Cancer Flashcards
Not harmful
Benign
To become progressively worse and to potentially result in death
Malignant
The process of programmed cell death that may occur in multicellular organisms
Apoptosis
Cells with an exact multiple of the haploid number
Euploidy
Two cells whose membranes join tightly together, forming a virtually impermeable barrier to fluid
Tight Adherence
What is the protein that allows for the binding in cells with tight adherence?
Fibrinectin
Ratio of the size of the nucleus to the size of the cytoplasm of the cell
Nuclear-Cytoplasmic Size
Loose binding of a cell to the surface or substrate
Loose adherence
A relationship that the chromosome number is not an exact multiple of the cardinal characteristic of a particular plant or animal species
Aneuploidy
The creation of cancer
Carcinogenesis
Process by which normal cells are transformed into cancer cells
Oncogenesis
A process by which normal cells are changed so that they are able to form tumors
Initiation
A process by which various factors permit the descendants of a single initiated cell to survive and expand in number
Promotion
The number of sets of chromosomes in the nucleus of a cell
Ploidy
The point in chemotherapy when blood count cells are at their lowest after a treatment
Nadir
What are the top three cancers diagnosed for women?
Breast, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum
What are the top three cancers diagnosed for men?
Prostate, lung and bronchus, and colon and rectum
Which cancer diagnosis is the leading cause of cancer death?
Lung and bronchus
Genetic portion of DNA that regulates normal cell growth and repairs mutations, allowing cells to proliferate beyond the body’s needs
Proto-oncogene
Genetic portion of DNA that stops, inhibits, or suppresses cell division
Tumor Suppression Gene
Abnormal mutated genes responsible for transformation of normal cells to cancer cells
Oncogene
What are the most common cancers?
Basal and squamous cell cancers of the skin
What are the characteristics of a cancer cell?
Abnormal cell structure and proliferation, uncontrolled growth, ability to spread, ability to invade normal tissue, immortality, accelerated by the use of nutrients, and angiogenesis
What are the cellular division characteristics of a malignant cell?
Rapid or continuous
What is the appearance of a malignant cell?
Anaplastic
What is the nuclear-to-cytoplasmic ratio of a malignant cell?
Large
How many differentiated functions does a malignant cell have?
Some or none
What is the cellular adherence of a malignant cell?
Loose
What are the migratory characteristics of a malignant cell?
They migrate and invade other cells
How do malignant cells grow?
By invading other cells
What are the chromosomal characteristics of malignant cells?
Aneuploidy
What is the mitotic index of a malignant cell?
High
Why can malignant cells grow so quickly?
Because they are not density dependent and have no contact inhibition
Why are malignant cells able to metastasis?
Because the adhesion between cancer cells is poor and easily dislodged
Lots and lots of extra cells
Hyperplasia
Increased size of cells already present in the body
Hypertrophy
When are benign tumors bad?
When it causes pressure in an enclosed space like the brain
How are malignant cells able to invade normal tissue?
They secrete cell-dissolving enzymes
How do malignant cells undergo angiogenesis?
They secrete angiogenesis factors, which promotes the building of new capillaries to support and supply the tumor
Where do adeno- tumors originate?
Epithelial glands
Where do chondro- tumors originate?
Cartilage tissue
Where do fibro- tumors originate?
Fibrous connective tissue
Where do glio- tumors originate?
The glial cells of the brain
Where do hemangio- tumors originate?
Blood vessels
Where do hepato- tumors originate?
Liver cells
Where do leiomyo- tumors originate?
Smooth muscles
Where do lipo- tumors originate?
Fat/Adipose
Where do lympho- tumors originate?
Lymphoid tissues
Where do melano- tumors originate?
In the pigment-producing skin
Where do meningioma tumors originate?
Meninges
Where do neuro- tumors originate?
Nerve tissue
Where do osteo- tumors originate?
Bones
Where do renal tumors originate?
Kidneys
Where do rhabdo- tumors originate?
Skeletal muscles
Where do squamous tumors originate?
The epithelial layer of the skin, mucous membranes, and organ linings
Why is grading necessary?
Because some cancer cells are more malignant than others and require different treatments
What are the gradings of malignant cells based on?
Cell appearance and activity
Determines the exact location of the cancer and its degree of metastasis at diagnosis
Staging
What is the staging system?
TNM
What does TNM stand for?
Primary tumor, Regional lymph nodes, and distant metastasis
What are the steps in carcinogenesis?
Initiation, promotion, and progression
Increasing genetic instability/mutations occur which provides tumor cells with growth advantage
Progression
In which phase of carcinogenesis are carcinogens introduced, causing cancer?
Promotion
Name the six causes of cancer
Radiation, exposure to chemical carcinogens, virus, genetics, failure of immune surveillance, and stress
How does radiation cause cancer?
Cellular DNA is damaged by a physical release of energy
Which viruses can cause cancer?
HIV, H Pylori, and HPV
How do viruses cause cancer?
They infect DNA and RNA which results in oncogene formation and interferes with cell cycle regulation and apoptosis
What areas are susceptible to genetic tumors?
FAP, breast, renal cells and Wilms
What are the theories of the causation of pathophysiology of cancer?
Proto-oncogene, oncogenes, ras-proto-oncogenes, and tumor suppression genes
Substances which, when normally functioning, promote cellular growth but when they aren’t, can allow cells to proliferate unrestrained
Ras-proto-oncogenes
Genetic portion of DNA that stops, inhibits, or suppresses cell division
Tumor suppression genes
Normally a tumor suppressor which functions to stop proliferation allowing damaged DNA to repair
P53
A differentiation of cancer cells leads to what?
Maturation
A proliferation of cancer cells leads to what?
Divison
What tests are done to stage tumors?
Biopsies, blood tests, X-Rays, CT scans, PET scans, MRIs, nuclear medicine, bone marrows, and flow cytometry
How do PET scans help in diagnosing cancer?
By injecting a glucose dye which tumor cells do not use efficiently it evaluates isotope uptake and decay
Which is more accurate, a MRI or CT?
MRI
Study of chromosomes
Cytogenetics
What does a Grade 1 tumor mean?
Tumor is well-differentiated and confined to the organ of origin
If a patient has a Grade 1 tumor, what is their rate of survival?
70-90%
What is a Grade 2 tumor?
Tumor is moderately differentiated with local spread and close nodal involvement
If a patient has a Grade 2 tumor, what is their rate of survival?
45-55%
What is a Grade 3 tumor?
Tumor is poorly differentiated with extensive nodal involvement
If a patient has a Grade 3 tumor, what is their rate of survival?
25%
What is a Grade 4 tumor?
Tumor is undifferentiated and has metastasized to other organs and tissues
If a patient has a Grade 4 tumor, what is their rate of survival?
<5%
In the anatomic classification of tumors, what is the tumor identified by?
The tissue of origin, the anatomic site, and the behavior of the tumor
What are the only two reasons normal cells divide?
To develop normal tissue or to replace lost or damaged normal tissue
How do benign tumors grow?
Expansion
How do malignant tumors grow?
Invasion
How do cancers generally metastasize?
Through the blood or lymph nodes
What does grading classify tumors by?
Cellular aspects of cancer
What does staging classify tumors by?
Clinical aspects of cancer
What does the TNM system describe?
The general anatomic extent of the cancer
How is tumor growth assessed?
Doubling time and the mitotic index
The percentage of actively diving cells within a tumor
Mitotic index
What are the goals of cancer treatment?
Cure, control, and palliative
Creation of own blood supply
Angiogenesis
What is the oldest form of cancer treatment?
Surgery
What is the purpose of radiation therapy for cancer?
To destroy cancer cells with minimal damaging effects of surrounding normal cells
Radiation therapy that is administer at a distance from the body
Teletherapy