Hallmarks of cancer

Question 1

What are the 8 hallmarks of cancer?

Answer 1

1. Self-sufficiency in growth signals
2. Insensitivity to anti-growth signals
3. Evading apoptosis
4. Limitless replicative potential
5. Sustained angiogenesis
6. Invasion/metastasis
7. Deregulating cellular energetics
8. Immune evasion

Question 2

What mediates self-sufficiency in growth signals in cancer cells?

Answer 2

1. Receptor overexpression
2. Oncogenic mutation

Question 3

What mediates insensitivity to anti-growth signals?

Answer 3

Loss of tumor supressor genes

Question 4

How can cancer cells evade apoptosis?

Answer 4

Favouring anti-apoptotic factors over pro-apoptotic factors

Question 5

How can cancer cells replicate indefinitely?

Answer 5

Replicating problem -> telomeres shorten -> in cancer cells telomerase activity is upregulated

Question 6

How do cancer cells achieve more angiogenesis/vascularization?

Answer 6

By releasing pro-angiogenic factors

Question 7

How does invasion/metastasis happen?

Answer 7

Through the epithelial-mesenchymal transition

Question 8

How do cancer cells deregulate energetics/metabolism?

Answer 8

Cancer cells make use of glycolysis, including an increased uptake of glucose and glutamine. They need less oxygen. anaerobic glycolysis, this leads to increased lactase secretion.

Question 9

How do cancer cells evade the immune system?

Answer 9

They escape immune detection by secretion of immunosuppressive factors.