Hematological Malignancies Flashcards
What chronic infection is associated with gastric MALT lymphoma?
Chronic Helicobacter pylori infection
Helicobacter pylori is a type of bacteria that can cause stomach infections.
What is the relationship between endemic Burkitt lymphoma and malaria?
Suggests an interplay between malaria, host immunity, and EBV infection
Endemic Burkitt lymphoma is often found in malaria-prone regions.
Which individuals have increased risk for hematological malignancies due to immunosuppression?
Individuals with HIV/AIDS, post-organ transplant patients, those on chronic immunosuppressive therapy
Immunosuppression can lead to higher susceptibility to various cancers.
What autoimmune disorders are associated with a higher risk of certain lymphomas?
Sjögren’s syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis
Autoimmune conditions can increase the risk of developing lymphomas.
What are proto-oncogenes?
Normal cellular genes that can become oncogenes through mutations or aberrant expression patterns
Oncogenes promote cancer when mutated or expressed at high levels.
What is a key feature of hematological malignancies compared to solid tumors?
High frequency of chromosomal translocations
Chromosomal translocations are a common genetic alteration in blood cancers.
Which oncogene is overexpressed in follicular lymphoma?
BCL-2
BCL-2 is involved in the suppression of apoptosis.
What role do tyrosine kinases play in hematological malignancies?
They are important mediators of intracellular signaling
Mutations in tyrosine kinases are targets of effective cancer therapies.
Name three common tyrosine kinases involved in hematological malignancies.
- ABL1 in CML
- JAK2 in myeloproliferative neoplasms
- FLT3 in AML
Tyrosine kinases are crucial for cell signaling and proliferation.
What is the most important tumor-suppressor gene altered in many hematological malignancies?
p53
p53 is a critical gene for regulating the cell cycle and preventing tumor formation.
What is clonal haematopoiesis?
Occurs when a hematopoietic stem cell gives rise to cells with the same genetic mutation
Clonal haematopoiesis increases the risk of developing malignancies.
What are the three possible results when a hematopoietic stem cell divides?
- Symmetrical division into two daughter stem cells
- Symmetrical division into two progenitor cells
- Asymmetrical division into a daughter cell and a progenitor cell
These division pathways can lead to different evolutionary pathways for malignant cells.
What happens to telomeres with each round of cell replication?
They decrease by approximately 200 base pairs of DNA
Telomeres protect chromosome ends but shorten with each cell division.
What enzyme do germ and stem cells contain to maintain telomere length?
Telomerase
Telomerase allows cells to continue proliferation by adding telomeric repeats.
List the types of genetic abnormalities seen in blood cancers.
- Point Mutations
- Translocations
- Deletions
- Duplications and amplifications
- Epigenetic alterations
- Micro RNAs
These genetic changes can contribute to the development of hematological malignancies.
What is a point mutation?
A small change in the DNA sequence
Point mutations can lead to significant changes in protein function.
What is a translocation in genetics?
When parts of two different chromosomes swap places
Translocations can create fusion genes that may lead to cancer.
Give an example of a fusion gene created by translocation.
BCR-ABL1 in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML)
This fusion gene results from a translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22.
What occurs during a deletion in genetics?
Part of a chromosome is lost
Deletions can remove essential genes, contributing to cancer development.
What is the significance of the 13q14 deletion in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)?
It removes a tumor-suppressor gene
This deletion is associated with the loss of critical regulatory functions in cells.
What are epigenetic alterations?
Changes that affect gene expression without altering the DNA sequence
Epigenetic changes can be inherited and contribute to cancer progression.
What role do microRNAs play in cancer?
They control gene activity and can be disrupted in cancer
Changes in microRNA function can lead to abnormal cell growth.
What types of hematological malignancies are there?
- Leukemia
- Lymphoma
- Myeloma
These types affect the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic system.
Name two subtypes of leukemia.
- Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML)
- Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL)
Leukemia is classified into acute and chronic forms based on the speed of progression.
