Cancer

Question 1

What is cancer?

Answer 1

A group of diseases where abnormal cells grow and divide uncontrollably.

Question 2

What is a benign tumor?

Answer 2

A non-cancerous tumor that is slow growing and will not spread to nearby tissues.

Question 3

What is a malignant tumour?

Answer 3

A cancerous tumor that can invade nearby tissues and spread around the body which can be life threatening.

Question 4

What is thyroid cancer?

Answer 4

Swelling of the thyroid gland in the neck thar can be caused by an under or over active thyroid.

Question 5

Give the risk factors for thyroid cancer

Answer 5

Exposure to high levels of radiation
Family history of thyroid cancer
Having other cancers

Question 6

Give the treatment for thyroid cancer

Answer 6

Thyroidectomy: where some or all of the thyroid is removed

Radioactive iodine treatment kills the cancer cells in the thyroid as thyroxine contains iodine so radioactive iodine would be concentrated by the body in which the cancer cells would be killed.

Question 7

Give the stages of cancer.

Answer 7

0-4

0 - the cancer has just started and not spread

4 - cancer has spread to at least one other organ.

Question 8

What is grade of cancer based on?

Answer 8

The appearance of cancer cells

Question 9

Grade 1

Answer 9

Resemble normal cells and not growing rapidly.

Question 10

Grade 2

Answer 10

Cancer cells do not look like normal cells and are growing faster than normal cells

Question 11

Grade 3

Answer 11

Cells look abnormal and grow or spread more aggressively.

Question 12

Give the four common cancer types in the UK

Answer 12

Breast cancer
Lung cancer
Prostate cancer
Bowel cancer

Question 13

What is invasive breast cancer?

Answer 13

Cancer cells that develop in the milk ducts and spreads to surrounding breast tissues.

Question 14

What hormone can sometimes stimulate breast cancer?

Answer 14

Oestrogen

Question 15

What are the treatment options for breast cancer?

Answer 15

Breast-conserving surgery that involves tumour removal and other surrounding tissues

Chemo and radio

Hormone therapy - treat tumours that are stimulated by estrogen or progesterone.

Monoclonal antibody therapy: targeted therapy

Question 16

What is non-hodgkin lymphoma?

Answer 16

Cancer that develops within the lymphatic system as the lymphocytes multiply in a abnormal way.

Question 17

Give the risk factors of non-hodgkin lymphoma

Answer 17

Weakened immune system
Autoimmune disease
Infection with the Epstein-Barr virus
Infection with helicobacter pylori

Question 18

Treatment for non-hodgkin lymphoma

Answer 18

Radiotherapy to treat the early stages

Chemo: used on it’s own or with radio or monoclonal antibodies or higher doses of chemo. But a stem cell or bone marrow transplant may be required.

Monoclonal antibodies: may last up to two years in combination with chemo.

Question 19

What is germ cell testicular cancer?

Answer 19

Cancer of the sperm - producing cells and is relatively rare.

Question 20

How is germ cell testicular cancer caused?

Answer 20

Uncontrollable cell-division

Question 21

Treatment for germ cell testicular cancer

Answer 21

Treatment almost always involves removal of testicle.

Question 22

What two genes is cell division controlled by?

Answer 22

TSG - slows down rate of cell division but increases the rate of apoptosis.

Oncogens - increases the rate of cell division.

Question 23

What can a mutation of TSG lead to?

Answer 23

Uncontrollable cell division.

Question 24

What is acute myeloid Leukemia?

Answer 24

Cancer of the white blood cells.

Question 25

Give the risk factors of Leukemia

Answer 25

Exposure to benzene that is found in petrol and cigarette smoke
Genetic disorders e.g. down syndrome
Treatment of chemo or radio can increase the risk.

Question 26

What is the main treatment for AML?

Answer 26

Chemotherapy

Question 27

What are factors that increases mutations within cancer?

Answer 27

Damage to DNA caused by radiation
Mutations in genes that code for enzymes and proteins involved in checking DNA for errors and repairing those errors.
Biological agents e.g. viruses.

Question 28

Give the factors that can increase cancer

Answer 28

Smoking
Diet
Amount of alcohol intake
Age
Family history.