Module 8: Cancer Flashcards
Define: Tumor
- abnormal growth, prolifeariton of cells (not just inflammatory swelling)
- caused by neoplasm or new growth
Define: neoplasm
new growth of cells/ tumor
Benign Tumor/Neoplasm Definition and Characteristics and how to name
- Definition:
- non-invasive, non-cancerous, but can be harmful
- Characteristics:
- encapsulated
- well-differentiated
- retain some normal tissue STRUCTURE
- non-invasive
- do not spread to lymph nodes or distant locations
- slow growing
- rarely mitotic
- can cause one instance of tissue breakdown:
- impinge upon blood supply due to growth
- Naming:
- “oma” names
Malignant Tumor/Neoplasm Definition, Characteristics, and Naming
- Definition: cancerous
- Characteristics
- rapid growth rate
- mitotis cells visible (can see cells in various stages of mitosis)
- loss of differenatiation (anaplasia)
- cells dont look like original cells
- irregular shape and size of nucleus
- loss of normal tissue structure
- capsule lost or compromised
- invasive
- spread to distant sites (metastasis)
- they lose cell-cell adhesion, will break off and spread
- Named:
- “carcinoma” or “oma”
Adenocarcinoma
- ductal or glandular derived tumor
- vs. adenoma benign
Sarcoma
- connective tissue derive tumor
- osteosarcoma vs osteoma
Lymphoma
lymphatic tissue derived
no benign versions
Leukemia
Blood cell derived
Leiomyosarcoma
smooth muscle cell derived
ex. uterine cancer
vs. Leiomyoma = uterine polyp
Define and Characterize: Transformation
- Definition: the process by which a cell becomes cancerous
- autonomy
- **loss of contact inhibition**
- anchorage independent
- immortal
- anaplastic
- pleomorphic
- undifferentiated
Transformation and Autonomy
loss of normal cell cycle control, decreased need for external growth factors.
Replicates out of control on its own
Transformation and Loss of Contact Inhibition
continued growth despite lack of space
margins are uneven
Transformation and Anchorage Independence
lack of need for attachment surface
i.e. normal epithelial cells will only grow when attached to basement membrane
Transformation and Immortality
cells will continue to divide despite number of cell cycles ( most cells die off at 10-50 cycles)
- ex. HeLa cells
- Henrietta Lacks, cervical cancer cells that kept replicating
Transformation and Anaplastic Cells
- cells become “without form”, appear abnormal
Transformation and Pleomorphism
- cells begin to have “many forms”, variable shape and size
Transformation and Undifferentiated Cells
- cells are not like mature, fully specialized as the cell type that they should be
Cancer Cell Metabolism
- prefer glycolysis even in the presence of oxygen
- called the “Warburg Effect”:
- only glycolosis occurring even in the presence of oxygen
- Results in: glucose to pyruvate to lactate
- lactic acid production
- anaerobic
- HIGH glucose use
- will often result in increased food intake with weightloss
Cancer Cell Blood Supply
- tumors >1mm require their own blood supply
- advanced cancer cells will secrete angiogenic factors to increase blood vessel growth
- normal angiogenesis in adults is very limited
- HOWEVER, these new blood vessels are formed poorly meaning that they will break more readily and cause hemorrhage.
Cancer Cell Telomeres
- Cancer cells have many more cycles of cell division than normal
- normal cells are limited by telomeres which shorten with each division
- telomeres = end of chromosomes
- normal cells are limited by telomeres which shorten with each division
- Germ cells, stem cells, and CANCER cells have telomerase– an enzyme that replaces telomeres and allows continuous cell division
Define and Characterize: Stem Cell
- undifferentiated cells which have the ability to give rise to other cells
- Characteristicis:
- differentiation
- asymmetric cell division
- embryonic stem cells are pluripotent
- adult stem cells are multipotent
Stem Cells and Asymmetric Cell Division
- mitosis creates on stem cell to self-renew, and one cell which will differentiate
Define and Characterize: Embryonic Stem Cells
undifferentiated cells in an embryo that renew and have the potential to become any cell type
- aka PLURIPOTENT
Define and Characterize: Adult Stem Cells
cells in an adult that renew and have the potential to develop into a few cell types
- MULTIPOTENT