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Opt 211 Pathology
Cancer
53
Other
Not Applicable
10/29/2007

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Cards

Term
Is cancer a single disease?
Definition

No, it is a group of 200 different and distinctive diseases

Term
Are most cancers a one point phenomenon?
Definition
No, multiple events have to occur in order for cancer to come on board
Term
Why are older people more likely to get cancer?
Definition
the changes that take place within a cell to become cancerous take a long time to develop
Term
Is most breast cancer due to genetic factors?
Definition
No, although women who carry the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene are individually more likely to get breast cancer, most breast cancer is not caused by these genes.  Indeed many women have breast cancer and do not possess this genetic predisposition.
Term
Is how we should alter our diets to prevent cancer clear?
Definition
No
Term
What cancer is linked to the genital wart virus, HPV?
Definition
cervical
Term

What cancer is linked to hepatitis B virus?

Definition
liver
Term
What cancer is linked to the Human T cell leukemia virus in adults?
Definition
T cell leukaemia
Term
Can you be infected with a cancer causing virus and not get cancer?
Definition
Yes
Term
What are some of the general signs of cancer?
Definition
unexplained weight loss, fever, fatigue, pain, and skin changes
Term
What are the top two metastatic choroidal tumours?
Definition
1.  Breast cancer
2.  lung cancer
Term
Are most ocular tumours primary to the eye?
Definition
No, only about 5%.  Most ocular tumours metastatized from other tissues.
Term
Where does DNA damage occur in the development of neoplasm?
Definition
the growth control gene
Term
What is the progressive, purposeless, pathologic, proliferation of cells?
Definition
neoplasia
Term
What are cancers that arise from the epithelium called?
Definition
carcinomas
Term
What are cancers that arise from mesenchyme/mesoderm called? 
Definition
sarcomas
Term
What is a benign tumour of the glandular epithelial tissue?
Definition
adenoma
Term
What is a malignant tumour of the glandular epithelial tissue?
Definition
adenocarcinoma
Term
What is a malignant tumour of the epithelial tissue?
Definition
carcinoma
Term
What is a benign tumor of bone tissue?
Definition
osteoma
Term
What is a malignant tumour of mesenchymal origin?
Definition
sarcoma
Term
What is a benign microscopic or macroscopic fingerlike projection growing on a surface?
Definition
papilloma
Term
When cancer cells do not look like the tissue you have seen is the grade higher or lower?
Definition
Higher and indicative of a more advanced cancer
Term
What protein can trigger cell suicide?
Definition
p53
Term
What is the downside to anti VEGF therapy?
Definition
It doubles the risk of myocardial infarction by increasing areterial thromboembolytic events.
Term
What type of conditions in a tumor trigger angiogenesis?
Definition
Hypoxia triggers angiogenesis throguh H1F1alpha
Term

What ability does the VHL gene possess that enables it to suppress tumours?

Definition

VHL degrades H1F1alpha and thus prevents angiogenesis

Term
How many copies of a tumor supressor gene must be lost in order for a tumor to develop?
Definition
2, unlike oncogenes which only require one copy be lost
Term

Mitochondrial outer membrane permeabilization is regulated by the blaance between which two pro-apoptotic molecules?  Which anti-apoptotic molecules?

Definition
BAX and BAK are pro-apoptotic molecules

BCL2 and BCL-XL are anti-apoptotic molecules
Term
How are 85% of follicular B-cell lymphomas caused?
Definition
The anti-apoptotic gene BCL2 is activated by the t(8;14) translocation
Term
What angiogenesis inhibitor does p53 induce the synthesis of?
Definition
thrombospondin-1
Term
What are the four steps to invading tissues taken by malignant cells?
Definition
1.  loosening of the cell-cell contacts
        lost through the inactivation of e-cadherin through a variety of pathways

2.  degradation of the ECM
      mediated by a variety of proteolytic enzymes such as MMPs and cathepsins secreted by tumor and stromal cells

3   Attachment to novel ECM components

4.  Migration of the tumor cells
Term
What mechanism predominantly mediates anti-tumor activity?
Definition
cell mediated mechanism (remember the T cells of cell mediated vs. the B cells of humoral immunity)
Term
Tumor antigens are present on the cell surface by _______ molecules and are recognized by ________ and ______. 
Definition
Tumor antigens are presented on the cell surface by MHC class I molecules and are recognized by CD8 and CTLs
Term
How do tumor cells avoid the immune system in immunocompetent patients?
Definition
1)  Selective outgrowth of antigen-negative variants
2)  loss or reduced expression of histocompatibility antigens
3)  immunosuppression by secretion of factor TGF-Beta from the tumor
Term
What is the profound loss of body fat and lean body mass, accompanied by profound weakness, anorexia, and anemia?
Definition
cachexia
Term
What causes cachexia?
Definition
the release of cytokines from the tumor or host
Term
What syndrome is defined by systemic symptoms that cannot be explained by tumor spread or by hormones appropriate to the tissue?
Definition
Parneoplastic syndrome
Term
What causes paraneoplastic syndrome?
Definition

Ectopic production and secretion of bioactive substances, such as ACTH, PTHrP, or TGF-alpha

Term
Which type of tumor grading is based on how much the tumor cells have differentiated (meaning a less differentiated tumor is more aggressive)?
Definition
grading
Term
What type of grading of a tumor is based on size, local and regional lymph node spread, and distant metastases, and is determined by surgical exploration or imaging?
Definition
Staging
Term
Which has greater clinical value, staging or grading?
Definition
Staging
Term
What is the stepwise accumulation of mutations and incrasing malignancy?
Definition
tumor progression
Term

How many classes of genes have incurred mutations in a cell for a tumor to arise from a clonal growth of this cell?

Definition

Tumors arise from clonal growth of cells that have incurred mutations in four classes of genes.

1)  Genes that regulate cell growth
     Proto-oncogenes

     Tumor Supressor genes

2)  Genes that regulate apoptosis
     Genes that regulate DNA repair

Term
What are mutated or overly expressed cellular genes that are normally involved in cell growth and differentiation?
Definition
oncogenes
Term
What is the loss of structural and function differentiation of normal cells? 
Definition
dedifferentiation, oanaplasia "to form backward."
Term

Are cancers that result from stem cells due to dedifferentiation?

Definition
No they are due to failure of differentiation
Term
What are the three pathways by which malignant neoplasms spread?
Definition
1)  seeding within body cavities
2)  ymphatic spread
3)  hematogenous spread
Term
What type of malignant neoplasms spread by seeding with body cavities? 
Definition
Cancers of the ovary, which often cover the peritoneal surfaces widely
Term
What type of malignant neoplasms are associated with lymphatic spread?
Definition
carcinomas
Term
What type of malignant neopplasms are associated with hematogenous spreading?
Definition
sarcomas
Term
What is the first lymph node in a regional lymphatic basin that receives lymph flow from a primary tumor?
Definition
sentinal lymph node
Term
What is biopsy and injection of blue dyes or radiolabelled tracers of the sentinal lymph node used for?
Definition
to deermine the extent of spread of a tumor and to plan treatment
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