Why And How Neoplasms Occur? Flashcards
What does carcinogenesis mean?
Causes of cancer
The causes of neoplasia is multifactorial, name some intrinsic and extrinsic factors that increase ones risk of getting cancers
Intrinsic: hereditary, age and gender (hormonal aspect)
Extrinsic: environment and behaviour (lifestyle)
*much of increased cancer incidence over the last century is due to prolonged life-span
List some behavioural/dietary factors that increase ones risk of getting cancer?
- high body mass index
- low fruit and vegetable intake
- lack of physical activity
- tobacco use (!!!)
- alcohol use
What is the Ames test?
A test that shows that initiators are mutagens while promoters cause prolonged proliferation in target tissue
What is a pro-carcinogen?
Substances that on their own are not carcinogenic,
Only when they are converted in the liver by cytochrome P450 (CYP450) enzymes do they become carcinogens
What is a complete carcinogen?
Substances that act as both initiators and promoters
Extrinsic factors account for approxiamately 85% of a population’s cancer risk. What are the three carcinogenic extrinsic factors categories?
Chemical
Radiation
Infection
Give some examples of malignant tumours that are effected by geographical variation
Breast
Gastric
Burkitt’s lymphoma
What are the 3 important things to note about the relationship between chemicals and malignant tumours?
- There is a long delay between carcinogen exposure and malignant neoplasm onset
- The risk of cancer depends on total carcinogen dosage
- There is sometimes organ specific you for particular carcinogens eg 2-napthylamine causes bladder carcinoma
Give some examples of chemical carcinogens (the initiators) (5)
- Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons
- Aromatic amines eg 2-naphylamine
- N-nitroso compounds
- Alkylating agents
- Natural products eg aflatoxin, asbestos
How deep does UV light penetrate?
No further than the skin
What does ionising radiation do? Give some examples of types
Strips electrons from atoms
X-rays, nuclear radiation (alpha and beta particles, gamma rays)
What is the most important type of radiation and why?
UV
Because we’re exposed to it daily and it can lead to increased skin cancer risk
In what ways can radiation cause DNA damage?
Direct: altered bases + dingle/double strand DNA breaks
Indirect: free radicals
How are we typically exposed to radiation?
UV=sunlight
ionising= radon (background radiation) + medical tests