Chapter 10

Question 1

Neoplastic

Answer 1

Characterized by new, abnormal growth of cells.

Question 2

Benign

Answer 2

Limited in cell growth to a single tumor.

Question 3

Malignant

Answer 3

Having the ability not only to grow but also to spread to other parts of the body.

Question 4

Metastisize

Answer 4

To undergo metastasis, the spread of malignancy from one part of the body to another by way of the blood or lymph systems.

Question 5

Carcinomas

Answer 5

Cancers of the epithelial tissues.

Question 6

Sarcomas

Answer 6

Cancers of the connective tissues.

Question 7

Leukemias

Answer 7

Cancers originating in blood or blood-producing cells.

Question 8

Lymphoma

Answer 8

Cancer of the lymphoid tissues, including lymph nodes.

Question 9

Synergistic effect

Answer 9

The combined effect of two or more variables that exceeds the sum of their individual effects.

Question 10

Carcinogenic

Answer 10

Cancer-inducing

Question 11

Beta-carotene

Answer 11

A form of vitamin A found in abundance in vegetables such as carrots and sweet potatoes.

Question 12

Selenium

Answer 12

A trace element found in grain products and in meat from grain-fed animals.

Question 13

Kaposi’s sarcoma

Answer 13

A malignancy characterized by multiple soft, dark blue or purple nodules on the skin, with hemorrhages.

Question 14

Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma

Answer 14

A malignancy characterized by rapidly growing tumors that are spread through the circulatory or lymphatic systems

Question 15

Oncologists

Answer 15

Physicians who specialize in the treatment of cancer

Question 16

What is cancer?

Answer 16

Cancer is a group of diseases characterized by the presence of new (neoplastic) cells that grow and spread beyond control. These cells may be either benign or malignant, but both types of neoplastic cells are dangerous. Malignant cells are capable of metastasizing and spreading through the blood or lymph to other organs of the body, thus making malignancies life threatening.

Question 17

Are cancer death rates increasing or decreasing?

Answer 17

Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States, accounting for about 23% of deaths. During the first nine and a half decades of the 20th century, cancer death rates in the United States rose threefold, but since the mid-1990s, death rates have begun to decline, especially for cancers of the lung, colon and rectum, breast, and prostate—the four leading sites for cancer deaths in the United States. Currently, lung cancer death rates for women are beginning to level off and may soon begin to decline.

Question 18

What are the inherent and environmental risk factors for cancer?

Answer 18

The uncontrollable risk factors for cancer include family history, ethnic background, and advancing age. Environmental exposure to airborne pollutants, radiation, and infectious organisms constitute significant risks for cancer if the exposure is heavy and prolonged.

Question 19

What are the behavioral risk factors for cancer?

Answer 19

More than half of all cancer deaths in the United States have been attributed to either smoking or unwise life- style choices, such as diet and exercise. Smoking cig- arettes raises the risk of lung cancer by a factor of 23, but smoking also accounts for other cancer deaths.

Question 20

How can cancer patients be helped in coping with their disease?

Answer 20

Cancer patients usually benefit from social support from spouse, family, and health care providers, but the type and timing of support affect its benefits. Support groups offer another type of support that is beneficial to some cancer patients, especially in allowing the expression of emotion. Therapists can use cognitive behavioral methods to assist cancer patients in coping with some of the negative aspects of cancer treatments and adjusting to their disease, thus increasing the quality of life for cancer patients, but no evidence exists that psychosocial factors can increase survival time.