Cancer Principles

Question 1

oral squamous cell carcinoma

Answer 1

p53 mutation in 60-80% (this is a tumor supressor)
p16 mutations
Cyclin D amplification
EGFR mutations/amplification in 10-30% patients

Question 2

Melanoma

Answer 2

mutation in BRAF oncogene
T–> A mutation
Valine gets changed to a glutamate and this single mutation can cause melanoma
increasing the kinase activity of mutant BRAF

Question 3

T/F it is estimated that 3 new mutations are acwuired every time a cell divides

Answer 3

TRUE

DNA repair pathways are always working, but they cannot catch everything, so mutations naturally accumulate overtime