Cancer Overview Flashcards
Cancer is a group of diseases characterised by what three things?
Unregulated growth, invasion and spread of cancer cells from the site of origin.
Define carcinoma.
Epithelial cell cancers.
Define sarcoma.
Cancers derived from mesoderm cells.
Define leukaemia.
Cancer of the blood forming organs.
Define lymphoma.
Cancer of the lymphatic system.
Define myeloma.
Cancer of plasma cells.
Define neuroblastoma.
Cancer of neuroblasts.
Define tumour.
Mutated cells that have lost regulation of cell division and form masses.
Define benign.
Non-cancerous tumours that are non-invasive and do not affect other tissues.
Define malignant.
Cancerous tumours that are invasive.
Define angiogenesis.
The growth of new blood vessels that nourish tumours.
Define metastasis.
The development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site of cancer.
What are the seven hallmarks of cancer?
- Growth signal autonomy.
- Evasion of growth inhibitory signals.
- Evasion of immune system.
- Invasion and metastasis.
- Unlimited replicative potential.
- Angiogenesis.
- Evasion of apoptosis.
Define transformation.
The introduction of inheritable changes in a cell causing changes in the growth phenotype and immortalisation.
State the stages of the cell cycle.
G0, G1, S, G2 and M.
Why is the G2/M boundary a particularly important check point?
It acts as a commitment to cell division.
State the function of the G1/S check point.
Detects DNA damage.
State the function of the M check point.
Detects spindle fibre failure.
In cancer cells, is contact inhibition of growth present or absent?
Absent.
In cancer cells, are growth factor requirements high or low?
Low.
In cancer cells, is anchorage-dependence present or absent?
Absent.
In cancer cells, are cell cycle checkpoint intact or absent?
Absent.
In cancer cells, is the karyotypic profile normal or abnormal?
Abnormal.
In cancer cells, is the proliferative life span finite or indefinite?
Indefinite.
What is the phenotype of cancer cells?
Loss of adhesion-dependent growth and contact inhibition.
Define mutagen.
A factor which brings about a mutation.
Define carcinogen.
Any agent that causes cancer.
What are mutated genes that cause cancer called?
Oncogenes.
