Health Science - Cancer

Question 1

2 Common features of cancer

Answer 1

Uncontrolled growth and life threatening

Question 2

Definition - Proliferation

Answer 2

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

Question 3

Definition - Differentiation

Answer 3

When early cells give rise to specialised cells

Question 4

Definition - Growth

Answer 4

Any collection of hyper proliferative disorders

Question 5

Definition - Neoplasm

Answer 5

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

Question 6

Definition - Tumour

Answer 6

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

Question 7

Definition - Malignant

Answer 7

Property of cancer cells to invade surrounding tissue

Question 8

Definition - Metastasis

Answer 8

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

Question 9

Definition - Cancer

Answer 9

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

Question 10

Definition - Benign

Answer 10

A confined growth that is not malignant

Question 11

Features of benign Vs malignant growths in edges

Answer 11

B- encapsulated M- irregular, not encapsulated

Question 12

Definition - Carcinogenesis

Answer 12

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

Question 13

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

Answer 13

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

Question 14

Definition - Angiogenesis

Answer 14

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)

Question 15

Cancers characterised by an onset in childhood

Answer 15

Cancer of the eye and leukaemia

Question 16

Geography Influences on Cancer

Answer 16

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

Question 17

Lifestyle Influences on Cancer

Answer 17

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

Question 18

How are cancers generated

Answer 18

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.

Question 19

Definition - Repressor gene

Answer 19

A gene whose protein product inhibits a cell function.

Question 20

Definition - Oncogene

Answer 20

A gene whose protein product contributes to carcinogenesis

Question 21

Definition - Proto-oncogene

Answer 21

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

Question 22

Epidemiology

Answer 22

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

Question 23

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

Answer 23

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.

Question 24

Effects of Cancer Cells using Glycolysis/Anaerobic Respiration

Answer 24

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.

Question 25

Factors that alter the risk of developing cancer

Answer 25

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

Question 26

3 subcategories of epidemiology

Answer 26

Descriptive epidemiology, analytical epidemiology, molecular epidemiology

Question 27

Descriptive Epidemiology

Answer 27

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

Question 28

Analytical Epidemiology

Answer 28

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

Question 29

Increasing/Reducing Risk of Breast cancer

Answer 29

REDUCING RISK : Having children

Question 30

What is cotinine

Answer 30

A metabolite of nicotine which indicates exposure to tobacco carcinogen

Question 31

Molecular Epidemiology

Answer 31

Combines epidemiology methods with molecular analysis to help determine carinogenic events

Question 32

Smoking

Answer 32

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

Question 33

What are free radicals and what do they do?

Answer 33

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

Question 34

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

Answer 34

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.

Question 35

Examples of antioxidants

Answer 35

Vitamins A, C, E and polyphenols

Question 36

Diet - Cancer

Answer 36

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

Question 37

Benefits of carotenoids

Answer 37

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.

Question 38

What's another name for Vitamin A

Answer 38

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

Question 39

Another name for Vitamin C

Answer 39

Ascorbic Acid

Question 40

Another name for vitamin E

Answer 40

Tocopherol

Question 41

The 2 classes of plant Phenols and how they affect cancers

Answer 41

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.

Question 42

How MAY fibre protect against cancer in the GI tract

Answer 42

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

Question 43

High meat consumption is linked to what kind of cancers?

Answer 43

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

Question 44

To reduce risk of cancer? (food related)

Answer 44

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

Question 45

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

Answer 45

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

Question 46

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

Answer 46

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

Question 47

High alcohol consumption increases risk of what types of cancer?

Answer 47

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

Question 48

Influence of low fat diet on prostate cancer risk

Answer 48

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

Question 49

Influence of obesity in women on risk of breast cancer

Answer 49

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

Question 50

What kind of therapies are used to treat breast cancer?

Answer 50

Oestrogen therapies such as tamoxifen are used to treat breast cancer

Question 51

What childhood cancers are genetic trait effected?

Answer 51

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