Neoplasms Study Guide (complete) Flashcards
What does cell differentiation mean?
Refers to the extent cancer cells resemble normal cells, both in structure and maturity
Grading = degree of differentiation
- grade 1: well differentiated (low grade)
- grade 2: moderately differentiated or intermediate grade
- grade 3: poorly differentiated or high grade
- grade 4: undifferentiated or unable to tell where cell came from
What is anaplasia?
lack of differentiation
What is aneuploidy?
abnormal number (extra or missing) of chromosomes
What does polymorphism mean?
characteristic of cancer cells
nucleus enlarges and variable in shape
Differences between normal cells and malignant cells?
Normal cell growth:
- well differentiated
- controlled, slow growth
- uniform shape
- cellular communication
- monolayered
- encapsulated
- cell cohesiveness
- mortal (apoptosis)
Malignant cells:
- poorly differentiated
- uncontrolled growth
- abnormal appearance
- loss of cellular communication
- multilayered
- invasive, capable of spreading
- lack of cohesiveness
- immortal (avoid apoptosis)
What is metastasis? How does it spread?
& symptoms
It is the spread of cancer cells from original site
- spreads via bloodstream or lymphatic system
Symptoms of metastatic disease:
- shortness of breath
- pain
- headache
- seizures
What are the common sites for metastatic spread? (BBLL)
bone, liver, lung, brain
- melanoma: brain and lung
- lung cancer: brain, bone, liver
- colon cancer: liver, lung, and brain
- prostate cancer: bone and lung
- breast cancer: bone, lung, liver, and brain
What are tumor suppressor genes?
- gene that codes protein products that inhibit cellular division, repair damaged DNA, and promote apoptosis
- when altered: these genes become inactivated and allow uncontrolled proliferation
example: BRCA1 and BRCA2
What are oncogenes?
proto-oncogene: genes that code for proteins involved in normal cell growth
when mutated: enable cancer cells to grow uncontrollably = oncogene
What role does obesity play in cancer cell growth?
is a host factor that can cause cancer
What role does the environment play in cancer cell growth?
- pollution
- smoking
- alcohol
- poor nutrition
- occupational exposure
Environmental factors can contribute to cancer cell growth by damaging DNA and promoting tumor growth
What are some clinical manifestations of cancer?
- anorexia/cachexia
- bleeding
- immunosuppression
- infections
- weight loss
- fatigue
- pain
- sleep disorders
- paraneoplastic syndromes: caused by cancer
– may be presenting sign
– ex: SIADH, Cushing’s, hypercalcemia, venous thrombosis
What does carcinogenesis mean?
3 stages
(Formation of a cancer)
initiating event: acquired (environmental) DNA damaging agents
- chemicals
- radiation
- viruses
promotion: activation of growth-promoting oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, alterations in genes that regulate apoptosis
progression: tumor progression -> malignant neoplasm -> invasion and metastasis
What are the goals of cancer treatment?
4
- prevention
- cure
- control
- palliation
What are the types of cancer treatment? Which ones are local versus systemic therapy?
- surgery (localized)
- radiation therapy (localized)
- chemotherapy (systemic)
- hormones (systemic)
- targeted therapy/biotherapy (systemic)
- immunotherapy (systemic)
What are senescent cells?
- increase the development of malignancy
- are cells that have reached a permanent state of growth arrest and are no longer able to divide
Epigenetic changes and cancer
- changes in genetic expression rather than DNA sequence can affect efficacy of DNA repair genes
- normally tells genes when to turn on or off
- newer area of cancer research
