7.5 Metastasis

Question 1

What causes tumor formation?

Answer 1

uncontrolled cell growth

Question 2

Other than tumor formation, what is necessary to be classified as cancer?

Answer 2

ability to metastasize

Question 3

What is the definition of metastasis?

Answer 3

ability of abnormal cells to disengage from the primary tumor, travel through the blood stream or lymph system to other sites, and form secondary tumors

Question 4

What is the extracellular matrix composed of?

Answer 4

proteins
carbohydrates

Question 5

What are the functions of the extracellular matrix?

Answer 5

1. surrounds and separates tissues
2. forms a scaffold for tissue growth
3. inhibits the migration of cells throughout the body

Question 6

What do metastatic tumor cells secrete?

Answer 6

proteases that digest the proteins of the extracellular matrix

Question 7

What is the percentage of circulating cancer cells that have the ability to form a secondary tumor?

Answer 7

0.01%

Question 8

What are the gene products that allow a cancer cell to become metastatic?

Answer 8

genes that are involved in the structural integrity of the cell, cell adhesion, or proteolytic enzymes

Question 9

What are two examples of genes that allow cancer cells to become metastatic?

Answer 9

metalloproteinases MMP1 and MMP2

Question 10

What type of cancer has high levels of MMP1 and MMP2?

Answer 10

breast cancers

Question 11

Breast cancer tumors found in the lungs typically overexpress what genes?

Answer 11

MMP1 and MMP2

Question 12

Breast cancer tumors found in bones typically overexpress what genes?

Answer 12

MMP1

Question 13

What is the level of aggressiveness of cancer directly correlated to?

Answer 13

the degree of overexpression of proteolytic enzymes