Chapter 6: Neoplasia

Question 1

Anaplasia

Answer 1

loss of cell differentiation in cancerous tissue

Question 2

Telomerase

Answer 2

enzyme released by cancer cells that continually replaces telomeres allowing cells to replicate indefinitely

Question 3

Cancer cells are AUTONOMOUS

Answer 3

divide without receiving chemical signals from the body

Question 4

Cancer Characteristics

Answer 4

lack cell density (dependent or contact inhibition)
anchorage independent
mutations of genes
oncogenes
angiogenesis
metastasis

Question 5

Dependent or Contact Inhibition

Answer 5

most healthy cells stop dividing if their environment becomes too crowded
cancer cells continue to grow

Question 6

Anchorage Independent

Answer 6

malignant cells do not have to be anchored to other cells or a surface - can shed their surface cells

Question 7

Point mutation

Answer 7

a single change in a nucleotide

Question 8

DNA amplification

Answer 8

repeated copying of a sequence of DNA

Question 9

Chromosomal Rearrangement

Answer 9

chromosome is attached to an area where it should not be

Question 10

Epigenetic Modification

Answer 10

may silence genes (such as tumor suppressor gene) so that even though the gene is present, it is not expressed

Question 11

Proto-oncogenes

Answer 11

genes that are responsible for making cells divide

they code for normal cell division proteins

Question 12

Oncogenes

Answer 12

gene associated with initiation of mutated changes

pro-mitotic and proliferative

Question 13

Tumor Suppressor Cells

Answer 13

inhibits cell division and triggers apoptosis

Question 14

Angiogenesis

Answer 14

growing tumors send out signals that say “Feed me”
blood vessels send over new extensions for O2 and food
also serve as passageway for metastasis

Question 15

Metastasis

Answer 15

cancer cells break off from the original (primary) tumor) and move through the body to form new tumors elsewhere

Question 16

Characteristics of BENIGN Tumors

Answer 16

loss of the ability to control cell proliferation
slow growing
well-differentiated cells (may perform normal function)
encapsulated
noninvasive

Question 17

Characteristics of MALIGNANT Tumors

Answer 17

loss of the ability to control both proliferation and differentiation
grow rapidly
poor differentiation
not encapsulated - send out legs
infiltrate/invade, metastasize
may secrete own GFs, enzymes, toxins, etc.

Question 18

Cancer In Situ

Answer 18

localized and pre-invasive

cancer has not crossed the basement membrane

Question 19

Types of Malignant Neoplasms: Solid

Answer 19

initially confined to a specific tissue/organ but eventually invades and breaks through the basement membrane
may spread via the blood or lymph system

Question 20

Types of Malignant Neoplasms: Hematologic

Answer 20

involves cells normally found in blood or lymph, disseminated from the beginning
Example: leukemia

Question 21

Carcinogenesis

Answer 21

the process by which carcinogenic agents cause normal cells to become cancer cells
occurs in stages: initiation, promotion, and progression

Question 22

Initiation

Carcinogenesis

Answer 22

exposure to carcinogenic agents

proto-oncogenes are activated and tumor suppressor genes are inactivated

Question 23

Promotion

Carcinogenesis

Answer 23

mutated cells are stimulated to divide = unregulated accelerated growth

Question 24

Progression

Carcinogenesis

Answer 24

tumor cells acquire malignant phenotypic changes

develop more mutation (become more aggressive)

Question 25

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Heredity

Answer 25

inheritance of defective genes involved with cell proliferation or apoptosis Example: BRCA

Question 26

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Reproductive Hormones

Answer 26

hormones often trigger cell growth and division and can promote cancerous cell division Example: a tumor may be estrogen sensitive

Question 27

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Obesity

Answer 27

overproduction of insulin and IGF stimulates proliferation and inhibits apoptosis

Question 28

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Immune surveillance and tumor antigens

Answer 28

process can be inhibited by immunodeficiency | cell can change expression of proteins to be recognized as "self" so they are not killed

Question 29

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Chemical Carcinogens

Answer 29

nicotine, alcohol, high-fat diet | damage DNA, RNA, or proteins involved in the control of cell proliferation

Question 30

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Radiation

Answer 30

causes direct changes to DNA resulting in gene or chromosomal changes

Question 31

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Viruses/Bacteria

Answer 31

pathogens may stimulate cell changes | Examples: HPV, EBV, Hep B and C, H. pylori

Question 32

Causative Factors of Cancer: | Chronic inflammation

Answer 32

stimulates cell proliferation and blood vessel growth | releases oxygen-reactive species that promote mutations

Question 33

Clinical Manifestations of Cancer

Answer 33

``` loss of tissue integrity anemia cachexia fatigue paraneoplastic disorder ```

Question 34

Cachexia

Answer 34

weight loss and wasting of body fat and muscle tissue due to hypermetabolic state of cancer

Question 35

Paraneoplastic Disorder

Answer 35

may be earliest indication a person has cancer range of effects at sites not directly associated with the tumor d/t release of hormones/hormone-like proteins from cancer cells

Question 36

Examples of Paraneoplastic Disorders

Answer 36

SIADH - release of ADH by tumor Cushing's - release of ACTH by tumor Hypercalcemia - release of PTH-related protein DVT d/t production of procoagulation factors

Question 37

Grading

Answer 37

microscopic exam of differentiation 1 = well-differentiated 4 = poorly differentiated

Question 38

Staging (TNM)

Answer 38

``` T = Tumor size N = lymph Node involvement M = Metastasis ```