Neoplasms Study Guide (complete)

Question 1

What does cell differentiation mean?

Answer 1

Refers to the extent cancer cells resemble normal cells, both in structure and maturity

Grading = degree of differentiation
- grade 1: well differentiated (low grade)
- grade 2: moderately differentiated or intermediate grade
- grade 3: poorly differentiated or high grade
- grade 4: undifferentiated or unable to tell where cell came from

Question 2

What is anaplasia?

Answer 2

lack of differentiation

Question 3

What is aneuploidy?

Answer 3

abnormal number (extra or missing) of chromosomes

Question 4

What does polymorphism mean?

characteristic of cancer cells

Answer 4

nucleus enlarges and variable in shape

Question 5

Differences between normal cells and malignant cells?

Answer 5

Normal cell growth:
- well differentiated
- controlled, slow growth
- uniform shape
- cellular communication
- monolayered
- encapsulated
- cell cohesiveness
- mortal (apoptosis)

Malignant cells:
- poorly differentiated
- uncontrolled growth
- abnormal appearance
- loss of cellular communication
- multilayered
- invasive, capable of spreading
- lack of cohesiveness
- immortal (avoid apoptosis)

Question 6

What is metastasis? How does it spread?

& symptoms

Answer 6

It is the spread of cancer cells from original site
- spreads via bloodstream or lymphatic system

Symptoms of metastatic disease:
- shortness of breath
- pain
- headache
- seizures

Question 7

What are the common sites for metastatic spread? (BBLL)

Answer 7

bone, liver, lung, brain
- melanoma: brain and lung
- lung cancer: brain, bone, liver
- colon cancer: liver, lung, and brain
- prostate cancer: bone and lung
- breast cancer: bone, lung, liver, and brain

Question 8

What are tumor suppressor genes?

Answer 8

• gene that codes protein products that inhibit cellular division, repair damaged DNA, and promote apoptosis
• when altered: these genes become inactivated and allow uncontrolled proliferation

example: BRCA1 and BRCA2

Question 9

What are oncogenes?

Answer 9

proto-oncogene: genes that code for proteins involved in normal cell growth

when mutated: enable cancer cells to grow uncontrollably = oncogene

Question 10

What role does obesity play in cancer cell growth?

Answer 10

is a host factor that can cause cancer

Question 11

What role does the environment play in cancer cell growth?

Answer 11

• pollution
• smoking
• alcohol
• poor nutrition
• occupational exposure

Environmental factors can contribute to cancer cell growth by damaging DNA and promoting tumor growth

Question 12

What are some clinical manifestations of cancer?

Answer 12

• anorexia/cachexia
• bleeding
• immunosuppression
• infections
• weight loss
• fatigue
• pain
• sleep disorders
• paraneoplastic syndromes: caused by cancer
  – may be presenting sign
  – ex: SIADH, Cushing’s, hypercalcemia, venous thrombosis

Question 13

What does carcinogenesis mean?

3 stages

Answer 13

(Formation of a cancer)
initiating event: acquired (environmental) DNA damaging agents
- chemicals
- radiation
- viruses

promotion: activation of growth-promoting oncogenes, inactivation of tumor suppressor genes, alterations in genes that regulate apoptosis

progression: tumor progression -> malignant neoplasm -> invasion and metastasis

Question 14

What are the goals of cancer treatment?

4

Answer 14

• prevention
• cure
• control
• palliation

Question 15

What are the types of cancer treatment? Which ones are local versus systemic therapy?

Answer 15

• surgery (localized)
• radiation therapy (localized)
• chemotherapy (systemic)
• hormones (systemic)
• targeted therapy/biotherapy (systemic)
• immunotherapy (systemic)

Question 16

What are senescent cells?

Answer 16

• increase the development of malignancy
• are cells that have reached a permanent state of growth arrest and are no longer able to divide

Question 17

Epigenetic changes and cancer

Answer 17

• changes in genetic expression rather than DNA sequence can affect efficacy of DNA repair genes
• normally tells genes when to turn on or off
• newer area of cancer research