Introduction to Cancer Flashcards
What is cancer?
Cancer is uncontrolled cell growth due to mutations.
What is the difference between benign and malignant tumors?
Benign tumors do not spread, while malignant tumors invade and metastasize.
Which type of cells divide continuously?
Skin cells, blood cells, and digestive tract lining cells.
What are oncogenes?
Genes that promote cell division when needed; mutations cause uncontrolled division.
What are tumor-suppressor genes?
Genes that slow down cell division and trigger cell death if errors are detected.
How does metastasis occur?
Cancer cells invade tissue, enter blood/lymph, and spread to other organs.
What are the main treatment options for cancer?
Surgery, chemotherapy, radiation, immunotherapy, anti-angiogenesis drugs.
What is the purpose of grading and staging cancer?
Determines aggressiveness, spread, guides treatment, and prognosis.
What does the TNM staging system represent?
T (tumor size), N (lymph node involvement), M (metastasis).
What is Stage IV cancer?
Cancer has spread to distant organs, making treatment more difficult.
What are the stages of cancer?
Stage 0: In situ, Stage I: Localized, Stage II-III: Lymph node involvement, Stage IV: Metastasis.
How does chemotherapy work?
Drug treatment that kills fast-growing cancer cells.
How does radiation therapy work?
Uses high-energy rays to damage DNA in cancer cells.
What is immunotherapy?
Boosts the immune system to recognize and fight cancer cells.
What is the role of anti-angiogenesis drugs?
Cuts off blood supply to cancer cells to prevent growth.
What are the risks of metastasis?
More difficult to treat, affects multiple organs, resistant to therapy.
Why is early cancer detection important?
Increases treatment success and survival rates.
What are the categories of cancer?
Carcinomas, sarcomas, leukemias, lymphomas, and central nervous system cancers.
What are the three phases of the cell cycle?
Interphase, mitosis, cytokinesis.
What are the main risk factors for cancer?
Genetics, lifestyle, environment, infections, and age.
