Cancer Flashcards
What is Cancer?
What is Cancer?
In terms of Cell composition and Behaviour
Cancer is a disease in which cells within the body reproduce and grow uncontrollably, spreading to specific parts of the body. Cancerous cells take away energy and resources that our cells and body need to survive.
How does Cancerous Cells work in the cell cycle?
G0 and G1
Cancerous cells do not usually enter G0- meaning they do not receive a signal from neighboring cells to divide (move into G1 and mitosis).
Social Signals
What are social signals?
When a cell receives a signal to divide: move into G1 phase, etc. from the cells nearby. These are cues that enable the cell (receiving the signal) to progress in the cell cycle.
Receiving Signals How?
How do cells become Cancerous? Or how are cells Cancerous?
Cells are cancerous because of errors that occur in their DNA. They also do not perform specialized functions like other cells.
Mutations?
What are the causes of Cancer?
- Caused by an error in DNA
- Hereditary (the error in DNA is passed down from one generation to the other which may lead to disease)
- Carcinogens (Substances or agents that cause cancer)
- Tobacco usage
- Alcohol
- Radiation
- UV rays’ exposure
- Certain Viruses (HPV)
- Chemicals in plastic
- Organic Solvents
What are different Types of Tumours?
Benign, Pre-malignant, and Malignant
What are Benign Tumours and how do they look?
- Non-cancerous
- Grows Slowly
- Will press against organs and other tissues
- Can be successfully treated
- Will cause changes in behaviour when pressed against certain parts of brain.
What are Pre-malignant tumours?
Cells in a precancerous neoplasm with words like “hyperplasia,” which means the cells are dividing rapidly. Is considered the pre-stage before a cell becomes cancerous.
* Neoplastic development
* Are often small and multiple
* Lacks one or more properties of Cancers
* Easily Treatable
* Such lesions may be derived from epithelial or nonepithelial cell populations.
What is an example of a pre-malignant cancer cell?
Colon polyps are a premalignant tumor which can evolve into colon cancer when grown and divided into more deformed cells.
What are Malignant Tumours?
- Developed from cancerous cells which divides rapidly and uncontrollably
- Is found nearby tissues and spreads into the body’s organs
- Acceleration of the cell cycle
- Genomic alterations
- Invasive growth
- Increased cell mobility
- Chemotaxis
- Changes in the cellular surface
- Secretion of lytic factors
What is cancer screening?
Think: What is screening in Medicine
Cancer screening describes actions that check for cancer even when no symptoms are present.
Why is cancer screening important?
To determine if a person is affected by cancerous DNA and to prevent future mutations.
How does cancer screening work?
Doctors/ Pathologists: Look for abnormal tissue growth (using biopsies); family history; tests (blood, urine, bone, etc.).
Cancer screening is not meant for diagnosis, only to find abormalities in the body, specifically the tissue.
People with higher risks of cancers should be screened more often.
What is the acronym to identify cancerous moles?
ABCD:
* A: Asymmetry
* B: Border
* C: Colour
* D: Diameter
Which can be used to detect different patterns or categorization of moles.
What are different examples of Cancer Screening?
Blood tests like the PSA test are often recommended for people at risk of prostate cancer.
Mammograms are a form of imaging tests which obtains images of certain areas inside of your body.
Laboratory tests often include blood and urine samples.
Other types of cancer screening include: Alpla-Fetaprotein blood test, CA-125, MCD tests, PSA tests, and skin exams.