uncontrolled cell growth and division

Question 2

What is uncontrolled cell growth and division a result of and what does it result in?

Answer 2

• changes that occur to the cells
• formation of a tumor (mass of cells)

Question 3

What is a benign tumour?

Answer 3

• where the tumour grows until there is no more room
• stays in one place (usually within a membrane)
• isn’t normally dangerous
• isn’t cancerous

Question 4

What is a malignant tumour?

Answer 4

• where the tumour grows and spreads to neighbouring tissues
• cells can break off and spread to other parts of body through bloodstream
• malignant cells invade healthy tissue elsewhere and form secondary tumours
• are dangerous and fatal
• are cancers

Question 5

Why have cancer survival rates increased?

Answer 5

• medical advances such as:
• improved treatment
• being able to diagnose cancer early
• increased screening

Question 6

What are some risk factors that cause cancer?

Answer 6

• smoking (first preventable)
• obesity (second preventable)
• UV exposure
• viral infection

Question 7

What types of cancer is smoking linked to?

Answer 7

• lung
• mouth
• bowel
• stomach
• cervical

Question 8

What types of cancer is obesity linked to?

Answer 8

• bowel
• liver
• kidney

Question 9

How does UV exposure cause cancer?

Answer 9

• UV radiation from the sun (skin cancer)
• spending a lot of time outside in a sunny climate are at higher risk
• frequent use of sun beds

Question 10

What viral infections can cause cancer?

Answer 10

• hepatitis B and C
• increase risk of developing liver cancer
• likelihood of getting these diseases depends on life style

Question 11

What can risk factors also be associated with?

Answer 11

• genetics (inheriting faulty genes)

Question 12

What are some genetics that lead to cancer?

Answer 12

• mutations in BRCA genes have been linked to an increased likelihood of developing breast and ovarian cancer