intro to cancer Flashcards
Invasive cancer
regulation in lost cancer cells, they grow, divide and survive in an uncontrolled manner spreading throughout the body interfering with function of normal tissues and organs
Cancer
uncontrolled growth and inappropriate survival
invasive
when spreads throughout the body
what are 2 causes of cancer
DNA damaging exposures- mutations in stem cells- cancer
Modulators of risk- genetics, diet and immune system
Clonal
a genetic disease at the cellular level
Progression
single change can result in normal cells to benign tumour to malignant, metastatic tumour.
Role of environmental factors
diet, viruses and chemicals
8 Characteristics of cancer cells
-large variable shaped nuclei
-small cytoplasmic volume
-variation in cell size and shape
-disorganised arrangement of cells
-loss of normal specialised features
-elevated expression of certain cell markers
-large number of dividing cells
-poorly defined tumor boundaries
Tumour
abnormal proliferation(growth) of cells
Benign tumour
remain confined to original locals doesn’t spread throughout the body
Malignant tumour
capable of invading surrounding normal tissue and spreads throughout the body via circulatory or lymphatic systems(metastasis
3 main groups
Sacromas
Leukaemia
Homeostasis
Sarcomas
solid tumours of connective tissue- arise from muscle, bone , cartilage
Leukaemia and lymphomas
arise from blood forming cells and cells of immune system
Homeostasis
there will be a balance of normal cell division and apoptosis
Cancer
Tumour- increased cell division and normal apoptosis or can be the other way round.
8 characteristics of Cancer cells
- Density-dependent inhibition
- Autocrine growth stimulation
- Less cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions
- secrete proteases that digest extracellular matrix
- Angiogenesis-can invade tissues surrounding – need blood supply because they are growing and can make blood vessels
- don’t differentiate normally
- fail to undergo apoptosis
- Resistance to radiation and chemotherapy-DNA damage
- capacity for unlimited replication - Telomerase
what does cancer cells not being density dependent inhibition mean?
dont respond to signals that cause normal cells to cease proliferation but continue to grow in high cell densities. In cancer cells the epithelial cells will grow and pile up on each other.
Autocrine growth stimulation
where cancer secretes its own growth factors
6 Hallmarks of cancer
Sustaining proliferating signalling- don’t recognise Hayflick limit
-evade growth suppressors
-activating invasion and metastasis
-enabling replicating mortality
-inducing angiogenesis
-resisting cell death
what do the six hallmarks of cancer allow ?
allow the cancerous cells to spread to the body
3 steps of cancer
1.initiation
2.proliferating
3.invasion
Initiation
in the epithelial cells starts off with one cell being mutated or changed. It then has a survival advantage and increases
Progression
so then there is an adenoma in a benign shape- starts growing and proliferating. When breaking its surroundings it releases enzymes -breaks surrounding of tumour and spreads and advance invades its surrounding tissues and starts to circulate in the blood circulation
invasion
that’s how it starts to break surrounding and releases enzymes to then break the surrounding of the tumour
route cells use for metastasis
1.haematopiesis: using blood vessels or circulation for example sarcomas and carcinoma e.g thyroid cancer is spread through blood circulation
how cancer is spread in metastasis
body surfaces , body cavities
Newplasia-
term for new growth
4 Stages in carcinoma development
1.initial transformed cell
2.epithelial dysplasia
3.carcinoma in situ
4.invasive carcinoma
epithelial dysplasia
stages multiple -not cancer yet but there is dysplasia which is a change in the epithelial cells. This is where patient can be given medication. Potentially be benign
Carcinoma in situ
if it doesn’t get treated in the previous stage it will lead to this but can be treated
invasive carcinoma
this where it is cancer- due to proliferation and change in structure
4 different cancer screenings
Mammography with x rays of woman breasts
Blood samples
Endoscopy all to look into tissues with a scope
Biopsy and blood
Cancer diagnosis
extracting genetic information of cancer biopsy- helps to diagnose and treat cancer in any one individual
Biopsy
surgical removal of small piece of small piece of tissue for microscopic examination
Microarrays
determine which genes are turned on or off in sample
Proteomic profiles
analysis of protein activity
Cervical cancer screening
dysplasia -changes in tissue appearance
2 different types of smear test
1.normal Pap smear
2.abnormal Pap smear-patients can be alerted that changes in the epithelial cells undergo colposcopy
Surgery
best of curing -lump or tumour found before it spreads can be cut out
Radiotherapy
if location of cancer is identified it can shine radiation there -killing rapidly prolierferating cells and damage surrounding cells but there are side effects
Chemotherapy
give into blood stream -toxic and has other effects on non-cancer cells
what are the effects of chemotherapy
Effects-hair loss, immune suppression, bone marrow suppression
3 Preventative measures of cancer
1.genetic risk assessment 2.vaccine
3.drugs
Diagnosis
biomarker, new tests and screening
Prognosis
personalised therapy -not all patients respond to drugs in same way
Therapy
invasive surgery, robotics
Targeted drugs
antibodies , small molecules-this correct the tumour and see which drug is useful for it
Biological therapies
gene therapy and immunotherapy
why is it better to combine gene therapy and target drug therapy?
is better to target that way to combine with historical treatment -make more effective.
