Oncology Flashcards
Visible symptoms of breast cancer?
- inverted nipple
- knot/lump
- large lymph node
- bloody discharge
Diagnosis of breast cancer?
- Clinical examination (palpation)
- Imaging (ultrasound, mammography, MRI, X-ray)
- Morphological (biopsy).
- Biobank research after pathology
Factors affecting outcome in breast cancer?
- tumor size
- spread to lymph nodes
- distant metastasis
- hormone receptors
- HER2 expression
- tumpr grade
- proliferation rate
Subtypes of breast cancer?
- ER+/HER-. It is common, low prolifeation, good prognosis, bone metastasis
- HER2+. High prolifeation, good prognosis with HER2 blockade, brain metastasis, 10-20% of all cases
- Triple negtive. Poor prognosis, high proliferation, visceral metastasis.
Treatment of breast cancer?
- Surgery. Can dye the lymph nodes, to know which should be removed. If metatstatic: systemic treatment.
- Adjuvant therapy.
- Radiotherapy. All patients. After surgery
- chemotherapy. All high risk patients. ER+/HER2- may not need therapy
- endocrine therapy ER+ patients
- anti-her2 herapy
- aromatase inhibitors (postmenopausal).
- LHRH to induce postmenapausal state
Cells in the mammary gland?
- epithelial cells (ductal/lobular)
- myoepithelial cells. Barrier against invasion
- fibroblasts
- immune cells
- adipocytes
- endothelial cells
Morphological steps in breast cancer?
- Normal epithelium
- Hyperplasia
- Atypical hyperplasia
- Carcinoma in situ
- Invasive cancer
Morphological steps in breast cancer?
- Normal epithelium
- Hyperplasia
- Atypical hyperplasia
- Carcinoma in situ
- Invasive cancer
How do you investigate breast cancer?
- biopsy. IHC (proteins), in situ hybridisation (DNA)
- surgical removal. Tumor tissue. RNA/DNA. NGS
Histological markers in breast cancer?
- Estrogen receptor. Target for endocrine therapy.
- Progesterone receptor. Majority of breast cancers. Not a target dor adjuvant endocrine therapy.
- HER2. Growth-promoting factor. Overexpressed.
- Ki67. Marker for proliferation. Expressed in all cell except G0.
What is the epidemiological transition?
Describes changing patterns of population, age distributions, mortality, fertility, life expectancy and cause of death.
Risk factor in breast cancer?
HIGH: -female sex - age - BRCA1/2 - high breast tissue density MEDIUM: - history of cancer - recent/long term use of hormone replacement therapy - nulliparity LOW: - late menopause - recent use or oral contraceptives - alcohol consumption
Factors influencing mammography?
- BMI
- Hormonal replacement therapy
- Parity
- Time since menopause
Neuroblastoma?
- Sympathetic nervous system. Often in adrenal glands, but also spinal cords and pelvis
- Growth regulations. Amplifiction of MYCN gene, ALK gene and TERT.
- Treatment with chemotherapy, surgery and immuno/ differentiation therapy (Macrophage colony stimulating facotr (GM-CSF). ALK inhibitors.
Osteosarcoma?
- Bone tumor. Physiological growth. Growth plate. Osteoblasts
- Sporadic mutations. Loss of tumor suppressor function. Disruptions in signalling pathway. TGF.
- Neodjuvant, adjuvant, surgery.
- Immunotherapy. GD-2 and CSF
Apoptosis 3 main requirements?
- development
- Miantenance
- defence
Morphology of apoptosis?
- Cytoplasm shrinks
- Blebbing membrane
- Chromatin condensation & fragmentation
- Apoptotic body formation
- Nuclear membrane shrinkage
- Removed by phagocytosis
Extrinsic pathway in apoptotic program
- ligand binding (TRAIL, Fas receptor)
- Intracellular adaptor protein FADD
- create a complex DISC
- Activation of procaspase 8/10. Self-cleavage
Two ways:
1. activation of BAX and BAK
2. Activation of caspase 3/9
Intrinsic pathway apoptotic program?
- lethal stimuli recognized by BH3-only proteins
- activation of BAX and BAK
- Induce MOMP in mitochondria
- release cytochrome c
- together with APF1 form apoptosome
- activate procaspase 9
- activate caspase3/7
What is SMAC?
release by mitochondria together with cytochrome C and inactivates IAP.
Where is BCL-2 located and how does it affect the apoptotic programme?
- Mitochondria.
- Anti and Pro
- form pores or block them
- can be regulated by BH3-only
How is the intrinsic pathway activated?
- signalling: p53, MYC, ER stress
- apoptotic signalling:
1. nutrient deprivation
2. growth factor deprivation
3. reactive oxygen species
4. DNA damage
5. radiation
6. chemotherapy
Another pathway of apoptosis?
Granzyme-mediated apoptosis. Triggered by cytotoxic T-lymphocytes or NK cells. Activate Fas or inject protease Granzyme B
How does phagocytosis occur?
- recognition of PtdSr. Inner part of the membrane. Visible due to conformational changes of the cell
- recognized by annexin receptor on macrophages
- cytoskeletal rearrangements and apoptotic digestion
Evasion of apoptosis mechanisms
- Bcl-2 malfunctioning
- loss/deregulation of proapoptotic BAK/BAX
- downregulation of BH3
- Upregulation of anti-apoptotic Bcl-2 - APAF1 pomoter methylation, no apoptosome
- Caspase not working. - Loss or downregulation
- IAP upregulation - Receptor not working
- Expression of FLIP, block activation of FADD
- mutation in receptor
Targeting apoptotic pathways
- BH3 mimetics
- SMAC-mimetics. IAP antagonist.
- TRAIL-receptor agonists
- MDM2 inhibitor
- BCL-2 blockers
What is autophagy?
- normal process, self degradation
- break down of organelles, catabolites recycled, used for energy metabolism,
- induced in hypoxia/starvation/growth factor deprivation.
- lysosomal activity
Detection of apoptosis?
- Gel electrophoresis. Due to fragmentation. Caspase cleave ICAD, disinhibition of CAD. fragments visible on ladder.
- Tunel essay. Specialiased polymerase attach dUTP analgoues with a marker. Mark 3-OH ends.
- Annexin/propidium iodide staining. Annexin bind PtdSr. PI color DNA. Visualize stage.
- Detection of caspase cleavage products on western blot
- Electron microscopy, fluorescence imaging
How is necrosis different?
- not programmed
- extrinsic
- morphology: increase cell volume, fragmented chromatin, cell lysis
- release of content
- clearance and inflammation
Decrease/increase risk in colon cancer?
+ processed meat
- ethanol intake
- physical activity
- whole grain
- dairy products
Symptoms of colon cancer
- anemia
- change in bowel habits
- blood/mucinous in stool
- feeling of incomplete bowel evacuation
- pain/fatigue/weight loss
Treatment on colorectal cancer?
- Surgery.
- right sided hemicolectome
- left sided hemicolectomy.
- sigmoid resection
- low anterior resection
- abdominoperineal resection (lower rectal part) - Adjuvant: chemotherapy. Radiotherapy in rectal.