Colorectal Cancer Flashcards
What are the characteristics of malignancy pathology?
- Abnormal signal transduction
- Loss of apoptosis
- Tissue invasion & Metastasis
- Abnormal signal transduction, what happens?
Ligand-independent signalling
Structural changes to receptors
EGFR- epidermal growth factor receptors are over expressed ligands & TGF-a (transforming growth factor)
Things attach to ligands–> signal transduction–> activate transcription of genes.
What can neutralise ligands?
Monoclonal Antibodies (Abs)
What mitogen is involved in colorectal cancers abnormal signal transduction? + what does it do?
RAS mitogen
Deregulation
What happens?
Mutations–> ⬆️⬆️ transcription –> overexpression of receptors
⬆️⬆️ potential to be triggered by ligands
↪️ ⬆️⬆️ Growth tp express receptors.
What happens during Loss of Apoptosis?
Too little apoptosis + ⬆️ cell proliferation (can be genetic)
There are 2 pathways acitivating apoptosis:
Extrinsic & intrinsic
Whats the extrinsic pathway?
Death Receptors-
Activation of tumour necrosis Factor family (caspases enzymes)
Whats the intrinsic pathway?
Mitochondrial activation, by damaged DNA.
Apoptosis inhibitor proteins) (IAP
What happens in tussue invasion & metastasis?
Malignant cells enter blood stream/lymph.
EGFR pathway aCtivates & promotes metastasis
MMP released; breaks basement membrane
↪️ enter blood by tight junctions
↪️tissue invasion
⭐️marks territory once in.
What are some common metastatic sites?
Liver, lung, brain & bone marrow.
What do you check in moles?
Appearance
Colour
Diameter
Border
What 2 genes are asscw/ breast cancer? What types of genes are they?
BRAC1 & BRAC2
They are both tumour supressors.
If invaded, no more effect of protection.
What are some common genes implicated w/ colorectal cancer? Ascc mutations
APC-->T suppressor RAS--> oncogene Kras- oncogene. TP53--> T supressor SMAD4--> T supressor
How? Impaired cellular stress & DNA damage response.
APC( adenomatous polyposis coli)
Whats the Jukes classification of colorectal cancer?
A- mucosa of bowel
B. Through mucosa muscularis
C. Local nodes invaded.
D. Metastasis.
What drugs can be pritective of colorectal cancer?
Aspirin & NSAIDs