Cancer: Pathology Flashcards
What are the two major cellular dysfunctions present in cancer development?
Defective cell proliferation
Defective cell differentiation
Normally, cell proliferation ____ cell degeneration
Explain contact inhibition
=
Cells don’t invade space that other cells occupy. Cancer cells do not have contact inhibition
What body cells grow rapidly?
Slowly?
How does this influence cancer cell proliferation?
Rapid: bone marrow, hair follicles, GI epithelium
Slow: myocardium, cartilage
Cancer cells proliferate at the same rate of their original tissue
Explain doubling time
Time needed for a tumor mass to double its size
Explain differentiation regarding cancer cells
Normal immature cells are_____
Mature cells are ______
Cancer cells that are _____ are more malignant
Normal immature cells are undifferentiated
Mature cells are differentiated: specific functions
Cancer cells that are undifferentiated are more malignant
Give some examples for the following types of carcinogens:
Chemical
Radiation
Viruses
Chemical: arsenic, formaldehyde, tobacco
Radiation: X-ray, UV, chemo
Viruses: HPV, Epstein-Barr, Hep B
Protooncogenes
-What are they?
-How are they affected by carcinogens?
Genes that promote cell growth
carcinogens affect these genes, causing less differentiation
Tumor Suppressor Genes
-what are they?
-how are they affected by carcinogens?
-Give 2 examples
-Alterations of these examples increase what?
Genes that regulate/stop cell growth
Carcinogens can make them inactive
BRCA 1 and BRCA 2
Alterations increase incidence of breast/ovarian cancers
Explain the 3 steps of cancer development:
Initiation
Promotion
Progression
INITIATION
-DNA alteration
-Unless cell dies or repairs itself, it will replicate with same alteration
PROMOTION
-activities promoting reversible repro. of altered cells: obesity, smoking, inactivity, alcohol
PROGRESSION
-increase growth rate, angiogenesis, invasiveness, metastasis
Explain Metastasis
Cancer cells that have moved from their original tissue source and settled in another organ/organs
-Uses angiogenesis to enter circulation, exit vessel in another organ, establish microenvironment, and proliferate and begin angiogenesis again
What % of cancerous gene mutations are inherited? How does this affect risk?
Acquired?
Inherited (5-10%): very high risk
Acquired (90-95%): lower risk
How does the immune system identify cancer cells?
Tumor Associated Antigens: surface antigens
Lymphocytes check around
Is a pituitary adenoma benign or malignant?
Benign
Explain benign vs. malignant tumors
Benign: encapsulated, stationary, consistent cells, noncancerous, can still cause some problems, normal vasculature, differentiated
Malignant: spreads into other tissue types, grows, cancerous, angiogenesis, undifferentiated
What 4 things go into cancer classification?
Location, origin
Tumor Nose Metastases
Histology/differentiation
Staging
Explain the grades of histological classification (1-4)
I: well-differentiated, closely resemble tissue cells
IV: poorly differentiated, immature, origin difficult to determine
X: unable to assess
Explain TNM classification
T: Tumor size: 1-4 (1 is smallest)
N: node involvement: 0-4
M: metastis: 0-1
Explain cancer staging 0-4
0: in situ
1: limited to origin tissue
2: limited local spread
3: extensive local/regional spread
4: metastasis
What is the only definitive means to diagnose cancer?
Pathology/biopsy
Explain tumor markers CEA and PSA
CEA: may be elevated w/ colon cancer
PSA: may be elevated w/ prostate cancer
What are the 3 treatment goals, in order of priority?
Cure
Control
Palliation
What treatment plan is the mainstay for solid tumors and hematologic cancers?
Chemotherapy
Which cells are affected the most by chemotherapy?
Rapidly growing cells
