Lecture 1 - Overview and Introduction Flashcards
What kind of disease is cancer?
An aging disease
Who does cancer effect the most?
Older people
Why does cancer effect older people more? (4)
- Because their DNA repair system is not as good as it once was
- Need to get more exercise
- Hormone balance changes
- Lack of ability to maintain metabolism
What are 2 important contributors of cancer?
- Behaviour
2. Environment
What is a part of malignancy?
Metastasis
Define metastasis
The development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site of cancer
Define cancer
The disease caused by an uncontrolled division of abnormal cells in a part of the body
What is there an imbalance between in cancer? (2)
- Cell division
2. Cell death
Does size of a tumor have anything to do with malignancy?
No
What does size of a tumor have more to do with?
Behaviour
What is not a predictor of malignancy?
Size
What is cancer?
A collection of related disease of proliferation
What occurs in all types of cancer? (2)
- Cells dividing without stopping
2. Spreading to surrounding tissues
What is one important difference in cancer cells to normal cells?
Cancer cells are less specialized than normal cells
What does less specialized cause?
Change in patter to profliferation
What happens if you cant maintain pH? And what happens if that is maintain?
- It will change epithelial cells
2. It could cause an infection
What is 1 thing that can cause cells to proliferate and become unusual?
Change in environment
How does cancer typically begin?
Through different mutations that are crucial for the cells to proliferate
What hormone is important for proliferation?
Estrogen
What is the leading cause of death in Canada?
Cancer
Why is the leading cause of death different in every country?
Because the environment is different
What type of cancer is most common in Canada?
Leukemia
What is the major problem/ killer in the world?
Heart disease
What percentage do people in Canada die from cancer?
29.9%
What percentage do people in Canada die from heart disease?
19.7%
What percentage do people in Canada die from other possible incidences?
25.0%
What percentage do people in Canada die from cerebrovascular?
5.5%
What percentage do people in Canada die from chronic lower respiratory diseases?
4.6%
What percentage do people in Canada die from accidents?
4.4%
What percentage do people in Canada die from diabetes?
3.0%
What percentage do people in Canada die from alzheimers?
2.6%
What percentage do people in Canada die from influenza?
2.4%
What percentage do people in Canada die from suicide?
1.5%
What percentage do people in Canada die from kidney disease?
1.4%
Who is leukemia more common in?
Younger people
Many people thought cancer was what kind of disease, but were proven wrong?
A modern disease
Where in a child is there more chance for proliferation and why?
- In the bone
2. Because they are growing and have a high turn over rate
What percentage of Canadians will develop cancer in their lifetime?
40% (2 in 5)
How many Canadians will die from cancer in 2013?
75,500
What percentage Canadians will die of cancer?
25% (1 in 4)
How many Canadians will be diagnosed with cancer in 2013?
187,600
Define incidence
The occurrence, rate, or frequency of a disease, crime, or something else undesirable
What do people look at with incidence rate? (2)
- They look at the possible epidemics that could arise
2. Look at new cases of diseases
Define prevalence
Total accumulated number of cases that you are following
What happens to the incidence line as the population is changed and why?
It goes up, because aging is a big part of cancer
What is important in order to control caner?
Early detection
What are 3 reasons for a decrease in cancer motility?
- New diagnostics
- New treatment techniques
- at what cost though (eg. quality of life) - More information
What type of cancer is more prevalent in men than women, and why?
- Lung cancer
2. Males smoke more
What country is more prone to leukemia?
Canada
What country is more prone to colon cancer?
USA
What country is more prone to cervical cancer?
Brazil
What country is more prone to lung cancer?
UK
- Scotland
What country is more prone to liver cancer?
China
What country is more prone to stomach cancer?
Japan
What country is more prone to skin cancer?
Australia
What is an important factor with cancer?
Environment
What country is more prone to breast cancer?
Uruguay
What country is more prone to prostate cancer?
USA
Besides infection, what does cancer need in order to proliferate?
Stress
What happens if the stress and infection are left? (2)
- Becomes chronic
2. Leads to an increase risk for proliferation and cancer
Define tumor
Any abnormal growth (neoplasm) or mass of tissue which exceeds and is uncontrolled with that of the normal tissue and persists int eh same excessive manner after cessation of the stimuli which evoked the change
What are 2 types of tumors?
- Benign
2. Malignant
What are 7 traits for a benign tumor?
- Small nuclear size
- Low nuclear size to cytoplasmic volume ratio
- Regular nuclear shape
- Low mitotic index
- Normal tissue organization
- Well differentiated
- Well define tumor boundary
- encapsulated
What are 7 traits for malignant tumor?
- Large nuclear size
- High nuclear size to cytoplasmic volume ratio
- Irregular (pleomorphic) nuclear shape
- High mitotic index
- Disorganized tissues
- Poorly differentiated (anaplastic)
- Poorly define
- not encapsulated
In situ
Capsilated
Homogenous vs heterogenous cells
- Homo = same type of cells
2. Hetero = different type of cells
What is metastasis?
Is the process through which the cancer establishes itself to other sites
What allows cancer cells to get into the blood easier and move around faster?
Go through a change in differentiation
- de-differentiated
- develops a new motility/ transition
How are cancer cells transported to distant sites?
Circulatory system
Where does cancer go once it begins to spread?
To the lymph nodes
What leads cancer into stage 2?
Cancerous cells starting to swell and attracting WBCs
What are the 3 stages of metastasis?
- Cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and vessels
- Cancer cells are transported by the circulatory system to distant sites
- Cancer cells reinvade and grow at new locations
What happens if cancer spreads to the lungs?
The patient will more likely die of some kind of lung condition instead of the actual original cancer
At stage 0 what is the % of recovery?
100%
At stage 1 what is the % of recovery?
98%
At stage 2 what is the % of recovery?
88%
At stage 3A what is the % of recovery?
56%
At stage 3B what is the % of recovery?
49%
At stage 4 what is the % of recovery?
16%
What does stage 0 mean? (3)
- Non-invasive carcinoma in situ
- It is well incapsulated
- Extracellular matrix is still in place
What does stage 1 mean? (2)
- Invasive tumor < 2cm
2. No lymph nodes
What does stage 2 mean? (2)
- 5cm > tumor > 2cm or spread to the lymph nodes
2. Activating and exciting the immune system
What does stage 3A mean?
Tumor > 5cm or lymph nodes are clumping
What does stage 3B mean?
Any size tumor that has spread to skin, chest wall, or mammary lymph nodes
What does stage 4 mean?
Any invasive tumor that has spread beyond the breast and lymph nodes
What type of organs are breast and prostate organs?
Endocrine organs
Where do prostate cancers metastasize to?
To the bone
- pelvis is most common
Where do small cell lung cancers metastasize to?
To the brain
Where do neuroblastoma cancers metastasize to?
To the liver
Where do breast cancers metastasize to?
To the liver
What hormone is the prostate driven by?
Testosterone
What is the function of the liver?
It filters and removes a lot of macrophages
What are the 2 hypothesis for preferred?
- Seed and soil hypothesis
2. Capillary bed entrapment
What is the seed and soil hypothesis?
Certain tissues or organs are particularly favourable for the growth of some cancers
What is the capillary bed entrapment hypothesis?
Organ preference is a function of entrapment of cancer cells in the first capillary bed encountered
What are the 4 types of cell growth?
- Hypertrophy
- Hyperplasia
- Dysplasia
- Neoplasia
What is hypertrophy?
The enlargement of an organ or tissue from the increase in size of its cells
What happens to the cell size in hypertrophy?
It increases
What is the organization of hypertrophy?
Normal organization
Where does the stimuli come from for hypertrophy and is it reversible?
- External stimulus
2. Yes it is reversible
Hyperplasia
The enlargement of an organ or tissue caused by an increase in the preproduction rate of of its cells, often as an initial stage in the development of cancer
What happens to the cell number?
It increases
What is the organization of hyperplasia?
Normal organization
What happens if the infection for the cancer is not removed?
It becomes hyperplasia
Where does the stimuli come from for hyperplasia and is it reversible?
- External stimulus
2. Yes it is reversible
Dysplasia
The presence of cells of an abnormal type within a tissue, which may signify a stage preceding the development of cancer
What is the growth organization for dysplasia?
Disorganized growth
Is dysplasia reversible?
It may or may not be reversible
What happens if the stress on the cancer is not removed and it is constant?
It becomes dysplasic
Neoplasia
The formation or presence of a new, abnormal growth or tissue
What is the growth organization for neoplasia?
Disorganized growth
What happens to the number of dividing cells?
It increases
What happens if the stress on cancer is never resolved?
It becomes neoplasia
In neoplasia, what happens to the nuclear size and cytosol volume?
- Nuclear size gets bigger
2. Cytosol volume changes
Is a stimuli required for neoplasia?
No
Is neoplasia reversible?
No
What plays a factor in the likelihood of getting cancer?
Sensitivity of location
Does size of tumor determine malignancy?
No
What is tumor size important for and why?
Important for diagnostics because it is easier to see and find the location on where the tumor is
How do brain tumors divide?
Frequently
How do small intestinal tumors divide?
Rapidly
- but they are rare
- high turn over rate
Why do tumor cells accumulate?
Because of a failure in differentiation or block in cell death
What does de-differentiation serve as only if it is maintained?
Protection
What happens when the cells are in contact?
They tend to slow down in growth
What is the ratio of cell birth to cell death in normal cells?
1 born: 1 dies
What is the ratio of cell birth to cell death in a tumor?
Ratio altered — too much cell birth or too little cell death
Is every cell within the neoplasm capable of tumor initiation?
Every cell is capable of growing rapidly
- which changes the environment and that then allows for more change to occur
Where may mutations arise?
In stem cells
- a rare population of cells capable of cell renewal and proliferation
Pluripotent
Capable of giving rise to several different cell types
What do the levels of estrogen do with increasing cell growth?
The levels of estrogen rise
What is 1 important thing that estrogen does in normal tissues?
Its important in regulating proliferation rates in normal tissues
What does a change in pH do to a cell?
It can change the environment
What happens if the stimulus that changes a pH is constant?
It can add to the infection and if it cant be resolved it changes the speciality of the cell due to the different environment
Is breast caner more prevalent in males or women? Lung cancer?
- Women
2. Males
What does vitamin D absorb?
Ca
What type of hormone is vitamin D?
Its a sickle steroid hormone
What are 3 things vitamin D is responsible for?
- Immune function
2. Controlling rates
