CBIO1: Intro to hallmarks of cancer

Question 1

What is cancer?

Answer 1

A group of diseases in which cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming a malignant tumour and invading other parts of the body

Question 2

What does malignant tumour mean?

Answer 2

Clinically problematic due to their growth, but do not spread to other parts of the body

Question 3

Define Neoplasia

Answer 3

abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth

Question 4

Name the movement of cancer cells from their site of origin to a new location

Answer 4

metastasis

Question 5

What is a somatic mutation?

Answer 5

A mutation that occurs (in any cell of the body) AFTER conception. These are passed on to daughter cells only

Question 6

What is a germline mutation?

Answer 6

A mutation that occurs in the germ cells (sperm or egg) and so is passed on to all cells in the body off the offspring, as well as to their offspring

Question 7

Define apoptosis

Answer 7

Programmed cell death, a method to eliminate faulty cells

Question 8

Name blood vessel formation

Answer 8

Angiogenesis

Question 9

What is a biomarker

Answer 9

A molecule which is informative about the presence or extent/stage of a disease

Question 10

What is a biopsy?

Answer 10

A small sample of tissue for examination -> to determine presence of seriousness of disease

Question 11

What’s a carcinogen

Answer 11

Increases risk of cancer

Question 12

The overall 10-year-survival rate across all cancers in the UK is?

Answer 12

50%

Question 13

Most common cancer killer in UK?

Answer 13

Lung cancer

Question 14

What % of deaths in UK are from cancer?

Answer 14

28%

Question 15

What % of deaths in UK are due to cancer?

Answer 15

15%

Question 16

How many genetic alterations need to occur for normal cells to become cancerous?

Answer 16

3-7: mutations will vary widely between tumour types and between tumours themselves

Question 17

What mutations lead to a cell to transform into a tumorigenic cell?

Answer 17

• Disabling detection mechanisms
• Inactivating negative cell cycle regulators
• Overactivation of positive cell cycle regulators
• Inactivating genome stability factors

Question 18

What are carcinomas?

Answer 18

Most common cancer diagnosis that arises from epithelial cells on the external and internal surfaces of the body.

Question 19

What are the two types of carcinomas and what are they?

Answer 19

• > Adenocarcinoma – e.g. lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer
• > Squamous cell carcinoma – skin cancer or occurs in top epithelial layer of organs

Question 20

What is a sarcoma?

Answer 20

Rarer form of cancer occurring in supporting tissues such as fat, bone, cartilage, connective tissue and muscle.

Question 21

What is a lymphoma

Answer 21

Have to do with white blood cells. Most common cancers in children and young adults

Question 22

What are the two sub-categories for lymphomas?

Answer 22

• Hodgkin’s lymphoma – Reed-Sternberg cells are abnormal lymphocytes which contain multiple nuclei.
• Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  B-cell lymphoma
  T-cell lymphoma

Question 23

What are myelomas?

Answer 23

These also arise in the immune system but from antibody-producing cells (plasma cells)