Immunology: Chapter 21: Cancer And The Immune System

Front 1

What is a neoplasm?

Back 1

Clones of cells that can grow to considerable size resulting in a tumor.

Front 2

Define benign?

Back 2

Tumor not capable or indefinite growth and does not invade healthy tissue.

Front 3

Define malignant?

Back 3

Continuously and invasively growing tumor.

Front 4

Define metastasis?

Back 4

Dislodgement of cells from a cancer that are carried to other tissues through lymph or blood.

Front 5

How are malignancies classified?

Back 5

Malignancies are classified by embryonic origin of the tissue from which the tumor derived.

Front 6

Carcinomas comprise what % of all cancers?

Back 6

80% of all cancers.

Front 7

Carcinomas arise from what tissues?

Back 7

Arise from endodermal or ectodermal tissues.

Front 8

Carcinomas observed where?

Back 8

Colon, breast, prostate, lung, skin, glands.

Front 9

What are leukemias?

Back 9

Tumor of hematopoietic cells.

Front 10

What percentage of cancer in the US are hematopoietic in origin (so leukemias)?

Back 10

9% or cancer incidence in the US.

Front 11

How do leukemias proliferate?

Back 11

They proliferate as single cells.

Front 12

Lymphomas are what in origin?

Back 12

Lymphomas are hematopoietic in origin.

Front 13

How do lymphomas proliferate?

Back 13

As tumor masses

Front 14

What are sarcomas derived from?

Back 14

Derived from mesodermal connective tissues.

Front 15

Where are sarcomas derived from?

Back 15

Bone, fat, cartilage.

Front 16

What % of cancer in the US are sarcomas?

Back 16

1%

Front 17

Which of the cancers mentioned is the most difficult to treat?

Back 17

Sarcoma is the most difficult to treat by far.

Front 18

The malignant transformation of cells can be induced how?

Back 18

Experimentally

Front 19

What can alter morphology and growth properties of cells?

Back 19

Chemical carcinogens, irradiation and certain viruses can alter morphology and growth properties of cells. Involves:

-DNA alkylating agents cross-link
-UV light
-Ionizing radiation
-Polyoma and SV40 viruses

Front 20

When cells have been malignantly transformed what do they have decreased?

Back 20

They have decreased reqts for growth factors and serum. So they can survive on less than a normal cell.

Front 21

Cells that have been malignantly transformed can grow in what kind of pattern?

Back 21

Grown in a density independent pattern. This means that they will grow on top of eachother. There is no contact disposition so cells don't stop growing when they hit the edge of the petri dish.

Front 22

Cells that have been malignantly transformed can be subcultured how?

Back 22

Can be subcultured indefinitely (immortal, live forever)

Front 23

Some human cancers can be linked to what?

Back 23

Viral infections

Front 24

List 5 human cancers that can be linked to viral infections?

Back 24

1. Adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (from human T-cell leukemia virus-1 (HTLV-1), not common)

2. Kaposi's Sarcoma (human herpes virus-8, HIV-1)

3. Cervical Carcinoma (HPV)

4. Some liver carcinomas (hepatitis B-virus)

5. Burkitt's lymphoma (Epstein-Barr virus (EBV))

Front 25

What are oncogenes?

Back 25

Genes that cause the transformation of normal cells into cancerous tumor cells, especially a viral gene that transforms a host cell into a tumor cell.

Front 26

Viral and cellular oncogens are highly what?

Back 26

They are highly conserved in nature.

Front 27

Cellular oncogenes consist of what?

Back 27

They consist of a series of exons and introns. (these exist in everyone and play a role in normal growth)

Front 28

Viral oncogenes consist of uninterrupted what?

Back 28

Uninterrupted coding sequences suggesting an intermediate RNA transcript.

Front 29

Both cellular and viral oncogenes are derived from what?

Back 29

Both are derived from cellular oncogenes encoding various growth controlling proteins.

Front 30

Cellular homeostasis is a process that balances what?

Back 30

Cellular homeostasis is a process balancing cell proliferation with cell death.

Front 31

In cellular homeostatis what genes regulate the balance?

Back 31

Oncogenese and tumor suppressor genes regulate the balance.

Front 32

How do oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes regulate the balance of cell death and proliferation?

Back 32

1. Induction of cell proliferation

2. Inhibition of cel proliferation

3. Regulation of programmed cell death.

Front 33

What is p53?

Back 33

A cancer associated gene. It is a nuclear phosphoprotein that inhibits the formation of small-cell lung cancer and colon cancers.

Front 34

What is bcl-2?

Back 34

A cancer-associated gene. Suppressor of apoptosis.

Front 35

What are the two types of genetic damage found within cancer cells?

Back 35

1. Dominant

2. Recessive

Front 36

Describe dominant genetic damage found in cancer cells?

Back 36

1. Proto-oncogenes (a gene whose protein content has the capacity to induce cellular transformation it it sustains some genetic insult)

2. Activation of proto-oncogene to oncogene includes retroviral transduction, point mutations, insertion mutations, gene amplification, chromosomal translocation. (just know that you will get a neoplasm)

Front 37

Describe recessive genetic damage found in cancer cells?

Back 37

Tumor suppressors, growth suppressors, recessive oncogenes.

Front 38

Proto-oncogenes can convert to what?

Back 38

They can convert to oncogenes.

Front 39

Mutations can cause what?

Back 39

Qualitatively different gene products.

Front 40

What can DNA amplification or translocation result in?

Back 40

DNA amplification or translocation can result in increased or decreased gene product expression.