Environmental influences on cancer - FACTS Flashcards
What is relative risk defined as?
the ratio of the incidence of cancer in the country with the highest incidence compared to the incidence in the country with the lowest incidence.
What proportion of cancers are influenced by the environment?
90% of cancers are influenced by the environment
by what percentage does shift work in females increase your risk of breast cancer?
4.56%
How many deaths from breast cancer in the UK can be associated with shift work?
555 deaths
How much does the relative of risk of adenocarcinoma of the esophagus increase when BMI increases from 20 to 30?
from 1 to 2.5
How much does relative risk of squamous cell carcinoma of the esophagus decrease when BMI goes from 20 to 30?
from 2 to 1.5
What is the Ames Test?
this is when an experimental situation is set up that is highly sensitive to DNA damage using bacteria to find out how mutagenic something is
How many naturally occurring compounds has the Ames test identified as carcinogens?
37
What carcinogen does coffee contain and in what amount?
caffeic acid 11.6mg/g
What kind of cancer is arsenic a carcinogen for?
skin carcinoma
what kind of cancer is radium a carcinogen for?
osteosarcoma
what kind of cancer is benzene a carcinogen for?
acute Leukemia
Who was the first to look into carcinogens and how did they do this?
Yamigawa in 1915
he put coal extracts on rabbit ears and noted this led to the formation of skin cancer. He then identified the causative agent in the coal tar that was causing this
How many Human Cancers can be accounted for by Viral infection?
12% of Human cancers
What is the name of the gene in the Rous sarcoma Virus that leads to the formation of tumours in chickens?
the gene for the protein called SARC
