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Questions and Answers
What is the relative risk of developing lung cancer for a person who smokes compared to a person who does not smoke?
What is the main challenge in removing a tumor through surgery?
What is the goal of radiation and chemotherapy in cancer treatment?
Why is it difficult to kill all dividing cells in cancer treatment?
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What is a challenge in using chemotherapy to treat cancer?
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Why does using multiple drugs in chemotherapy decrease the risk of relapse?
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What is a common problem with cancer treatment?
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What can happen if a person with cancer undergoes chemotherapy and the cancer seems to disappear?
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What is a challenge in treating metastatic tumors?
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What is a goal of cancer treatment with multiple drugs?
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Study Notes
Understanding Cancer
- Cancer comprises over 100 diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell division.
- It can emerge in almost any tissue, but underlying mechanisms are similar across different cancer types.
- Initiation occurs when a single cell undergoes a genetic mutation, losing regulatory control.
Cell Division in Cancer
- Normal cells require a signal to progress from the G1 stage to the S phase.
- Cancer cells proceed to the S phase autonomously, leading to unchecked proliferation.
- Normal cells have a limited lifespan (about 50 divisions), while cancer cells exhibit immortality, dividing indefinitely.
- Damaged normal cells typically self-destruct via the p53 gene, which cancer cells may lack or disregard.
Types of Cancer
- Hematologic cancers include leukemia, lymphoma, and multiple myeloma, affecting blood cells.
- Solid tumors occur in organs or tissues, with common types being:
- Breast cancer: invasive ductal and lobular carcinoma
- Skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, melanoma
- Bone cancer: osteosarcoma, chondrosarcoma, Ewing sarcoma
- Pancreatic cancer: exocrine and neuroendocrine types
Cancer Risk Factors
- Everyone faces a risk of cancer, indicated by lifetime risk estimates.
- In the U.S., men have a 1 in 2 and women a 1 in 3 chance of developing cancer in their lifetime.
- Individual risks can vary based on specific exposures or characteristics.
Carcinogenesis
- Cancer initiates when cells abandon normal division controls, proliferating abnormally.
- Tumors can be categorized as:
- In situ: localized and contained within the original tissue
- Invasive: spreading to nearby tissues and potentially malignant
Cancer Progression
- Mutations in oncogenes trigger cancer development, influenced by radiation and carcinogens.
- Tumors require a blood supply for growth, a process known as angiogenesis.
- Once vascularized, tumors can grow significantly and lead to metastasis, whereby cancer cells spread to other body parts.
Stages of Tumor Development
- Tumor formation involves stages influenced by genetic mutations:
- Initial mutation increases division likelihood.
- Hyperplasia occurs as affected cells proliferate excessively.
- Dysplasia appears as cells become abnormal in behavior and structure.
- If localized, termed in situ cancer; if invasive, malignant with potential for metastasis.
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Description
This quiz covers the basics of cancer, a group of over 100 diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell division. Learn about the common features of cancer and its development in various body tissues.
