Oncology Flashcards
Define adenocarcinoma.
Cancer arising from ductal or glandular structures
Define anaplasia.
Absence of cell differentiation
Define cancer
Malignant tumor
Define carcinogens
Substances that can cause changes in structure or function of a cell that can result in cancer
Define carcinogenesis
The production of cancer
Define carcinoma
Cancer arising from epithelial tissue
Define leukemia
Cancer arising from blood-forming cells
Define lymphoma
Cancers of the lymphatic tissues
Define neoplasm
New cancer growth
Define oncogenesis
Production or causation of cancer
Define oncogene
Occurs when mutations to proto-oncogene present = results in excessive and uncontrolled cell growth
Define proto-oncogene
Normal gene that promotes cell growth
Define sarcoma
Cancer arising from connective tissue (includes muscle and bone)
Define tumor suppresor gene (TSG)
Normal gene that inhibits cell replication
What are the cell characteristics of malignant neoplasms?
Have little resemblance to the normal cells of that tissue
What are the mode and rate of growth of malignant neoplasms?
Mode - infiltrate and destroy surrounding tissue
Rate - rapid growth/replication
What are other characteristics of malignant neoplasms?
- Will metastasize
- Tend to recur when removed
- Cause extensive tissue damage
- Have the ability to cause death unless growth is controlled
What are the general effects of malignant neoplasms?
Anemia, weight loss, fatigue
What are the 3 basic units of DNA that make up nucleotides?
- Pentose sugar molecule (deoxyribose)
- Phosphate molecule
- Nitrogenous bases
What are the 4 types of nitrogenous bases and their complementary base pairs?
- adenine
- guanine
- thymine
- cytosine
Complementary: A&T, G&C
What is the codon?
The protein coding DNA = are successive triplets of bases
What is the malignant transformation of cells?
An accumulation of mutations in a particular class of genes
What are the 2 gene classes that when mutated account for most controlled cell proliferation seen in cancer?
- Proto-oncogenes
- Tumor suppressor genes
Describe the characteristics of cancer cells.
- Lose shape & boundaries
- stop responding to growth-inhibiting signals
- replicate uncontrollably
What does a tumor descend from?
A single precursor cell that has been transformed
What are the categories of ‘hits’ or carcinogens that can cause normal cells to transform?
- Hormonal
- Viral
- Occupational
- Environmental
- Behavioural
- Other/unknown
What are the 4 types of gene mutations that can occur to result in cancer?
- Point mutation
- Chromosome translocation
- Gene amplification
- Frame-shift mutation
What is a point-mutation?
A single change to one base group
What is chromosome translocation?
A piece of one chromosome that is relocated to or swapped with a different part of the chromosome
What is an example of chromosome translocation?
Burkett’s lymphoma
Occurs when the Ig gene on chromosome 14 and the MYC proto-oncogene on chromosome 8 are translocated
Results in high rate of B cell proliferation = increases change of transcription error = cancer development in B lymphocytes