Oncology Flashcards
What is the definition of cancer?
when abnormal cells divide in an uncontrolled way
What are 10 oral cancer signs and symptoms?
- sore mouth ulcers that do not heal within weeks
- persistent lumps and swollen lymph nodes
- persistent oral discomfort or pain
- unusual bleeding or numbness in the mouth
- difficulty when swallowing
- feeling that something is caught in the throat
- changes in voice or speech problems
- persistent red or white patches on the lining of mouth
- unexplained weight loss
- loose teeth for no apparent reason or a tooth socket that does not heal
What are 4 oral manifestations of squamous cell carcinoma?
- lateral border of tongue - solitary ulcer with rolled border
- erythroplakia
- leukoplakia
- dysphagia
What are the 4 types of carcinoma cancer cells?
- squamous cell carcinoma
- adenocarcinoma
- transitional cell carcinoma
- basal cell carcinoma
Which type of carcinoma cancer cell is the following?
- flat, surface covering cells
- function: protection
- oral cavity, oesophagus, throat, skin
squamous cell carcinoma
Which type of carcinoma cancer cell is the following?
- glandular cells
- function: produce fluids to keep tissues moist
- adenomatous cells
adenocarcinoma
Which type of carcinoma cancer cell is the following?
- transitional epithelium
- function: can stretch as an organ expands
- lining of the bladder
transitional cell carcinoma
Which type of carcinoma cancer cell is the following?
- line the deepest layer of skin cells
- most common type of skin cancer
basal cell carcinoma
Which type of cancer cell originates in connective tissues eg. bone, cartilage, tendons and muscles?
sarcomas
What are bone sarcomas called?
osteosarcoma
What is cancer of the cartilage called?
chondrosarcoma
What is cancer of the muscle cells called?
rhabdomyosarcoma
Which type of cancer is the following?
- originate in blood forming tissue, bone marrow
- over-production of abnormal white blood cells
leukaemia
Which type of cancer is the following?
- cancers of the lymphatic system
- abnormal lymphocytes collect in the lymph nodes, the bone marrow or spleen, they can then grow into tumours
lymphoma
Which type of cancer is the following?
- cancers of the lymphatic system
- plasma cells can become abnormal, multiply uncontrollable
myeloma
Which type of cancer is the following?
- originate in the cells of the brain or spinal card
- the most common type of brain tumour develops from glial cells (provide support and protection for neurones)
glioma
Which type of cancer is the following?
- epithelial and connective tissue components
- malignant tumours that consist of a mixture:
- carcinoma (epithelial carcinoma)
- sarcoma (mesenchymal or connective tissue cancer)
- common in uterus
carcinosarcoma
Which type of cancer is the following?
- common benign salivary gland tumour:
- epithelial or myoepithelial cells
- mesenchymal or connective cells
- most common, parotid gland
- malignant, transformation to carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma
pleomorphic adenoma
Which type of cancer is the following?
- originates in the germ cell
- type of germ cell tumour:
- different types of tissue, such as hair, muscle or bone
- typically form in the ovaries, testicles
- often benign if mature and malignant if immature
teratoma
Which type of tumour is the following?
- enclosed in connective tissue
- confined to site of origin
- may grow but do not spread to other parts of body
- may turn malignant, best to remove when noticed
benign
Which type of tumour is the following?
- not enclosed in any tissue
- not confined to site of origin
- grow rapidly and spread to other body parts via blood or lymph (metastasis) causing secondary tumours
malignant
What are the 4 characteristics of a benign skin lesion?
- symmetrical
- even edge
- one shade
- <6mm
What are the 4 characteristics of a malignant skin lesion?
- asymmetrical
- irregular
- > 1 shades
- > 6mm
What are the 2 enabling hallmark characteristics of cancer?
genetic instability and mutation
and
tumour-promoting inflammation
What are the 2 emerging hallmarks characteristics of cancer?
avoiding immune destruction
and
deregulating cellular energetics
What are the 3 ways in which cancer cells deregulate cellular energetics?
- produce a lot less ATP per glucose but they make it much faster
- increase glucose transporters take in more glucose
- produce intermediate precursors for building proteins & DNA needed by rapidly dividing cells
What are the 4 primary functions of chromatin?
- to package DNA into a more compact, denser shape
- to reinforce the DNA macromolecules to allow mitosis
- to prevent DNA damage
- to control gene expression and DNA replication
DNA methylation
In cancer typically, there is hypermethylation of…?
tumour supressor genes
DNA methylation
In cancer typically, there is hypomethylation of…?
oncogenes
Histone acetylation
In cancer typically, there is decrease in histone acetylation involved in…?
tumourogenesis, tumour evasion and metastasis
What is the function of oncogenes in cancer?
activation of proto-oncogenes to oncogenes, then become permanently switched on when not supposed to and cell grows out of control
What is the function of tumour suppressor genes in cancer?
regulates a cell during cell division and replication. If the cell grows uncontrollably, it will result in cancer. When a tumor suppressor gene is mutated, it results in a loss or reduction in its function
What are the normal functions of oncogenes?
Your cells contain many important genes that regulate cell growth and division. The healthy forms of these genes are called proto-oncogenes. The mutated forms are called oncogenes. Oncogenes cause cells to replicate out of control and can lead to cancer.
What are the 3 normal functions of tumour suppressor genes? (SIR)
- slow down cell division
- repair DNA mistakes
- initiate apoptosis
What is the term used for the following hypothesis?
- unlike oncogenes, tumour suppressor genes generally follow this hypothesis
- implies that both alleles that code for a particular proteins must be affected to promote malignancy
- this is because if only one allele for the gene is damaged, the second can still produce the correct protein
two-hit hypothesis
What are the 2 HPV viruses that are high risk for cancers?
HPV16 - responsible for oral cancer
and
HPV18
Which phase of the cell cycle is responsible for?
- growth of cell, no division
- cells in this phase most of time except cancer cells
interphase
Which phase of the cell cycle is responsible for?
- cellular contents, excluding the chromosomes are duplicated
G1
Which phase of the cell cycle is responsible for?
- each of the 46 chromosomes is duplicated by the cell
S
Which phase of the cell cycle is responsible for the following?
- the cell double checks the duplicated chromosomes for error, making any needed repairs
G2
Which phase of the cell cycle is responsible for?
- cell cycle arrest
- no cell division
G0
Which phase of the cell cycle is responsible for?
- active cell division
mitosis
Which checkpoint of the cell cycle is responsible for regulation of cell size, nutrients, growth factors, DNA damage?
G1 checkpoint
Which checkpoint of the cell cycle is responsible for the regulation of DNA damage, DNA replication completeness?
G2 checkpoint
Which checkpoint of the cell cycle is responsible for regulating sister chromatids correctly attached to spindle microtubules?
M checkpoint
Which 2 genes are responsible for oncogenic HPV?
E6
and
E7