What is cancer?
Genetic disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade other tissues
Tumor
Mass of tissue that results from growth of the abnormal cells that serves no physiological function
Benign tumor properties
Malignant tumor properties
Two fundamental properties of cancer cells
- metastatic spread
Multi-step concept of Carcinogenesis
Cancer does not occur after a single genetic change
Clonal
Originated from a common ancestral cell that accumulated numerous specific mutations. All cancer cells in primary and secondary tumors are this
Types of genomic alterations associated with cancer
Causes of cancer
what are Carcinogens
chemicals, radiation, and some viruses
How can DNA mutations result in abnormal cell proliferation
What happens normally vs cancer cells
normally if DNA damage is so severe that repair is impossible, the cell may initiate apoptosis, or programmed cell death. Cancer cells dont obey these rules
Two ways mutations in genes can lead to uncontrolled cell proliferation
- make inhibitory genes inactive (tumor suppressor genes)
Oncogenes
Tumor Suppressor Genes
Gatekeeper
Tumor suppressor genes that controls cell growth
Caretaker
Tumor suppressor gene that protects integrity of genome
Sporadic cancer
Two acquired mutations in SAME cell
Hereditary cancer
- 2nd mutation is acquired (in any cell)
DNA repair genes
Base excision repair
Removal of abnormal bases
Nucleotide excision repair
Removal of pyrimidine dimers, large chemical adducts
Mismatch repair
Corrects mismatched bases caused by mistakes in DNA replication
How to metastasize from primary tumor
Cancer cell must digest components of EM and basal lamina that normally inhibit migration of cells