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My Notes > Health Science - Cancer > Flashcards

Health Science - Cancer Flashcards

1
Q

2 Common features of cancer

A

Uncontrolled growth and life threatening

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2
Q

Definition - Proliferation

A

The process of cell growth and cell division leading to expansion of the cell population

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3
Q

Definition - Differentiation

A

When early cells give rise to specialised cells

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4
Q

Definition - Growth

A

Any collection of hyper proliferative disorders

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5
Q

Definition - Neoplasm

A

General term used to describe new growthwithout defining the characteristics of that growth

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6
Q

Definition - Tumour

A

General term used to describe any abnormal growth - tumour can be malignant or benign

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7
Q

Definition - Malignant

A

Property of cancer cells to invade surrounding tissue

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8
Q

Definition - Metastasis

A

The process by which cancer cells escape to other regions of the body

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9
Q

Definition - Cancer

A

Unregulated growth that is invasive and capable of spreading from site of origin to a different site or organ

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10
Q

Definition - Benign

A

A confined growth that is not malignant

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11
Q

Features of benign Vs malignant growths in edges

A

B- encapsulated M- irregular, not encapsulated

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12
Q

Definition - Carcinogenesis

A

The process by which cancers are generated - a multi-step mechanism. This results from an accumulation of errors in vital regulatory pathways. There is no control of cell growth

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13
Q

Why are you more likely to get cancer as you get older?

A

The longer one lives, the more likely for genetic errors that generate cancer

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14
Q

Definition - Angiogenesis

A

The growth of new blood vessels in a cancer - new blood vessels are essential if a tumour is to survive (bv give nutrients and oxygen to tumour)

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15
Q

Cancers characterised by an onset in childhood

A

Cancer of the eye and leukaemia

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16
Q

Geography Influences on Cancer

A

Breast and prostate cancer are vcommon in Western countries while cancers of the stomach and cervix are more prevalent in China

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17
Q

Lifestyle Influences on Cancer

A

Occupational cancers, diet, hormonal proliferation stimuli, carcinogens in cigarettes

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18
Q

How are cancers generated

A

By changes in genes that have a role in controlling cell growth. These gene changes cause changes in cell signalling pathways with the end result being uncontrolled growth.

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19
Q

Definition - Repressor gene

A

A gene whose protein product inhibits a cell function.

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20
Q

Definition - Oncogene

A

A gene whose protein product contributes to carcinogenesis

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21
Q

Definition - Proto-oncogene

A

A gene present in normal cell that can as a result of a mutation become an oncogene.

22
Q

Epidemiology

A

The stidy of disease distribution in human populations. Involves the conmparisons of different groups of people.

23
Q

2 Strategies that cancer cells can use to make energy from sugar molecules in the tumor environment

A

1) Aerobic Respiration - cells use both sugar molecules and oxygen to make energy
2) Glycolysis - cells without access to oxygen (anaerobic) use sugars to make energy - much less energy than aerobic respiration.

24
Q

Effects of Cancer Cells using Glycolysis/Anaerobic Respiration

A

Does not make as much energy as AR, cells that use glycolysis release toxic lactic acid and the buildup of this toxin kills nearby healthy cells - clears healthy cells and makes room for cancer cells. Can only occur if many cells use glycolysis.

25
Q

Factors that alter the risk of developing cancer

A

Smoking, diet, sex hormones, increasing age, family history

26
Q

3 subcategories of epidemiology

A

Descriptive epidemiology, analytical epidemiology, molecular epidemiology

27
Q

Descriptive Epidemiology

A

Records of peoples health and cause of death, correlate events such as time of first detection or death from a specific cancer with personal details like age, sex and race. Can give data that i) Changes with time- indicates something is happening that needs to be solved and ii) Geography - compares incidence rates in relation to race or geoghraphical location

28
Q

Analytical Epidemiology

A

Is the comparison of two or more groups of people with different characteristics - this generates a number called the relative risk which indicates the risk associated with a given factor- Risk factor identified or measured by comparing populations of people who have a given cancer with healthy people or people exposed to an environment vs people who are unexposed

29
Q

Increasing/Reducing Risk of Breast cancer

A

REDUCING RISK : Having children

30
Q

What is cotinine

A

A metabolite of nicotine which indicates exposure to tobacco carcinogen

31
Q

Molecular Epidemiology

A

Combines epidemiology methods with molecular analysis to help determine carinogenic events

32
Q

Smoking

A

Over 40 potent carcinogens in Tobacco e.g benzopyrene and nitrosamines (e.g dimethylnitosamine).
There’s a dose response relationship between the no. of cigarettes smoked and the increased lung cancer risk.
There is a synergistic effecr of smoking and alcohol consumption in certain cancers e.g mouth, oesophageal, larynx cancer

33
Q

What are free radicals and what do they do?

A

Free radicals are atoms, molecules or ions with unpaired electrons. They are highly reactive and take part in chemical reactions.
Play important role in biological RXNs e.g killing of bacteria by neutrophils.
Superoxide and hydroxyl radicals can participate in unwanted side RXNs resulting in cell damage

34
Q

What role do Free radicals play in cancer and how does the body minimise free radicals

A

Many cancers result from reactions between free radicals and DNA which results in mutations that can affect the cell cycle and lead to malignancy.
Body uses enzymes (superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) to minimise free radical induced cell damage and repair damage that does occur.
Also antioxidants play role in neutralising certain free radicals.

35
Q

Examples of antioxidants

A

Vitamins A, C, E and polyphenols

36
Q

Diet - Cancer

A

Fruit and vegetables are protective against several cancers as contain fibre, complex phenols and micronutrients (carotenoids and Vitamins A,C,E) - linked with low animal fat consumption
An Eastern diet - rich in plant products contains beneficial ingredients
Fat rich Western diet - opposite effect
Mediterranean diet - good - high content of fruit and veg, red wine (phenols), complex carbs together with low saturated fat content

37
Q

Benefits of carotenoids

A

Present in many plants and are
1)Rich in antioxidants
2)And a precursor of Vitamin A which promotes cellular differentiation and hinders cellular proliferation.

38
Q

What’s another name for Vitamin A

A

Retinol (Plamz derived vitamins along with C and E- have antioxidant properties)

39
Q

Another name for Vitamin C

A

Ascorbic Acid

40
Q

Another name for vitamin E

A

Tocopherol

41
Q

The 2 classes of plant Phenols and how they affect cancers

A

1) Lignans - metabolised by gut micro flora to phenols.
2) Isoflavones - found in soya products with oestrogen like receptors

Posses specific beneficial effects on those cancers requiring sex hormones as the phenols antagonise the mitogenic (stimulates mitosis) effect of the natural sex hormone oestradiol.

42
Q

How MAY fibre protect against cancer in the GI tract

A

1.Fibre might help to inactivate carcinogens
2.Fibre might alter the profile of the gut micro flora
3.High fibre diet is often associated by a low fat consumption

43
Q

High meat consumption is linked to what kind of cancers?

A

Colon cancer and possibly breast, prostate, pancreatic and kidney cancers

44
Q

To reduce risk of cancer? (food related)

A

Reduce fat consumption (especially of animal origin as saturated fatty acids and high cholesterol) and switch to fruit and veg

45
Q

Why does obesity increase risk of cancer and which kind of cancers does it promote?

A

Fat cells can synthesise the mitogenic steroid oestradiol that triggers hyper proliferation
Increased risk for breast and uterine cancers in women due to effect on production of this female sex hormone oestradiol

46
Q

What micronutrient increases risk of cancer and which decreases risk of cancer?

A

A high salt intake increases risk of stomach cancer.
High selenium or calcium consumption may be protective against cancer.

47
Q

High alcohol consumption increases risk of what types of cancer?

A

Breast, colon, liver and upper GI cancers
Smoking and alcohol have a synergistic effect in cancers of the mouth, oesophagus and larynx

48
Q

Influence of low fat diet on prostate cancer risk

A

Decreases the level of androgen testosterone and is associated with low prostate cancer risk

49
Q

Influence of obesity in women on risk of breast cancer

A

Increases oestrogen synthesis which increases growth factors that stimulate proliferation of cells and increase risk of breast cancer

50
Q

What kind of therapies are used to treat breast cancer?

A

Oestrogen therapies such as tamoxifen are used to treat breast cancer

51
Q

What childhood cancers are genetic trait effected?

A

Rare tumours such as retinoblastoma (eye) or Wilms tumour (kidney)

My Notes (6 decks)

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