Week 7 Cancer

Question 1

What kind of disorder is cancer?

Answer 1

Multigenic disorder

Question 2

2 Types of tumours

Answer 2

1. Replicative tumours: mainly due to stocahstic factors, not preventable
2. Determinative tumours： links due specific environmental/hereditary risk factors, extra risk preventable

Question 3

How does cancer happen according to the multistage model?

Answer 3

1. early mutations can enhance cell proliferation -> create larger target population for subsequent mutations
2. Early mutations can increase overall mutation rate

Question 4

3 types of genes that cause cancer

Answer 4

1. Activation of oncogenes - promote cell proliferation -> intracellular signalling protein becomes abnormally active
2. Mutation of Tumour-suppressor gene - originally function to suppress cell proliferation
3. Mutation of mutator genes - originally function in DNA repair pathways