Cancer Epidemiology and Special Cases Flashcards
What is epidemiology?
- study of identifying common factors which contribute to the spread, growth, or development of a disease
- evaluation of these factors in the context of current biological understanding
What is a carcinogen?
A cancer-causing agent
Lung cancer is ____ greater in the US than Japan?
2x
Skin cancer deaths are (Greater/Lesser) in New Zealand than in Iceland?
Greater (6x)
Upper esophageal cancers (nasopharyngeal, esophageal) are more prevalent in Asia and Iran (TRUE/FALSE)?
TRUE (consume more hot tea)
Lower esophageal cancers at the gastroesophageal junction are most prevalent in the US (TRUE/FALSE)?
TRUE
Acute leukemia and brain neoplasms present more commonly in older patients (TRUE/FALSE)?
FALSE
What is the most common cancer in males?
Prostate
What is the most common cancer in females?
Breast
What is the most common cause of cancer death in both males and females?
Lung and bronchus
What is the second most common cause of cancer death in males?
Prostate
What is the third most common cause of cancer death in both males and females?
Colon and rectum
What is the second most common cause of cancer death in females?
Breast
What cancer has dropped rapidly in the US upon the advent of antibiotic therapy?
Stomach
In general, as age increases, the incidence of cancers increases. What are 2 examples of exceptions to this trend?
- Hodgkin’s disease (bimodal: young and old)
- Testicular cancer (peak age 30)
What are inherited cancer syndromes?
Well-defined malignancies in which the inheritance of a single mutant gene (must be identified) greatly increases the risk of developing a neoplasm
What are examples of inherited cancer syndromes?
Childhood retinoblastoma
Familial adenomatous polyposus coli
Li-Fraumeni syndrome
What gene is mutated in a familial adenomatous polyposis coli patient?
APC
What gene is mutated in an inherited childhood retinoblastoma patient?
Rb
What gene is mutated in a patient with Li-Fraumeni syndrome?
P53
Cancer incidence is increased in genetic relatives who have had that cancer in the past (TRUE/FALSE)?
TRUE
With familial cancers there is no consistent link to a specific genetic mutation (TRUE/FALSE)?
TRUE
What are examples of known or suspected carcinogens?
- Tobacco smoke
- Dietary carcinogens/insufficiencies
- Alcohol
- Chemicals
- Radiation
- Viruses
- Bacteria
- Therapeutic drugs
What is an example of a patient presentation of a “low-risk” strain of HPV?
Papilloma (warts)
What can “high-risk” strains of human papilloma virus (HPV) cause?
Cervical carcinoma; Oral carcinoma
What are examples of “high-risk” strains of HPV?
HPV 16
HPV 18
What is the mechanism in which “high-risk” HPV strains such as HPV 16 and 18 cause cancer?
High-risk viral protein products degrade p53 gene products
What virus is responsible for causing infectious mononucleosis and potentially lymphomas and leukemias?
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)
What cells does the Epstein-Barr virus infect?
Epithelial cells and B lymphocytes
What gene is overexpressed in Burkitt’s lymphoma?
Bcl-2
Bcl-2 is a(n) (Pro-apoptotic/Anti-apoptotic) gene?
Anti-apoptotic