General Flashcards
definition of a cancer cell?
abnormal cell with ability to divide without control AND invade nearby tissues
what are the 4 most common cancers?
- lung
- breast
- bowel
- prostate
what are the red flag symptoms for all cancers?
lethargy
night sweats
unintentional weight loss
decreased exercise tolerance
where do carcinomas begin?
skin or tissues that line or cover internal organs
where do sarcomas begin?
connective tissue (bone, cartilage, fat, muscle, blood vessels)
where do leukaemia begin?
blood forming tissue e.g. bone marrow
where do lymphoma and myeloma begin?
immune system (lymphatics)
what 4 gene mutations can cause driver mutations?
proto-oncogenes
tumour suppressor genes
DNA repair genes
genes that regulate apoptosis
what is the difference between cancer staging and grading?
staging: measures where the cancer has spread to
grading: measures how closely it resembles the cell of origin
which staging system is commonly used?
TNM staging
what do the TNM staging measure?
T - primary tumour (0-4)
N - local lymph nodes (0-3)
M - distant metastatic spread (0-1)
which cancers are currently screened for?
- cervical
- breast
- bowel
What is Lynch syndrome and what cancer is at increased risk?
mutation in DNA MMR gene
increased risk of colorectal cancer
What is FAP and what cancer is at increased risk?
familial adenomatous polyposis
mutation on APC gene
increased risk of colorectal cancer
What is Li-Fraumani syndrome and what cancer is at increased risk?
mutation of TP53 tumour suppressor gene
increased breast and lung cancer
