Fundamentals of cancer

Question 1

Dysplasia example

Answer 1

Abnormal moles (can turn into melanoma cancer if left untreated)

Question 2

List some cancer risk factors

Answer 2

Old age
Personal/family history of cancer 
Tobacco 
Obesity 
Alcohol 
Viral infections (HPV)
specific chemicals 
Exposure to radiation

Question 3

Example of carcinoma in situ

Answer 3

Breast ductal carcinoma in situ

Question 4

Major types of cancer (examples)

Answer 4

Carcinomas
lymphoma
melanoma
Sarcomas

Question 5

What are sarcomas?

Answer 5

Arise in bones, muscle, fat, blood

Question 6

What are lymphomas?

Answer 6

Blood cancers of the immune system develop when lymphocytes grow out of control.
Appear as solid tumours

Question 7

What are myelomas?

Answer 7

Blood cancers

antibody producing beta cells

Question 8

Cancer grading

Answer 8

the type of cells

Appearance of cancer cells & its similarity to normal cells

Question 9

Cancer stage

Answer 9

The extent of the cancer (e.g. size of tumour)
how far it is spread & where it originates

spread and size

Question 10

What are the 2 main types of staging systems for cancer?

Answer 10

The number system

TNM system

Question 11

The Number staging cancer system

Answer 11

Stage 0
Stage I - cancer is small
Stage II - cancer has grown
Stage III - cancer is large, may have spread to surrounding tissues A/or lymph nodes
Stage IV

Question 12

TNM staging system

Answer 12

Primary tumour (T) : (TX, T0, T1-4)
Regional lymph nodes (N) : (NX, N0, N1-3)
Distant metastasis (M) : (MX, M0, M1)

Question 13

What is Cancer?

Answer 13

A cellular disease caused by uncontrolled division of abnormal cells
(genetic disease caused by errors during cell division…DNA damage due to carcinogens)

Question 14

List the hallmarks of cancer

Answer 14

Inducing angiogenesis
Evading growth suppressors 
Sustaining proliferative signalling
Tissue invasion & metastasis 
Resisting cell death 
Enabling limitless replication

Question 15

What is the difference between benign and malignant tumours?

Answer 15

benign tumours are; small, slow-growing, non-invasive and stay localised
whereas
malignant tumours are; large, fast-growing, invasive and metastasize.

Question 16

What are carcinogens?

Answer 16

Substances, radiation, or radionuclides that promote the formation of cancer
by interacting with a cells DNA and inducing genetic mutations.

Question 17

What is hyperplasia?

Answer 17

An increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue (appears normal under the microscope)

Question 18

What is dsyplasia?

Answer 18

cells are abnormal under the microscope and histology (not cancer but can become cancer)

Question 19

Hyperplasia example

Answer 19

Prostatic hyperplasia

Question 20

What is carcinoma in situ?

Answer 20

abnormal cells found only in the place where first formed

usually referred to as stage 0 but not yet cancer

Question 21

The most common cancer treatments.

Answer 21

Chemotherapy, radiation & surgery

Question 22

Most common type of cancers?

Answer 22

Carcinomas

Question 23

What is carcinoma?

Where do they originate?

Answer 23

Carcinoma is a type of cancer that starts in cells that make up the skin or the tissue lining organs.
Originate in SKin, lungs, breast etc. forming solid tumours.

Question 24

What are sarcomas?

Answer 24

sarcoma is a type of tumour that develops in connective tissue, such as bone, cartilage or muscle, (soft-tissue)
They form solid tumours

Question 25

Melanomas

Answer 25

form solid tumours originating in the melanocytes

Question 26

Lymphomas

Answer 26

Are blood cancers (of the immune system)

Question 27

Leukaemia

Answer 27

blood cancers affecting the white blood cells (in bone marrow)

Question 28

Myeloma

Answer 28

Affects plasma cells in bone marrow

Question 29

Cancer diagnosis methods

Answer 29

X-rays, MRIs, CT, Biopsy