Tumour Biology part 1

Question 1

What is cancer ?

Answer 1

An uncontrolled proliferation of cells

Question 2

What are some of the things in the body which are replaced every seven years ?

Answer 2

The cells lining the stomach are replaced every five days.

• Cells in the epidermis last about a week.
• Red blood cells live for four months.
• Hepatocytes live for about five months.
• A bone completely remodels itself and replaces all of its cells every ten years or so. -

Question 3

What about the cells that forget to die ?

Answer 3

In cancer, these mechanisms fail and cells grow without control and without a useful function, leading to unchecked growth that progresses toward limitless expansion

Question 4

What are Benign Tumour ?

Answer 4

Growth - Slow
Character - Expansion
Tumour Spread- localised
cell differentiation - Well differentiated

Taking 6 mutations to make a cancer cell

Question 5

What are Malignant Tumour ?

Answer 5

growth - fast
character - infiltration]
tumour spread - metasis
cell differentiation - poorly differentiated

Question 6

Linings of tissue

Answer 6

Carcinoma: endodermal/ectodermal tissue Leukaemia/Lymphoma: haematopoietic stem cells Sarcoma: mesodermal connective tissue

Question 7

Examples of Normal Skin growth ?

Answer 7

The epidermis is roughly a dozen cells thick, cells in the bottom row of this layer (the basal layer) divide to replenish the cells shed from the surface of the skin.

Every division produce a basal cell (to maintain the basal layer) and another cell that loses the capacity to divide and migrates out of the basal layer.

Question 8

Beginning cancer growth ?

Answer 8

During skin cancer, the basal cells divide faster than is needed to replenish the cells being shed from the surface of the skin.

Each time one of these basal cells divides, the two newly formed cells will often retain the ability to divide

Question 9

Tumours (Neoplasms)

Answer 9

Regardless of the growth rate, tumors ultimately increase in size until the normal organization of the tissue gradually becomes disrupted.

Question 10

Invasion /Metasis

Answer 10

1Cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and blood vessels

2 Cancer cells are transported by the circulatory system to distant sites

3.Cancer cells reinvade and grow at new location

Question 11

Malignant vs Benign

Answer 11

Benign (not cancer) tumor cells grow only locally and cannot spread by invasion or metastasis

Malignant (cancer) cells invade neighboring tissues, enter blood vessels, and metastasize to different sites

Question 12

Differences between Malignant and Benign ?

Answer 12

Benign tumor /Malignant tumor

Growth rate :Slow / Rapid

Character of growth : Expansion Infiltration Tumor spread Remains localized Metastasis

Cell differentiation :Well differentiatied Poorly differentiated

Question 13

What are some of the major types of Malignant Tumour ?

Answer 13

carcinoma: endodermal/ectodermal tissue Leukaemia/Lymphoma: haematopoietic stem cells Sarcoma: mesodermal connective tissue

Question 14

What about a normal skin growth ?(Skin)

Answer 14

The epidermis is roughly a dozen cells thick, cells in the bottom row of this layer (the basal layer) divide to replenish the cells shed from the surface of the skin.

Every division produce a basal cell (to maintain the basal layer) and another cell that loses the capacity to divide and migrates out of the basal layer.

Question 15

The Beginning of Cancerous Growth

Answer 15

During skin cancer, the basal cells divide faster than is needed to replenish the cells being shed from the surface of the skin.

Each time one of these basal cells divides, the two newly formed cells will often retain the capacity to divide

Question 16

Tumors (Neoplasms)

Answer 16

Regardless of the growth rate, tumors ultimately increase in size until the normal organization of the tissue gradually becomes disrupted

Question 17

Invasion / Metastasis

Answer 17

Cancer cells invade surrounding tissues and blood vessels

2 Cancer cells are transported by the circulatory system to distant sites

3.Cancer cells reinvade and grow at new location

Question 18

Malignant versus Benign Tumors

Answer 18

Benign (not cancer) tumor cells grow only locally and cannot spread by invasion or metastasis

Malignant (cancer) cells invade neighboring tissues, enter blood vessels, and metastasize to different sites

Question 19

Stages of Cancer ?

Answer 19

Stage 0 - Carcinoma in situ , Early form 
Stage 1 - Localised
Stage 2 - Early locally advcanced
Stage 3  - Late locally advcaned
Stage 4 - Metasised

Question 20

Why is Early detection important ?

Answer 20

In some cases, finding cancer early may decrease a person’s risk of dying from the cancer. For this reason, improving our methods for early detection is currently a high priority for cancer researchers.

Also some cancers don’t have symtoms such as colon etc , so therefore spending effective