L70. Neoplasia 2

Question 1

Give the scientific name for atypical cells

Answer 1

Cellular atypica

Question 2

Give 2 types of genes important in carcinogenesis.

Answer 2

Oncogenes

tumour suppressor genes

Question 3

What does DNA damage result in?

Answer 3

Altered cell function

Question 4

Give the name of the normal genes which regulate growth factors/gene expression.

Answer 4

Proto-oncogenes

Question 5

What are proto-oncogenes called if they mutate?

Answer 5

Oncogenes

Question 6

Give the name of the proteins oncogenes produce.

Answer 6

Oncoproteins

Question 7

What is the impact of oncogenes on a gene?

Answer 7

Extra copies of a gene (excess normal product)

Question 8

How many affected genes do tumour suppressor genes require for a tumour to arise?

Answer 8

2 affected genes
.
.
T-umour = T-wo

Question 9

How many affected genes do oncogenes require for a tumour to arise?

Answer 9

Only 1 affected gene.

Question 10

Describe briefly the role of p53.

Answer 10

During the cell cycle, if the cell is found to be damaged at one of the checkpoints, p53 (a protein) is activated to send the cell into apoptosis.

Question 11

Describe the role of p53 in cancer.

Answer 11

In cancer, p53 is often missing or inactivated so apoptosis is not initiated.

Question 12

Give the 6 cancer cell hallmarks

Answer 12

1. Avoids apoptosis
2. creates own growth signals
3. insensitive to anti-growth signals
4. tissue invasion
5. limitless replication potential
6. access to blood vessels / angiogenesis

Question 13

What is metastasis?

Answer 13

Spread of malignant cells

Question 14

Describe how carcinomas spread.

Answer 14

Carcinomas spread firstly by lymph nodes, then by blood.

Question 15

How do sarcomas spread?

Answer 15

First in the blood, then in the lymph nodes.

Question 16

What are sarcomas malignancies of?

Answer 16

Connective tissue

Question 17

Tumour grading falls under which specialty?

Answer 17

Histopathology

Question 18

Describe how tumour grading allows the identification of disease progression

Answer 18

Under the microscope (histopathology), the more it resembles its origin, the better the prognosis.

Question 19

What classification does “tumour staging” fall under?

Answer 19

Clinical

Question 20

what is the purpose of tumour staging?

Answer 20

observation by image size determines the affected areas (eg lymph nodes)

Question 21

When grading malignant tumours, they show variation in nuclear/cell size and shape. Give the name for this.

Answer 21

Pleomorphism

Question 22

Give an example of histopathological pleomorphism

Answer 22

In mitosis, cells try to divide into 3 rather than 2

Question 23

What 3 letter pneumonic is used to assess oral cancer? What do the letters mean?

Answer 23

TNM
T- Tumour size
N- lymph node involvement
M- Presence of metastasis