Exam 1 Oncology - Mabe

Question 1

Hyperplasia

Answer 1

an increase in organ or tissue size due to an increase in number of cells

Question 2

Metaplasia

Answer 2

an adaptive substitution of one type of adult tissue to another type

Question 3

Dysplasia

Answer 3

an abnormal cellular proliferation where there is loss of normal architecture

Question 4

Anaplasia

Answer 4

A loss of structural differentiation
Cells de-differentiate

Question 5

Carcinoma

Answer 5

malignant neoplasm of squamous epithelial cell origin

Question 6

Adenocarcinoma

Answer 6

malignant neoplasm derived from glandular tissue

Question 7

Sarcoma

Answer 7

malignant neoplasm with origin in mesenchymal tissues (bone, muscle, fat)

Question 8

Lymphoma and Leukemia

Answer 8

malignant neoplasm of hematopoietic tissues (blood, white blood cells)

Question 9

Melanoma

Answer 9

type of cancer of pigment producing cells (melanocytes) in the skin or eye

Question 10

Blastoma

Answer 10

malignancies in precursor cells (blasts) which are more common in children

Question 11

Teratoma

Answer 11

A germ cell neoplasm made of several different differentiated cell/tissue types

Question 12

Define TX, NX, and MX

Answer 12

TX: primary tumor cannot be evaluated
NX: regional lymph nodes cannot be evaluated
MX: distant metastasis cannot be evaluated

Question 13

Define T0, N0, and M0

Answer 13

T0: no evidence of primary tumor
N0: no regional lymph node involvement
M0: no distant metastasis

Question 14

T/F: A well-differentiated tumor is spreads slower than a poorly differentiated tumor

Answer 14

True

Question 15

What is the difference between a benign tumor and cancer?

Answer 15

A benign tumor and cancer both involve uncontrolled cellular growth, but cancer also indicates tissue invasion and metastasis

Question 16

If a tumor in the brain originates from the breast, is it considered a brain or breast cancer?

Answer 16

Breast cancer

Question 17

Define proto-oncogene

Answer 17

Any gene in a healthy cell capable of promoting tumor growth

Question 18

T/F: Carcinogen-induced cancers have very high mutation rates.

Answer 18

True

Question 19

Do tumors of the same classification have a unifying genetic “driver”?

Answer 19

They can but often do not

Question 20

What type of gene is BRCA1/BRCA2?

Answer 20

Tumor suppressor genes - they encode for proteins involved in DNA repair

Question 21

BRCA mutations in breast cancer ________ susceptibility to PARP inhibitors
(hint: PARP inhibitors are primarily used in cancers with BRCA1/2 mutations)

Answer 21

increase

Question 22

How do PARP inhibitors work?

Answer 22

They trap PARP in the DNA so it’s unable to uncouple from the DNA and therefore leads to cell death

Question 23

Olaparib drug class

Answer 23

PARP inhibitor

Question 24

The cell cycle clock is driven by what?

Answer 24

Cyclins paired with cyclin-dependent kinases (CDKs)

Question 25

What is the R point?

Answer 25

time when cells decide whether or not to enter the cell cycle after G1

Question 26

Cyclin __ and CDK ____/_____ are master regulators of cell cycle initiation

Answer 26

Cyclin D
CDK 4/6

Question 27

Palbociclib drug class

Answer 27

CDK 4/6 kinase inhibitor

Question 28

Hormonal therapies are primarily targeting _________ in breast and endometrial cancer and ____________________ in prostate cancer.

Answer 28

estradiol
dihydrotestosterone

Question 29

What are the two major strategies of anti-endocrine therapy?

Answer 29

1. stop steroid receptor function
2. decrease production of steroids

Question 30

What are the four subtypes of breast cancer?

Answer 30

1. Luminal A (ER+, PR+)
2. Luminal B (ER+)
3. HER2+
4. Triple negative

Question 31

What type of therapy will most likely be used for a luminal A breast cancer?

Answer 31

Endocrine therapy

Question 32

What is the most common reason for resistance to multiple chemotherapies at once?

Answer 32

Drug transport out of cell

Question 33

Tamoxifen is a prodrug that is metabolized to ________________ by CYP __________

Answer 33

4-hydroxy tamoxifen
CYP2D6

Question 34

T/F: SERMs (i.e. tamoxifen) are effective in both pre- and postmenopausal women.

Answer 34

True

Question 35

Which drug has both agonist and antagonist effects: tamoxifen or fulvestrant?

Answer 35

Tamoxifen

Question 36

Where does tamoxifen exhibit antagonist effects?

Answer 36

Brain

Question 37

Where does tamoxifen exhibit agonist effects?

Answer 37

Bone, endometrium

Question 38

What is the primary indication for tamoxifen?

Answer 38

resected and metastatic ER+/PR+ breast cancer