Lecture 1 Flashcards
Ch.1 The nature of caner
What is the definition of the word Incidence?
The number of new cases registered within a certain period (usually per 100 000 to normalize)
What is it called when the incidence is normalized?
The crude incidence rate
What is the definition of the word Prevalence?
All people that are diagnosed with cancer who are still alive to date (eg the 5-year prevalence)
What is the definition of the word Mortality?
The number of patients that died due to cancer within a certain time period
What is the definition of the word Survival?
The percentage of people that are still alive at a certain period after diagnosis. Correct for the expected death (eg age)
Why does skin cancer have an increasing incidence now?
Because it was fashionable in the past to be tan (thus not use sunscreen)
Why is there a lower mortality of cancer even though there is an increasing incidence?
As there is better treatment and early diagnosis.
What is the clinical definition of cancer?
A group of diseases, characterised by uncontrolled growth, invasion and formation of metastases
What type of tumor is considered cancer?
Only malignant tumors
What makes a malignant tumor life threatening?
When it invades organs and disturbs organ function. Cancer cells compete with healthy cells for energy and oxygen. Growing tumors cause obstruction
Where does a carcinoma originate from?
From epithelium (is 85% of all cancers)
Where does an adenocarcinoma originate from?
From glandular tissue
Where does a sarcoma originate from?
From mesodermal tissue (eg bone, muscle)
Where does a lymphoma originate from?
From white blood cell (progenitors)
Why do carcinoma’s have such a high incidence?
Because they are the most exposed to carcinogens (which cause cancer)
Is cancer clonal or heterogenous?
Cancer is clonal at the start, but heterogenous at the end due to accumulating mutations
Can cancer be inherited?
No, but you can inherit a higher chance to get it.
Why is there a higher chance of cancer when you are older?
As accumulation of mutations is needed, as well as chance and time, and also there is a higher incidence due to longer life expectancy
What are the 10 hallmarks of cancer?
Sustain proliferative signaling
Evade growth suppressor
Activate invasion and metastasis
Enable replicative immortality
Induce angiogenesis
Resist cell death
Avoid immune destruction
Deregulate cellular energetics
Tumor-promoting inflammation
Genome instability and mutation
What does a tumor consist of?
Of cancer cells, fibroblasts, immune cells and endothelial cells (vessels)
What are characteristics of cancer cells that can differentiate them from healthy cells?
They have a different morphology (de-differentiate), grow at low serum concentration, no/decreased contact inhibition, grow without substrate for attachment
What does your own metabolism have to do with cancer?
It can also give a higher risk of cancer
What does it mean when a drug is cytostatic?
It prevents cell division
What does it mean when a drug is cytotoxic?
It kills cancer cells
What are the limitations of chemo?
There are adverse events on healthy tissues, the therapeutic index/window is small
What is the efficacy of current drugs (low/high)?
It’s low, meaning that only a small proportion of patients has benefits from the drugs
How is personalized medicine used in cancer drugs?
You want to know the genetic background of cancer cells to decide which drugs to use
