Session 1 Intro

Question 1

State the 6 hallmarks of cancer. State a class of drugs affecting each one.

Answer 1

Self-sufficient growth signals - EGFR inhibitors
Resistance to anti-growth signals - CDK inhibitors
Immortality (inactivated cell death) - Telomerase inhibitors
Resistance to cell death - proapoptotic BH3 mimetics
Angiogenesis - VEGF inhibitors
Invasion & metastasis - inhibitors of HGF/c-Met (hepatocyte growth factor)

Question 2

What are the 4 extra hallmarks of cancer? State a drug class affecting each one

Answer 2

Deregulating cellular energetics - aerobic glycolysis inhibitors
Avoiding immune destruction - immune activating anti-CTL4 mAb
Tumour-promoting inflammation - anti-inflammatories
Genomic instability & mutation - PARP inhibitors

Question 3

What’s the difference between a carcinoma and a sarcoma?

Answer 3

Carcinomas arise from epithelium, e.g. lung, breast, colon

Sarcomas arise from supporting tissues, e.g. bone, CT & muscle

Question 4

What is a blastoma?

Answer 4

Cancer derived from immature precursors/embryonic tissue

Question 5

Define cancer

Answer 5

Cancer = a malignant neoplasia showing uncontrolled growth, invasion into adjacent tissues and often metastasis