Week 5 - Mechanisms of Metastasis

Question 1

Primary tumours are caused by the loss of…

Answer 1

Growth control

Question 2

Metastasis occurs due to a loss of…

Answer 2

Positional control

Question 3

Name 3 primary tumours and a common distant secondary site (metastatic site).

Answer 3

1. Clear cell CA (kidney) - Lung, bone, adrenal
2. Gastrointestinal CA -Liver
3. Prostate CA - Bone
4. Small cell CA (lung) - Brain, liver, bone
5. Melanoma (skin) - Liver, brain, bowel
6. Melanoma (eye) - Liver
7. Neuroblastoma - Liver, adrenal
8. Breast CA - Bone, brain, adrenal, lung, liver
9. Follicular CA (thyroid) - Bone, lung

Question 4

Name the 11 steps that cancer cells take to metastasise.

Answer 4

1. Aggressive Phenotype
2. Pre-requisites
3. Microenvironment
4. Intravasation
5. Life In Transit
6. Distant accomplices
7. Homing
8. Extravasation
9. Micro-metastasis
10. Co-opted Stroma
11. Full Colonisation

Question 5

Name 3 cell-cell connections.

Answer 5

ADHERENS JUNCTION

Tight Junction

Desmosome

Gap Junction

Question 6

What does CADHERIN stand for?

Answer 6

Ca+2 - dependent Adhesion Molecules

Question 7

Describe the structure of Cadherins and how they are linked to the cell physically.

Answer 7

Two cadherin molecules bound to each other.

Cadherin molecule bound to linker protein, bound to cytoskeletal filament.