Lecture 1 Flashcards
hallmarks of cancer
self sufficiency in growth signals. insensitivity to growth inhibitory signals. evasion of apoptosis. limitless replicative potential. sustained angiogenesis. tisssue invasion and metastasis
cancer definition
cancer is a group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. if the spread is not controlled, it can result in death.
what leads to cancer immortality
it’s an evasion of senesence (and therefore apoptosis). their telomeres don’t shorten like other cells do which means they can divide indefinitely
timeline of cancer
through 16th century attributed to excess of ‘black bile”. in 17th century aselli suggested abnormalities in lymph system. 18th century oncology was born. 19th cancer cells were observed to be abnormal
two types of tumor
benign (non cancerous) and malignant (cancerous, spreads to other parts of body via metastasis)
metaplasia
you’re replacing one cell type with another cell type
dysplasia
a mature cell is replaced with a less mature cell
what’s another word for cancer
neoplasia (neo = new, plasia = tissue or cells)
what are suffixes for cancers
benign ends in “oma”. malignant ends in the type of cancer that it is e.g. sarcoma
what is in ectoderm germ layer
some epithelial, all nerve, salivary, mucous glands of nose and mouth
what is in endoderm germ layer
epithelial lining of digesive tract, liver paranchyma, lining of pharynx and respiratory tract, epithelium of bladder and urethra, sercetory glands of digestive tract
what is in mesoderm layer
muscles, fibrous tissue, bone and cartilage, fat and adipose tissue, blood and lymph, blood cells
which layer are the majority of cancer cells derived from
the endoderm (specifically the epithelial cells)
name two ways of cancer classification
by the type of tissue in which the cancer originates (histological type). or by primary site or location in body where the cancer first developed
name six major categories of cancer classification
carcinoma, sarcoma, myeloma, leukemia, lymphoma, and mixed types
carcinoma
malignant tumor of epithelial origin (80% of all cancers are carcinomas). typically present in skin linings, organs, glands etc.
adnocarcinoma
epithelial cell was in organ or gland
squamouscarcinoma
located in the squamous cell lining
sarcoma
cancer cell originated in connective tissue (muscle ligaments tendons or bones)
myeloma
cancers of the plasma cells of blood.
leukemia
cancers of bone marrow and blood. it’s a cancer of immune cells that are in your blood (white blood cells, lymphocytes etc.) can be called liquid cancer as they don’t form tumor, just an increase in disregulated immune cells
how was leukemia first cured
with the invention of bone marrow transplant
lymphoma
cancers of the lymph system.
mixed types cancer
it can’t really be defined by the other categories or it’s a combination of the other major categories
what do all staging systems try to do
measure how far the cancer has traveled from its origina tumor
what is tnm staging
t measures size of tumor, n represents number m represents are there tumors in other organs
in situ
stage 0 - presence of malignant cells with the cell group from which they arose
localized
stage 1 - malignancy limited to the organ of origin
regional
stage 2-5 - tumor extension beyond the limits of the organ of origin
distant
stage 7 - tumor cells that have traveled to other parts of the body and have begun tot grow at new location
unknown
stage 9 - cannot adequately determine the stage
what is grading
judged how different the cells are from what they originally rose from (what they were as normal cells)
how is cancer always defined
it is defined by its original tumor. if it metastisizes to other parts of the body it is still defined as the original location or cell type of tumor
