B7.1/7.2 - Non communicable diseases + cancer Flashcards
Risk factors for disease
-genetics
-lifestyle
-substances of environment
carcinogens
agents that cause cancer or increase risk
ionising radiation
-energy that causes ionisation of materials it passes through
-making them biologically active (mutation/cancer)
correlation
-apparent link between 2 factors
-does not prove causes
casual mechanism
-explains how one factor affects another
-eg smoking and lung cancer
tumour
-mass of abnormally growing cells
-rapid growth
how do tumours grow
-cells do not respond to normal mechanisms that control growth
-cell cycle is lost
benign tumour
-growth of abnormal cells
-contained in one area (within a membrane)
-grows very fast
when can benign tumours be dangerous
-when they are pushing on vital organs
malignant tumour cells
-invade neighbouring tissues
-spread via blood
-cancerous cells
secondary tumours
-formed from the spread of malignant cells
How malignant tumours spread
-tumour splits
-releases clumps of cells into bloodstream/lymphatic system
-carried to other areas/lodged into organ tissues
-rapid growth = secondary tumours
causes of cancer
-genetics
-mutations
-ionising radiation
-virus infections
causes of cancer: genetics
-common in breast/ovarian cancer
causes of cancer: mutations
-changes genetic material
-eg carcinogens from tobacco
causes of cancer: ionising radiation
-can disrupt normal cell cycle
-uv light/x-rays can cause uncontrolled growth of pigment-forming cells
causes of cancer: virus
-cervical cancer caused by HPV
radiotherapy
cells are destroyed by targeted doses of radiation
-stops mitosis
-may damage healthy cells
chemotherapy
chemicals used to stop cancer cells from growing
-can make them self-destruct
