Cancer (15)

Question 1

most MORBID type of cancer?

-most COMMON in men? women?

Answer 1

morbid: lung (~200K new/yr, 160K deaths/yr)
men: prostate, women: breast

Question 2

diff b/w oncogene and TSG?

Answer 2

oncogene: PROMOTES cell proliferation (cancer cell - grow like crazy!)
TSG: regulate cell growth - LIMIT growth in normal cell cycle

Question 3

name 4 TSGs: [PARB]

-fxn of each?

Answer 3

p53
APC - adenomatous polyposis coli
Rb - retinoblastoma
BRCA1/BRCA2

Question 4

main fxn of p53?

Answer 4

allow DNA repair - mutated in 50% of cancer pts

Question 5

what’s the colon cancer gene? How might it impact the eye?

Answer 5

APC: associated w/ CHRPE

-generally though, causes numerous polyps in the gut that fill w/ mucosa

Question 6

the Rb (retinoblastoma) gene controls which point in the cell cycle?
-mutation causes proliferation in cancer cells in WHICH phase?

Answer 6

the R point - (where cell “commits”)

late G1 phase

Question 7

-name the two “hits” of the two hit hypothesis:

Answer 7

1) INHERITED mutation to the Rb gene

2) ACQUIRED mutation in retinal cell d/t UV EXPOSURE (typically)

Question 8

BRCA1/2 NORMAL fxn?
-what happens when it’s mutated?

-what are PARP inhibitors used for?

Answer 8

• repair double-stranded DNA breaks
• causes inappropriate fixes in the DNA - results in cells that live that shouldn’t have lived!
• PARP inhibitor: inhibits repair of a single-strand break - causes death of the cancer cell (good!)

Question 9

name two types of pts that SHOULD have a mammography (age range, and if they have WHAT gene?)

Answer 9

50-70 YO women

-BRCA gene

Question 10

90% of pt deaths d/t cancer are because of what process?

-usually death occurs as a result of the cancer reaching which two places?

Answer 10

metastasis

-brain or liver

Question 11

uveal melanoma selectively metastasized to which two places?

Answer 11

the eye

the liver - that’ll kill ya.

Question 12

T/F: immune system can’t mount a response to oncofetal antigens
-name two oncofetal antigens

Answer 12

true. b/c these antigens are expressed highly in the FETUS and seem “normal”
- AFP (alpha-feto protein) - spina bifida/LIVER Cx
- CEA (carcinoembryonic antigen) - COLON Cx

Question 13

name three cell types involved in ANTI-tumor immunity

Answer 13

1) macrophages - the MOST important. They release TNF - recruits tons of cells to the site of inflamm
2) CD8 - target the tumor w/ FasL (lyses Fas-containing cancer cell)
3) NK cells - nonspecific; work w/ antibodies via the ADCC (type 2 H/S) mech to lyse tumors

Question 14

factor released by macrophages?

Answer 14

TNF - recruits help (NK, CD8 cells) to the site of inflammation

Question 15

tumors evade the immune system by:

• expressing s___-antigens (oncofetal)
• express F___-L
• DOWNREGULATE MHC type __
• express ___-beta and IL-__

Answer 15

• self (oncofetal)
• Fas-L
• MHC type 1: downreg CD8 killers
• TGF beta/IL-10: major immunosuppressant, AND promotion to TH2–> so what. Produced a bunch of antibodies to COAT/protect the tumor

Question 16

What is T-cell adoptive transfer? What are TILs?

Answer 16

TILs - tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes - derived from the tumor itself. Removed; injected w/ IL-2 (T-cell STIMULATOR) - reinjected. Increase army to treat

Question 17

dendritic immunotherapy: harvest cells from pt and inject them w/ a___; evoke an anti-tumor c____ response

Answer 17

antigen (to the cancer)

-cytotoxic response when reinjected

Question 18

magic bullet approach binds a toxic molecule (such as ____) to the __ portion of the antibody
-which monoclonal antibody also involved here?

Answer 18

ricin bound to Fc portion

-HER2 (breast cancer) receptor targeted

Question 19

COX-2 normal function?

-what BLOCKS it - and is effective (in VERY high doses) in treating cancer?

Answer 19

block apoptosis/stimulate angiogenesis

-aspirin - but excessive S/Es result

Question 20

Which drug treats CML: chronic myelogenous leukemia? How does it do it?

Answer 20

GLEEVEC; targets abnormal tyrosine kinase that causes proliferation of WBCs