Neoplasia Part 2 Flashcards
Describe monoclonal nature of cancer.
A tumor is formed by the clonal expansion of a single precursor cell
What is non lethal genetic damage?
Cell is still around with damage, continues to proliferate, picks up new mutations
What are the four classes of normal regulatory genes for cancer?
Proto-oncogenes-normal cellular genes whose products
promote cell proliferation (normal cell growth)
Growth-inhibiting tumor suppressor genes: stops cell proliferation
DNA repair genes
Apoptosis genes
What are oncogenes? What process are they involved in? Can a single oncogene cause cancer?
Mutated or over expressed versions of proto-oncogenes causing uncontrolled growth
Carcinogenesis
No (several oncogenes AND several tumor suppressor genes must be involved)
Is the progression of a tumor due to one single factor? Describe the steps of tumor progression.
No it has heterogeneity from a original single cell
environment factors, genetics etc contribute to etiology
Transformation (normal cell to tumor cell), progression, proliferation of genetically unstable cells, tumor cell variants: heterogeneity
What are 3 carcinogenic (cancer-causing) agents?
Chemicals
Radiant Energy
Microbial agents
Describe the carcinogenic chemicals: Nitrosamines, Asbestos, Arsenic, Alkylating agents, Vinyl chloride, Napthlyamine.
Nitrosamines: gastric adenocarcinoma
Asbestos: mesotheliomas, renal cell carcinoma, lung carcinoma
Arsenic: squamous cell carcinoma of skin and
lung, angiosarcoma of the liver
Alkylating agents: leukemia, lymphoma
Vinyl chloride: angiosarcoma of the liver
Napthlyamine: bladder cancer (cigarettes)
What carcinogenic chemical is associated with chemotherapy, explaining how people receiving chemo can develop other cancers?
Alkylating agents
Describe the initiation/promotion concept of carcinogenesis. What order do they act in?
Both initiators AND Promoters are needed
Neither can cause cancer by themselves
Promoters must take effect after initiation, not before
Describe initiators in carcinogenesis.
Carcinogens
Inflict Non-lethal damage to DNA that cannot be repaired
Describe promoters in carcinogenesis.
Promoters enhance the proliferation of initiated cells (damaged)
Promoters can induce tumors to arise from initiated cells
Promoters are nontumorigenic by themselves (can’t form tumors alone)
Act after initiators
What are 4 examples of promoters that can act on initiators (carcinogen)?
Hormones (ex: estrogen)
Phorbol esters
Phenols (ex: alcohols, juice)
Drugs
What are 2 direct-acting compounds?
Alkylating and acylating agents
Describe indirect acting compounds.
Require metabolic conversion in vivo to produce carcinogens to transform cells
Leads to mutation in cells by affecting the functions of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes and apoptotic
Doesn’t bind to DNA
Hat kind of ultraviolet light is considered a radiation carcinogen?
UVB
How does UVB affect the cells?
Produces pyrimidine (T and C) dimers in DNA leading to
transcriptional errors and mutations of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes
What disorder can be caused by UVB carcinogen?
Xeroderma pigmentosum (genetic disorder):
Mutations in DNA repair genes
Can have ocular surface defects as cells can’t repair
What are some examples of ionizing radiation as radiation carcinogens?
X-rays, Ɣ-rays, α particles, β particles, protons, neutrons
How does ionizing radiation lead to cancer? What types of cancer can it cause?
Causes chromosomal breakage, translocations,
and, less frequently, point mutations
Thyroid cancer, lung cancer, leukemia
What 5 types of viruses can lead to cancer? (Viral caginogens)
Human papillovirus (HPV)→ Cervical carcinoma
Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)→ Burkitt Lymphoma
Hepatitis B & C (HBV & HCV)→ Liver cancer
Human T-Cell leukemia virus type 1 (HTLV1→T-Cell leukemia/lymphoma
Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV)→ Kaposi Sarcoma
What is an example of bacterial carcinogen?
H. Pylori- linked to gastric carcinomas and gastric lymphomas (people with frequent ulcers are at risk)
What are 5 types of gene mutations?
Point
Translocation
Deletions
Amplifications
Overexpression
How can miRNA involvement lead to development of cancer?
miRNA-negative regulators of genes: suppress genes involved in cancer development, overexpression lead to uncontrolled cell growth
Overexpression of miRNAs→ reduced tumor suppressor
proteins→ increased risk of cancer
Deletion or loss of expression of miRNAs→ overexpression of oncogenes→ increased risk of cancer