Introduction to Cancer Flashcards
What represents the smallest functional unit of our existence?
A cell
What 3 daily functions does the cell preform?
Metabolism, Reproduction, and Repair.
What regulates the process of cell performance?
DNA & RNA
What is Cancer?
Cancer is compromised of patient’s own cells that have gone abnormal.
What are the basic characteristics of cancer?
Uncontrolled division and growth even though they are not needed.
What mechanism does Cancer cells not contain?
They do not contain a turn over mechanism
Why do Cancer cells keep dividing?
They experience no Contact Inhibition (A signal for stopping production of cells)
When normal cells proliferate, they exhibit contact inhibition which creates what type of layer?
Monolayer.
When transformed or abnormal cells proliferate what causes contact inhibition?
Nectin and nectin-like molecules
What type of proteins do nectin or nectin-like molecules exhibit?
Glycoproteins
What is the primary job of Glycoproteins?
Cell to cell communication?
What biological structure/layer do abnormal cells exhibit do to contact inhibition?
Focus
What is confluence in petri-dish?
Refers to the number of cells covered in the culture dish.
What is the second leading cause of death in the US?
Cancer
How forms of cancers are there?
100 different forms
What is the most common group of skin cancer?
Skin Cancer (Ectodermal, Melanoma)
How many deaths are due to cancer ? (Ratio)
1:4
What is the number one Causes of Cancer in the US for Male and Female? (2019)
Male: Prostate
Female: Breast
What is the number one estimated cancer deaths in the US? (2019)
Lung & Bronchus
Does Tumor mean cancer?
NO
Where do tumors arise in the human body?
In the normal tissues/cells
Where can a tumor arise?
Anywhere in the trillion of cells in a human body (30-35 trillion)
True or False: Tumors bear many histological features that resemble normal tissue where they arise?
True
How are tumor masses cells distinguished by normal cells.
By organization, tumor masses are less organized than nearby tissue cells
Where do tumor masses congregate on a cell
The Storma of the cell
How does the storma of the cell crate a sanctuary for tumor cells?
The storma creates a micro-environment through macrophages.
What happens to the Nucleus of the an effected Tumor Cell?
The Nucleus becomes large
What are 5 Characteristics of Benign Tumor?
1) They are not cancerous
2) Cells in benign tumors do no spread to other parts of the body
3) They are often removed surgically
4) In most cases, they do not come back.
5) Not all tumors are lethal
What are 5 Characteristics of Malignant Tumors?
1) They are cancerous
2) They grow out of control
3) Malignant cells invaded nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body
4) After spread. they can continue to grow and form another tumor at that site (Metastasis or Secondary Cancer)
5) Metastases keeps the name of the original cancer location,
Does every malignant cell have secondary cancer?
No
How does Secondary Cancer occur/
The tumor nodules occur after a few years.