Cancer Therapy (Huang/Vu) questions
and well explained answers
Cancer Cellular Characteristics ✅✅- Loss of growth control: While normal cells in the
body undergo regulated growth and division, cancer cells lack this control and can
proliferate uncontrollably.
- Resistance to cell death (apoptosis) and Senescence: Cancer cells have devised
strategies to evade apoptosis, which is a natural mechanism for removing defective or
anomalous cells from the body
- Ability to invade surrounding tissues: Cancer cells have the ability to detach from the
primary tumor, infiltrate adjacent tissues and organs, and metastasize to distant parts of
the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
- Angiogenesis: Cancer cells are capable of synthesizing new blood vessels that
provide the tumor with essential oxygen and nutrients
- Abnormal cell morphology: Abnormal cell morphology is a common feature of cancer
cells, manifesting as irregularities in size, shape, and nuclear structure in contrast to
normal cells.
- Cancer cells are usually poorly differentiated.
- Genetic instability: Genetic mutations or abnormalities are frequently observed in
cancer cells, which can lead to increased genetic instability and the potential for further
mutations and growth advantages
Apoptosis ✅✅- Programmed cell death
- Apoptosis is an attractive target for developing new drugs and therapies for various
diseases, such as cancer, where inducing apoptosis in tumor cells is a promising
strategy
Senescence ✅✅A state of permanent cell cycle arrest
Oncogenes ✅✅- Genes that have the potential to cause cancer when mutated or
overexpressed.
- They are normal genes that code for proteins involved in cell growth and division.
However, when these genes are altered or mutated, they can become overactive and
promote uncontrolled cell growth, leading to the development of cancer.
- Proto-oncogenes are normal genes that regulates cell growth and division. When they
are mutated or overexpressed, they can become oncogenes and contribute to the
development of cancer.
Tumor Suppressor Genes ✅✅(=anti-oncogenes)
- Genes that regulate cell growth and prevent the formation of tumors
- Inactivation or mutation of tumor suppressor genes can lead to loss of their function,
resulting in uncontrolled cell growth and division, leading to the development of cancer.
Genetic Testing ✅✅- Tumor Molecular Mutation Testing
- Single vs Panel Testing
, - Predictive vs Prognostic Value
Tumor Molecular Mutation Testing ✅✅- Somatic mutation: mutations detected in
cancer tissue (only tissues derived from mutated cell are affected)
- Germline mutations: mutations usually tested by utilizing blood sample or saliva
sample (Mutation can be passed onto offspring. very cell in the entire organism will be
affected)
Predictive vs Prognostic Value ✅✅Predictive value of biomarkers: information about
the effect of a therapeutic intervention
- Example: Her2-testing, PD-L1 testing
Prognostic value of biomarkers: information about the patients overall cancer outcome,
regardless of therapy
- Example: Ki-67 (a marker of cellular proliferation in cancer cells.)
Single vs Panel Testing ✅✅Single gene testing
Panel gene testing
- Next generation sequencing (NGS)
Basic Tumor Nomenclature ✅✅Epithelial (in skin or, more commonly, the lining of
body organs)
- Benign = "-oma"
- Malignant = "-carcinoma"
Connective tissues or Mesenchymal
- Benign = "-oma"
- Malignant = "-sarcoma"
Doubling Time ✅✅The time it takes to double a tumor mass, this is longer for solid
tumors as compared to hematologic cancer
Malignancy, Neoplasm, Cancer ✅✅Synonyms
Tumor ✅✅Can be benign or malignant, cancer or not cancer
Carcinoma in Situ ✅✅Malignant cellular growth that has not invaded the basement
membrane, a pre-invasive stage
- Stage 0 (zero)
Paraneoplastic ✅✅Syndromes or remote effects of a cancer
and well explained answers
Cancer Cellular Characteristics ✅✅- Loss of growth control: While normal cells in the
body undergo regulated growth and division, cancer cells lack this control and can
proliferate uncontrollably.
- Resistance to cell death (apoptosis) and Senescence: Cancer cells have devised
strategies to evade apoptosis, which is a natural mechanism for removing defective or
anomalous cells from the body
- Ability to invade surrounding tissues: Cancer cells have the ability to detach from the
primary tumor, infiltrate adjacent tissues and organs, and metastasize to distant parts of
the body via the bloodstream or lymphatic system.
- Angiogenesis: Cancer cells are capable of synthesizing new blood vessels that
provide the tumor with essential oxygen and nutrients
- Abnormal cell morphology: Abnormal cell morphology is a common feature of cancer
cells, manifesting as irregularities in size, shape, and nuclear structure in contrast to
normal cells.
- Cancer cells are usually poorly differentiated.
- Genetic instability: Genetic mutations or abnormalities are frequently observed in
cancer cells, which can lead to increased genetic instability and the potential for further
mutations and growth advantages
Apoptosis ✅✅- Programmed cell death
- Apoptosis is an attractive target for developing new drugs and therapies for various
diseases, such as cancer, where inducing apoptosis in tumor cells is a promising
strategy
Senescence ✅✅A state of permanent cell cycle arrest
Oncogenes ✅✅- Genes that have the potential to cause cancer when mutated or
overexpressed.
- They are normal genes that code for proteins involved in cell growth and division.
However, when these genes are altered or mutated, they can become overactive and
promote uncontrolled cell growth, leading to the development of cancer.
- Proto-oncogenes are normal genes that regulates cell growth and division. When they
are mutated or overexpressed, they can become oncogenes and contribute to the
development of cancer.
Tumor Suppressor Genes ✅✅(=anti-oncogenes)
- Genes that regulate cell growth and prevent the formation of tumors
- Inactivation or mutation of tumor suppressor genes can lead to loss of their function,
resulting in uncontrolled cell growth and division, leading to the development of cancer.
Genetic Testing ✅✅- Tumor Molecular Mutation Testing
- Single vs Panel Testing
, - Predictive vs Prognostic Value
Tumor Molecular Mutation Testing ✅✅- Somatic mutation: mutations detected in
cancer tissue (only tissues derived from mutated cell are affected)
- Germline mutations: mutations usually tested by utilizing blood sample or saliva
sample (Mutation can be passed onto offspring. very cell in the entire organism will be
affected)
Predictive vs Prognostic Value ✅✅Predictive value of biomarkers: information about
the effect of a therapeutic intervention
- Example: Her2-testing, PD-L1 testing
Prognostic value of biomarkers: information about the patients overall cancer outcome,
regardless of therapy
- Example: Ki-67 (a marker of cellular proliferation in cancer cells.)
Single vs Panel Testing ✅✅Single gene testing
Panel gene testing
- Next generation sequencing (NGS)
Basic Tumor Nomenclature ✅✅Epithelial (in skin or, more commonly, the lining of
body organs)
- Benign = "-oma"
- Malignant = "-carcinoma"
Connective tissues or Mesenchymal
- Benign = "-oma"
- Malignant = "-sarcoma"
Doubling Time ✅✅The time it takes to double a tumor mass, this is longer for solid
tumors as compared to hematologic cancer
Malignancy, Neoplasm, Cancer ✅✅Synonyms
Tumor ✅✅Can be benign or malignant, cancer or not cancer
Carcinoma in Situ ✅✅Malignant cellular growth that has not invaded the basement
membrane, a pre-invasive stage
- Stage 0 (zero)
Paraneoplastic ✅✅Syndromes or remote effects of a cancer
