Lecture 1 - Tumorigenesis and Hallmarks

Question 1

A benign tumour is

Answer 1

• a growth that is confined to a specific site within a tissue and gives no evidence of invading adjacent tissue
• an epithelial growth that has not penetrated through the basement membrane
• require little treatment

Question 2

A malignant tumour is

Answer 2

• a growth that shows evidence of being locally invasive and possibly even metastatic
• Less well differentiated cells and grow and divide rapidly
• More difficult to treat

Question 3

What are the 4 main types of cancer

Answer 3

• carcinoma
• sarcoma
• leukaemia
• lymphoma

Question 4

What is a carcinoma and the types

Answer 4

• a cancer of epithelial tissues in internal and external linings

1. Adenocarcinoma - develop in an organ or a gland
2. Squamous cell carcinoma - from squamous epithelial organs

Question 5

Examples of Adenocarcinoma

Answer 5

Breast, lung, liver, colon prostate etc

Question 6

Example of squamous cell carcinoma

Answer 6

skin, oesophogus, lung oral

Question 7

Names of the benign carcinomas

Answer 7

Adenocarcinoma - adenoma
Squamous cell carcinoma - papilloma

Question 8

What is leukaemia

Answer 8

Cancer of the blood originating in the bone marrow

Question 9

What is a lymphoma

Answer 9

Cancer of the lymphatic system (lymphocytes)

Question 10

The basic 4 steps in progression of cancer in the skin

Answer 10

1. Hyperplasia - where cells proliferate more
2. Dysplasia - where cells morphologically change such as nuclei
3. Carcinoma in situ
4. Invasive carcinoma

Question 11

What is a CIS

Answer 11

Carcinoma in situ
- Cells grow in uncontrolled but are contained at the moment
- have a high potential to become invasive

Question 12

Subtypes of lung cancer and their occurrence

Answer 12

Small cell lung cancer 15%

Non small cell lung cancer 85%
- Lung Adenocarcinoma
- Lung Squamous cell carcinoma
- Large-cell carcinoma

Question 13

Majority of cancers are due to which type of mutations

Answer 13

Somatic mutations

Only 5-10% are germline mutations

Question 14

Cancer progression evolution can be described as

Answer 14

Branched rather than linear

Question 15

How is cancer metastasis potential determined?

Answer 15

1. Clonal selection theory
2. Predetermined genetic predisposition theory
3. The host predisposition theory

Question 16

Overview of clonal selection theory

Answer 16

• Metastasis is a late event in cancer progression
• Some cells mutate over time allowing them to metastasise

Question 17

Overview of predetermined genetic predisposition

Answer 17

• The metastatic potential of a cancer is predetermined into early tumours
• Able to predict from the beginning of a tumour whether it has the ability or not to metastasise
• Due to the genotype

Question 18

Overview of the host predisposition theory

Answer 18

• Factors such as single polynucleotide morphisms may increase the likelihood of metastasis
• Tumours arising in individuals with a certain host genotype have a higher probability of metastasis

Question 19

Aspects of the tumour microenvironment

Answer 19

• Endothelial cells
• Lymphocytes
• Macrophages
• Cancer-associated fibroblasts
• ECM