CBIO1: Intro to hallmarks of cancer Flashcards
What is cancer?
A group of diseases in which cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming a malignant tumour and invading other parts of the body
What does malignant tumour mean?
Clinically problematic due to their growth, but do not spread to other parts of the body
Define Neoplasia
abnormal and uncontrolled cell growth
Name the movement of cancer cells from their site of origin to a new location
metastasis
What is a somatic mutation?
A mutation that occurs (in any cell of the body) AFTER conception. These are passed on to daughter cells only
What is a germline mutation?
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
Define apoptosis
Programmed cell death, a method to eliminate faulty cells
Name blood vessel formation
Angiogenesis
What is a biomarker
A molecule which is informative about the presence or extent/stage of a disease
What is a biopsy?
A small sample of tissue for examination -> to determine presence of seriousness of disease
What’s a carcinogen
Increases risk of cancer
The overall 10-year-survival rate across all cancers in the UK is?
50%
Most common cancer killer in UK?
Lung cancer
What % of deaths in UK are from cancer?
28%
What % of deaths in UK are due to cancer?
15%
How many genetic alterations need to occur for normal cells to become cancerous?
3-7: mutations will vary widely between tumour types and between tumours themselves
What mutations lead to a cell to transform into a tumorigenic cell?
- Disabling detection mechanisms
- Inactivating negative cell cycle regulators
- Overactivation of positive cell cycle regulators
- Inactivating genome stability factors
What are carcinomas?
Most common cancer diagnosis that arises from epithelial cells on the external and internal surfaces of the body.
What are the two types of carcinomas and what are they?
- > Adenocarcinoma – e.g. lung, breast, prostate and colon cancer
- > Squamous cell carcinoma – skin cancer or occurs in top epithelial layer of organs
What is a sarcoma?
Rarer form of cancer occurring in supporting tissues such as fat, bone, cartilage, connective tissue and muscle.
What is a lymphoma
Have to do with white blood cells. Most common cancers in children and young adults
What are the two sub-categories for lymphomas?
- Hodgkin’s lymphoma – Reed-Sternberg cells are abnormal lymphocytes which contain multiple nuclei.
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
B-cell lymphoma
T-cell lymphoma
What are myelomas?
These also arise in the immune system but from antibody-producing cells (plasma cells)