What is Cancer?
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What is cancer?
Group of diseases characterised by uncontrolled proliferation and spread of abnormal cells
The abnormal cancerous cells do 3 things, which are what?
• Proliferate to form tumours • Invade neighbouring tissues • Spread through body to form distant tumours
What is a tumour?
Mass of tissue formed by growth of new cells
What are the classified terms for cancer according to the following tissues of origin? • epithelial • connective • lymphoid • blood
• epithelial = carcinoma • connective = sarcoma • lymphoid = lymphoma • blood cells + blood forming cells = leukaemia
What is the commonest type of human cancer and why?
• Carcinomas • Bc actively dividing cells • Most exposed to external “insult”
What is the (4 stage) process that normal cells undergo, which is under tight control?
• Growth • Maturation • Perform function • Cell death
What is different in cancer cells in terms of the normal cell life process?
• Increased cell growth + proliferation (in absence of stimuli) • Decreased cell death • Decreased cell maturation (“decreased differentiation”)
What is an adenoma?
Non-malignant tumour of glandular epithelium
What is a benign tumour?
• non-invase • growth usually self-limiting • some can develop into malignant cancers (most don’t) • can be dangerous if it presses on a vital structure
What is the difference between benign and malignant?
• BENIGN = margins of tumour well-defined, growth entirely local • MALIGNANT = margins poorly defined, cancerous cells extend into/invade/destroy surrounding tissues
What 3 characteristics are looked into when diagnosing cancer, in terms of histopathology?
• abormalities of cells (cytology) • abnormalities of tissue structure • evidence of invasiveness
What is meant by ‘metastases’?
• cancer becomes invasive, eats way through basement membrane • local spread via lymphatic system to regional lymph nodes • distant spread via blood circulation • cancer cells establish new tumours in other parts of body called metastases
What are the commonest cancers diagnosied in the UK in men and women?
MEN = prostate, lung, colorectal, bladder WOMEN = breast, colorectal, lung, ovary, uterus
What are the commonest causes of cancer death in the UK in 2010 in men and women?
MEN = lung, prostate, large bowel, oeseophageal WOMEN = lung, breast, large bowel, ovary
What are risk factors for cancer?
• Age - inc # of mutations over time • Chemical factors - cause mutations • Physical factors - cause mutations • Viral factors • Hormonal factors - inc cell turnover -> inc mutation rate • Genetics - defect in DNA repair
Smoking is a ‘chemical’ risk factor for cancer - which cancers in particular?
• Lung • Oral cavity • Larynx • Bladder • Oesophageal
Name 2 physical risk factors for cancer
• Ionizing radiation • Solar radiation
What are 2 viral risk factors for cancer?
• HPV • HIV
What causes cancer?
• mutations in genes within cancer cells • dysregulation of genes within cancer cells • genetic - but mostly somatic mutation, not inherited • several mutations needed for full malignancy