Cancer 1 Flashcards
What are the key features of cancer
Cancer is a collection of diseases with the common feature of uncontrolled growth
Several cellular changes (DNA mutations etc) are required to generate cancer.
Cancers can be restricted to the tissue of origin (local disease) or they invade other tissues = METASTASIS
Once a cancer has metastasised it is much more difficult to treat
What are the hallmarks of cancer
Insensitivity to growth inhibitors, self sufficiancy in growth signals, limitless replicative potential, sustained angiogenisis, evasion of apoptosis, tissue invasion and metastasis (all supposrted by an inflammatory microenvironment)
How does a cell aquire cancerous hallmarks
These hallmarks are acquired by the cell via mutations
There are more than ….. types of cancer, each with different causes, symptoms and treatments.
More than 1 in…… people in the UK will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.
Cancer can develop at any age, but is most common in older people. More than …. in …. cancers are diagnosed in people aged 65 and over
There are more than 200 types of cancer, each with different causes, symptoms and treatments.
More than 1 in 3 people in the UK will develop some form of cancer during their lifetime.
Cancer can develop at any age, but is most common in older people. More than three out of five cancers are diagnosed in people aged 65 and over
Almost ….. people a day are diagnosed with cancer, one person every 2 minutes
Over …% of cancers are preventable
Almost 1000 people a day are diagnosed with cancer, one person every 2 minutes
Over 40% of cancers are preventable
Cancer incidence rates have risen by … in males and by … in females since the mid-1970s.
There have been large increases in the incidence of many cancers strongly linked to ….
…. of people diagnosed with cancer (in the UK) now survive their disease for at least five years.
Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled in the last …. years.
Cancer incidence rates have risen by 20% in males and by 40% in females since the mid-1970s.
There have been large increases in the incidence of many cancers strongly linked to lifestyle choices (smoking, alcohol and BMI)
Half of people diagnosed with cancer (in the UK) now survive their disease for at least five years.
Cancer survival rates in the UK have doubled in the last 40 years.
What are the 4 types of cancer treatment
Surgery
Radiotherapy
Targeted therapy
Chemotherapy
What is the main problem with chemotherapy
Chemotherapy prevents cell growth
Some normal tissues also have rapid cell growth which will lead to hair loss, sickness, diarrhoea and a weakened immune system
What kind of theraputic index does chmotherapy drug have
very small! this is why it has such severe side effects
Where are the most rapidly dividing cells found
Hair follicles, gi tract, bone marrow (Chemotherapy affects the rapidly dividing cells of the bone marrow
Makes patients more susceptible to infection
Regular blood tests for monitoring)
How can we manage the side effects of chemotherapy drugs if they become too much for the patient to handle
Reduce dose
Increase window between doses
Additional drugs to mitigate side effects
Cessation of treatment
What are the two modes of action for chemotherapy
Both center around targetting DNA
- Direct interaction with DNA
- Prevention of nucleic acid synthesis by inhibiting one or more of the enzymes involved in DNA/RNA synthesis
What are the 3 types of drugs which directly target dna
Alkylating agents
Metal complexes that bind to DNA
Intercalating agents
What has mustard got to do with cancer treatment
Nitrogen mustard – first drug used in cancer therapy, related to the war gas sulphur mustard and found to have antitumour activity
Sulphur mustard too toxic and reactive but isosteric nitrogen mustard less toxic but still very reactive with toxic side-effects
Still in clinical use in combination with other drugs
Which part of the DNA do the alkylating agents (mustards) target
Alkylating agents attach and alkyl group to DNA (guanine)
This causes linkages between strands of DNA that inhibits DNA synthesis - hence its cytotoxic
Alkylating agents will also target normal cells that divide frequently (GI tract, bone marrow, testicles and ovaries – infertility)
Alkylating agents are carcinogenic in their own right – long term side effects