Introduction

Question 1

After heart disease, what is the single largest cause of death in the UK and most countries of the developed world?

Answer 1

Cancer

Question 2

After heart disease, what is the single largest cause of death in the UK and most countries of the developed world?

Answer 2

Cancer

Question 3

How many people will suffer from cancer at some point in their life in the UK?

Answer 3

> 1 in 3

Question 4

How many people will die from cancer in the UK?

Answer 4

> 1 in 4

Question 5

What percentage of deaths in the UK are caused by cancer?

Answer 5

27%

Question 6

Which 4 cancer are responsible for the most deaths in the UK?

Answer 6

22% - lung cancer
10% - colorectal cancer
16% (women) - breast cancer
13% (men) - prostate cancer

Question 7

How many different types of cancer are there?

Answer 7

> 200, but most are very rare

Question 8

Are survival rates for different cancers the same?

Answer 8

No, they vary

Question 9

Are cancer survival rates improving?

Answer 9

Yes, steadily

Question 10

Overall, cancer deaths fell by what percentage between 1978 and 2007?

Answer 10

19%

Question 11

What does the fall in cancer deaths reflect?

Answer 11

Improved early diagnosis as well as improved treatments

Question 12

Can cancers be ‘cured’?

Answer 12

Some cancers can whereas others cannot

Question 13

In some cancers, e.g. testicular and ovarian cancer, survival rates relative to the general population are the same after..

Answer 13

..10 years or after 5 years, hence life expectancy is the same
(This is not true of other cancers, e.g. prostate or breast cancer)

Question 14

Is cancer an age-related disease?

Answer 14

Yes

Question 15

Cancer is a disease predominantly of older people. What percentage of cases are over 60 years old?

Answer 15

74%

Question 16

What percentage of cancer cases are in children ages 0-14 years?

Question 17

In the 15-24 year age group, how many cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2006?

Answer 17

1875

Most common are lymphoma, testicular cancer, melanoma and leukaemia

Question 18

What are the 2 ways in which we can combat cancer?

Answer 18

Prevention and treatment

Question 19

How many people will suffer from cancer at some point in their life in the UK?

Answer 19

> 1 in 3

Question 20

How many people will die from cancer in the UK?

Answer 20

> 1 in 4

Question 21

What percentage of deaths in the UK are caused by cancer?

Answer 21

27%

Question 22

Which 4 cancer are responsible for the most deaths in the UK?

Answer 22

22% - lung cancer
10% - colorectal cancer
16% (women) - breast cancer
13% (men) - prostate cancer

Question 23

How many different types of cancer are there?

Answer 23

> 200, but most are very rare

Question 24

Are survival rates for different cancers the same?

Answer 24

No, they vary

Question 25

Are cancer survival rates improving?

Answer 25

Yes, steadily

Question 26

Overall, cancer deaths fell by what percentage between 1978 and 2007?

Answer 26

19%

Question 27

What does the fall in cancer deaths reflect?

Answer 27

Improved early diagnosis as well as improved treatments

Question 28

Can cancers be 'cured'?

Answer 28

Some cancers can whereas others cannot

Question 29

In some cancers, e.g. testicular and ovarian cancer, survival rates relative to the general population are the same after..

Answer 29

..10 years or after 5 years, hence life expectancy is the same (This is not true of other cancers, e.g. prostate or breast cancer)

Question 30

Is cancer an age-related disease?

Answer 30

Yes

Question 31

Cancer is a disease predominantly of older people. What percentage of cases are over 60 years old?

Answer 31

74%

Question 32

What percentage of cancer cases are in children ages 0-14 years?

Question 33

In the 15-24 year age group, how many cases of cancer were diagnosed in 2006?

Answer 33

1875 | Most common are lymphoma, testicular cancer, melanoma and leukaemia

Question 34

How many cases of pre-invasive cervical carcinoma are diagnosed in young women (15-24 years) each year through smear testing?

Answer 34

~4000

Question 35

What are the 2 ways in which we can combat cancer?

Answer 35

Prevention and treatment

Question 36

What is the advantage of rational drug discovery?

Answer 36

It allows treatment to be tailored to the specific tumour of a specific patient 'stratified or personalised medicine'

Question 37

How many cancer deaths are linked to smoking?

Answer 37

1 in 4

Question 38

What percentage of lung cancer deaths are linked to smoking?

Answer 38

>80%

Question 39

Which of the 4 big cancers has one of the lowest 5 year survival rates (6%)?

Answer 39

Lung cancer

Question 40

What cancers (other than lung cancer) is smoking also linked to?

Answer 40

Mouth, throat, liver, bladder etc.

Question 41

Smoking is also a serious risk factor for what other diseases?

Answer 41

Heart disease and stroke

Question 42

How many people has smoking killed in the last 50 years?

Answer 42

>6 million

Question 43

What are the 3 causes of cancer?

Answer 43

Lifestyle Infectious agents Genetics

Question 44

Give some examples of lifestyle causes of cancer

Answer 44

``` Smoking Obesity/poor diet Sunlight Lack of exercise Occupational exposure ```

Question 45

Give some examples of infectious agents that cause cancer

Answer 45

Hepatitis viruses - liver cancer Papillomaviruses - cervical cancer Helicobacter pylori - stomach cancer

Question 46

What is meant by the genetic causes of cancer?

Answer 46

Inherited predispositions

Question 47

When we fail to prevent cancer, how can we treat cancer?

Answer 47

Surgery Radiotherapy Chemotherapy

Question 48

What does the current chemotherapy do and what is the aim for future chemotherapeutics?

Answer 48

Current - chemotherapeutics that kill dividing cells | Future - targeted drugs that selectively kill cancer cells

Question 49

What are the two types of cancer drug discovery?

Answer 49

Empirical drug discovery (chemotherapeutic compounds) | Rational drug discovery (targeted compounds)

Question 50

Define empirical drug discovery

Answer 50

Screen small molecule drug libraries against tumour models, e.g in a mouse

Question 51

What is the disadvantage of empirical drug discovery?

Answer 51

We often don't know what the molecular target is, making it hard to determine which patients will benefit the most

Question 52

Define rational drug discovery

Answer 52

Screen small molecule drug libraries against a specific protein that plays a direct role in cancer progression

Question 53

What is the advantage of rational drug discovery?

Answer 53

It allows treatment to be tailored to the specific tumour of a specific patient 'stratified or personalised medicine'