Cancer Flashcards
What is a tumor?
An abnormal mass of cells resulting from inappropriate cell division.
What is a benign tumor?
It does not invade surrounding tissues or spread to other parts of the body.
What is a malignant tumor?
Cancer. It can invade surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of the body (metastasize).
How does cancer basically form? (3)
- Cells don’t go through apoptosis when they should. 2. Cells don’t differentiate as they should. 3. Abnormal cell division.
What is chemotherapy?
The use of chemical agents to treat disease.
What are 4 treatments for cancer?
- Cut it out. 2. Kill the cancer cells. 3. Manipulate cancer cell’s environment to kill cancer cell (immune system). 4. Differentiate the cancer cell.
What can kill cancer cells? (6)
- Radiation. 2. Chemotherapy. 3. Hypothermia. 4. Cellular immunotherapy. 5. investigational (gene therapy). 6. other drugs.
How does radiation work to treat cancer?
It uses a certain type of energy to damage cells.
What is brachytherapy?
Using an internal source of radiation.
What are two ways to kill the cancer cells?
- Target rapidly dividing cells. 2. target processes special in cancer cells.
How can you target rapidly diving cells?
Cytotoxic agents (cell-killing agents)
What is the problem with Cytotoxic agents?
They don’t discriminate between normal cells and cancer cells.
How do Anti-metabolites work? What kind of drug are they?
Block metabolism and, therefore, impact nucleic acid synthesis. They are cytotoxic drugs.
How do Microtubule Poisons or Mitotic inhibitors work? What kind of drug are they?
They disrupt cytoskeleton and impact cell divsion. They are cytotoxic drugs.
How do Genotoxins work? What kind of drug are they?
Damage DNA directly, or interfere with certain enzymes important for DNA replication. They are cytotoxic drugs.
What is an example of an Anti-metabolite? How does it work?
5-fluorouracil. They mimic nucleic acid building blocks. It interferes with the synthesis of nucleic acids.
What is an example of a Microtubule Poison or Mitotic inhibitor? How does it work?
Paclitaxel (Taxol). It keeps microtubles from shrinking. Thought to cause abnormal chromosome segregation.
What do microtubules do?
They are part of cellular structure (cytoskeleton). Also acts as tracks for materials transport within cells. Part of mitotic spindle.
What is an example of a Genotoxic agent? What’s interesting about its classification?
Doxorubicin. It’s actually an antibiotic since it’s derived from Strepomyces.
How does Doxorubicin work? (4)
- Intercalates into DNA. 2. Inhibits DNA topoisomerase II. 3. Generates free radicals. 4. Interacts with cell membranes.
What is a regimen?
A treatment plan. What drugs they’re going to get, when, and for how long.
What are three more targeted ways to go after cancer cells more directly?
- Kinase inhibitors. 2. Monoclonal Antibodies. 3. Hormonal modulation.
What do Kinase inhibitors do?
They target enzymes that are different in cancer cells. They Stop kinases from delivering phosphorous to other proteins.
What is an example of a cancer driven by abnormal kinase activity?
Chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). Have problem in Philadelphia chromosome.
What is the result of the translocation on the Philadelphia chromosome?
The oncoprotein, BCR-ABL which causes abnormal kinase activity.
What is Imatnib (Gleevec)?
Kinase inhibitor (-nib) of BCR-ABlL, KIT, PDGFRalpha.
What are the issues of Imatnib (Gleevec)? (4)
- Side effects. 2. Cost. 3. Resistance. 4. Must take it forever.
What is Trastuzumab (Herceptin)?
A Monoclonal Antibody. (-mab)
How does Trastuzumab (Herceptin) work?
It targets HER2 and binds to it to stop its downstream signaling. Might also make own immune cells target cancer.
What does HER2 do?
Downstream signaling causes cancer phenotypes.
What is the Hercep Test?
It tests for if the tumor expresses the HER2 protein. The more brown, the more likely Monoclonal antibodies will work.
What kind of cancers rely on hormones to grow?
Breast cancers rely on estrogen to grow.
What does Tamoxifen (Nolvadex) do?
Acts as anti-estrogen in breast tumors, but as estrogen in certain tissues.
What kind of drug is Tamoxifen (Nolvadex)?
It’s a Selective estrogen receptor modulator
What is the tumor micro-environment?
Ex. blood vessels (or make new blood vessels-
angiogenesis).
How does a tumor create new blood vessels?
Due to Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). It signals to blood vessels to grow.
How does Bevacizumab (Avastin)? What can it treat other than certain cancers?
It blocks VEGF so the tumor can not get blood vessels. It can treat macular degeneration.
What kind of drug is Bevacizumab (Avastin)?
A Monoclonal Antibody. (-mab)
What does Nivolumab (Opdivo) do?
Immune modulator - made to help immune system fight cancer better. Blocks PD1 production from tumor, so it can not bind to PDL1 on T-cells and cause no response from the T-cell.
What kind of drug is Nivolumab (Opdivo)?
A Monoclonal Antibody. (-mab)
What are the side effects of Nivolumab (Opdivo)?
Immune-related adverse events. Inappropriate T-cell activation.
What is the risk of developing invasive cancer in the US for both sexes?
42% (males). 38% (females).
