LT10 - General principles: invasion and metastasis

Question 1

Seed and soil theory

Answer 1

the tumor cells go through the body, but only binds when it has affinity to the organ

Question 2

what decides were a metastasis settles?

Answer 2

Lymph- and blood routes are important for the tumor to get somewhere, but the microenvironment of the organ decides whether a tumor stays

Question 3

EMT

Answer 3

Epithelial to mesenchymal transition

Question 4

what happens during EMT?

Answer 4

• Loss of cell polarity and cell adhesion
• gain migratory capacity
• Lose expression of tumor supressors like E-cadherin
• Gain other cytoskeletal muscles that helps the cells to migrate (N-cadherin)

Question 5

function MMP’s = Matrix MetalloProteinasis

Answer 5

Breaks downbasal membrane so the tumor cells can get out

Question 6

TGF beta pathway

Answer 6

major regulator of invasion and migration in cancer.

TGF beta ligan binds to the receptor in tumor cells –> MMP, N-cadherin and ECM components activated

Question 7

Angiogenesis

Answer 7

Hypoxia, production of VEGF, proliferation of endoothelial cells (= new bloodvessels)

Question 8

Common metastatic sites of the lung

Answer 8

• Sarcomas e.g. osteosarcoma
• Carcinomas e.g. breast, stomach, large intestine
• Kidney (‘cannonball’): balls of tumors inside the lungs, typical for kidney cancer
• Testis e.g. malignant teratoma

Question 9

Common metastatic sites of the liver

Answer 9

• Common site for colorectal cancer (portal vein)
• Bronchial carcinoma
• Breast carcinoma
• Melanoma
• Pancreatic cancer

Question 10

Common metastatic sites of the bone

Answer 10

• Bronchial carcinoma
• Breast carcinoma: bone is most common metastatic site for breast cancer  seed and soil!
• Thyroid carcinoma (follicular)
• Renal carcinoma
• Prostate