Cancer

Question 1

Cancer definition?

Answer 1

Cells that grow and divide without respect to normal limits (aggressive)

• Invade and destroy adjacent tissues (invasive)
• May spread to distant sites via metastasis

Question 2

Characteristics of a normal cell?

Answer 2

• Controlled cell division
• New cells formed for growth/replace dead ones
• Old/not functioning cells normally self destruct/replaced by new cells

Question 3

Characteristics of cancerous cells?

Answer 3

• Cell divides repeatedly out of control (unneeded)
• Rapidly produce millions new cancerous cells
• Abnormal function
• Crowd normal cells
• Can destroy correct functioning of major organs

Question 4

Anaplasia definition?

Answer 4

Loss of differention of cells, returns to a primitive cell type (lack of orderly arrangement)

Question 5

Tumour definition?

Answer 5

Masses/growths that arise from normal tissue

Question 6

Neoplasm definition?

Answer 6

New grown, benign/malignant

Question 7

Remission definition?

Answer 7

Lessening of symptoms of a disease (usually ‘cured)

Question 8

Carcinogen definition?

Answer 8

Agents that cause cancer (ex. chemicals, drugs, virus)

Question 9

Mutation definition?

Answer 9

Change in the DNA of a cell
- May be caused by exposure to carcinogen/spontaneously

Question 10

Differentiation definition?

Answer 10

Specialization of cells

Question 11

Prognosis definition?

Answer 11

Expected outcome of a disease

Question 12

Encapsulated definition?

Answer 12

Surrounded by a capsule (good)

Question 13

Infiltrative definition?

Answer 13

Extending beyond normal tissue boundaries of surrounding tissue (bad)

Question 14

Invasive definition?

Answer 14

Having the ability to enter and destroy (very bad)

Question 15

Metastasis definition?

Answer 15

Spread of malignant tumour to secondary locations (worst)

Question 16

What is benign?

Answer 16

Non cancerous
- Doesn’t spread form origin
- Can crowd surrounding cells

(ex. brain tumours, warts)

Question 17

What is malignant?

Answer 17

Cancerous
- Can spread, causing secondary tumours
- Can interfere with neighbouring cells, block blood vessels/gut/glands…

Question 18

Vascularize definition?

Answer 18

Great blood supply
- Nutrient source for tumour, difficult to remove because of risk of bleeding

Question 19

What are the diagnosis?

Answer 19

Screening, biopsy

Question 20

Explain screening?

Answer 20

Detects cancer in early stages/before development
- PAP test, prostate exam, mole check….

Risks:
- False positive
- False negative
- Injury

Question 21

Explain biopsy

Answer 21

Definite diagnosis confirmed by histological examination of cancerous cells by pathologist
- Usually needed to diagnose cancer

Steps:
- Remove sample tissue
- Look tissue under microscope, run test
- Pathology repot (details)

Question 22

Biopsy blood sample?

Answer 22

• With needle
• With surgery, excisional/incisional
• Endoscopy

Question 23

Excisional definition? (biopsy)

Answer 23

Entire area of abnormal cells removed

Question 24

Incisional definition? (biopsy)

Answer 24

Part of abnormal area removed

Question 25

Cancer treatment?

Answer 25

Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy

Question 26

Explain surgery treatment

Answer 26

Palliative, comfort, curative

• Encapsulated with limited infiltration/metastasis
• Decrease size of tumour (palliative)

Question 27

Explain radiation treatment (definition, goal, side effects)

Answer 27

High doses of energy destroy cells in an area
- Damages DNA (stop growth/division)
- Cancer/healthy cells destroy (healthy repair themselves)

Goal: Destroy cancer cells without damaging too many normal cells

Side effects:
- fatigue
- nausea and vomitting
- secondary cancers

Question 28

Explain chemotherapy (definition, side effects)

Answer 28

Drugs, often a combination of chemo drugs used. Powerful treatment to slow/stop cells growth/multiplying/spreading
- Healthy cells damaged (mostly temporary, repair)

Side effects:
- hair loss
- fatigue
- nausea/vomiting