Cancer Flashcards
smallest clinically detectable tumor?
1g, 109 cells, had already undergone 30 population doublings
what is the max size of a tumor compatible with life?
1kg (10 additional doublings from a 1g tumor)
what is the clinical significance of the size of a clinically detectable tumor?
by the time the 1g tumor is detected, it has already competed a major portion of its lifespan
what determines the growth rate of a tumor?
- the doubling time of the tumor cells
- the fraction of tumor cells that are in the replicative pool
- the rate at which cells are shed or die
relationship of effectiveness of chemotherapeutic drugs and replicative pool size?
tumors with a large percentage of cells in the replicative pool will respond better to chemo than those with a low percentage of replicating cells (chemo targets actively cycling cells)
difference between malignant and benign tumors with regard to level of differentiation
malignant tumors tend to be LESS differentiated than benign tumors, so they grow more rapidly than benign tumors
what does multistep carcinogenesis mean
the cancer results from the accumulation of multiple mutations over time, ex. colorectal cancer
mechanism of CRC development
- first hit is a mutation (germ line or somatic) in APC
- second hit is the inactivation of other APC allele via abnormal methylation
- proto-oncogene K-RAS converts to oncogenic form of K-RAS
COULD LEAD TO CELLS SENESCE WITH JUST ADENOMA POLYPS, IF P53 MUTATES, TELOMERASE AFFECTED AT THE END
what is hyperplasia
accumulation of excessive numbers of normal appearing cells within normal appearing tissue
what is dysplasia
disordered growth resulting in disordered architecture of the tissue
what is anaplasia
tissue and cellular architecture lacking the differentiated characteristics of an identifiable tissue of origin
what is pleomorphism
variation in size and shape of both cells and nuclei of the cells
what is abnormal nuclear morphology
atypical mitosis which leads to tripolar, multipolar mitotic spindles (cell trying to divide into three cells or more)
what could be an effect of abnormal nuclear morphology?
chromosomes not split up correctly, loss of function/tumor suppressor genes in one daughter cell
characteristic of anaplasia
- pleomorphism
- abnormal cell morphology
- disorganized tissue structure
- tumor giant cells present
what is a tumor giant cell
large cell with either one large polymorphic nucleus or multiple nuclei
characteristic of benign tumor
mass of cells lacks ability to metastasize, cells within this mass resemble their parent tissue, surrounded by a fibrous capsule
characteristic of malignant tumors
tumor invades surrounding tissues, capable of producing metastases that may recur after attempted removal, cells within this mass diverge significantly from the parent tissue in morphology
how are cancers named
for the site of the body where they first develop
what are carcinomas
cancers of epithelial origin (ex. adeno)
what are sarcomas
cancers of connective tissue origin (ex. osteo, chondro, myo, lympho)
what is the most common type of cancer in adults
carcinoma, 90%
what is a lymphoma
solid tumor of lymphoid cells, 4% of cancer in adults, 8% of cancer in children
what is leukemia
tumor comprised of any of a variety of hematopoietic cell types dispersed through circulation, 4% of cancer in adults, 30% of cancer in children (ALL)
what are sarcomas
a rare type of cancer in adults, 1% in adults, 7% of cancers in children, originates from mesenchymal cells
what is retinoblastoma
cancer of retina, 2% of childhood cancers
what is wilms tumor
cancer of the kidney, 5% of childhood cancers
what is neuroblastoma
adrenal gland tumors, 6% of pediatric cancers
most common sarcomas in children
rhabdomyosarcoma, osteosarcoma, Ewing’s sarcoma
most common brain and CNS tumors in children
astrocytomas, medulloblastoma, ependymoma, 25% of childhood cancers
most common cancer in the US
melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer
most common cancer in the world
lung cancer
4 types of lung cancer
adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma
2 subtypes of non-melanoma skin cancer
- squamous cell carcinoma
2. basal cell carcinoma
what does short periods of intense UV exposure increase the risk of
melanoma
what does chronic sun exposure increase risk of
non-carcinoma skin cancer