ON Lecture 1 Flashcards
Cancer definition
A malignant (spreading) tumour (mass of cells in which cell division is no longer regulated)
What is metastasis
The spread of cancer to a secondary site
Screening definition
Detect the possibility of cancer, not definitive, often population based tests
Diagnosis definition
Further tests leading to the confirmation of cancer
Four different ways to diagnose
Imaging
Biochemical tests
Biopsy
Symptoms
Biopsy definition
Removal of cells from tumour to examine the cells microscopically to grade the cancer
TNM
Tumour - size 0-4
Nodes - local metastasis to lymph node, number/location 0-4
Metastases - 0 (no spread) or 1 (distant metastases)
Four parts of normal cell life cycle
Formed by division (mitosis)
Functions
Wears out
Dies (apoptosis)
Most of the time the cell is in stage…
G0 - cell cycle arrest (not in cell cycle)
When is G1 checkpoint
Before cell cycle begins
When is G2 checkpoint
Before mitosis
What is a telomere
An internal divisional clock that regulates the replicative lifespan of a cell
Telomeres shorten with each division until they reach a threshold where cell is targeted for apoptosis
What do tumours do to telomeres?
Stabilise telomere length by activating telomerase allowing cells to stay alive
Time dependent cancer drugs
Act in specific phases of cell cycle and have a cycle specific mechanism of action
Concentration dependent cancer drugs
Not cycle-specific and have a concentration dependent mechanism of action
