8: Neoplasia II Flashcards
What is a gene family which is associated with breast and ovarian cancer?
BRCA
Retinoblastoma and familial adenomatous polyposis are both autosomal (dominant / recessive) cancers.
autosomal dominant
Gene mutations are associated with the development of ___.
cancer
Which cancer is strongly associated with smoking?
Lung cancer
Squamous cell carcinoma is classified under which type of lung cancer?
Small cell lung cancer (the worst one)
Which virus is associated with cervical cancer?
Human papilloma virus
Which bacteria is associated with gastric cancer?
H. pylori
Which imaging modality emits radiation which can cause cancer?
XR
CT scans (the most!)
Which cancers can be caused by radiation exposure?
Leukaemia
Thyroid cancer
Viruses like HPV produce substances which interfere with stages of the ___ ___.
cell cycle
Which virus, other than HPV, is implicated in several types of cancer (mainly lymphomas)?
Epstein-Barr virus
Which process is characterised by the presence of lymphocytes and macrophages?
Chronic inflammation
Why is chronic inflammation associated with lymphoma?
Constant reproduction of lymphocytes leading to errors
Don’t go swimming in Lake Malawi or you’ll get…
schistosomiasis
which can lead to bladder cancer
Why is obesity a risk factor for cancer?
Cholesterol has a very similar structure to hormones like oestrogen
Risk factors contribute to the __ Weinberg Hallmarks of cancer development.
6
What are the six Weinberg Hallmarks of cancer development?
1. Increase growth signals
2. Stop growth suppresion
3. Avoid apoptosis
4. Become immortal
5. Become metastatic
6. Angiogenesis (make your own blood supply)
Dysplastic cells have acquired enough ___ to look abnormal down the microscope.
mutations
To invade tissues, tumours must be able to produce substances that can ___ connective tissue.
digest
Give an example of a substance, produced by malignant tumours, which digest connective tissue.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP)
What does metastasis mean?
Literally displacement
Invasion of a malignant tumour to new sites of the body
Why are hepatic metastases common?
The liver filters a lot of the blood
By which circulations do metastatic tumours spread?
Systemic circulation
Portal venous circulation
Lymphatic circulation
Which lymph structures do malignant tumours spread to early in their invasion?
Lymph nodes
Cancer cells are very metabolically active.
Why?
They are constantly dividing
As cancer cells are highly metabolically active, they require a lot of ___.
oxygen
(which they use to generate ATP)
Cancer cells have a large oxygen demand. How is this oxygen delivered to them?
What process do cancer cells undergo to get a greater blood supply?
Via blood vessels
Angiogenesis
What is angiogenesis?
The ability of a tumour to create its own blood supply
What class of drugs can be used to inhibit the angiogenesis of cancers?
Monoclonal antibodies (-mabs)
