Cancer Quiz

Categories of cancer

behavioral, genetic, environmental

behavioral cancer

what someone does, habits
smoking, unhealthy diet, dugs/alcohol

environmental cancer

where you live, job, the world surrounding you
excessive UV, radiation, volcano, nuclear

genetic cancer

passed through genes, hereditary
age, sex, BRCA-1,2 mutation

sporadic cancer

Cancer occurring occasionally, singly, or in scattered instances

Familial Cancer

Cancer that occurs in families more often than would be expected by chance. These cancers often occur at an early age, and may indicate the presence of a gene mutation that increases the risk of cancer. They may also be a sign of shared environmental or lifestyle factors.

Hereditary Cancer

An inherited disorder in which affected individuals have a higher-than-normal chance of developing certain types of cancer, often before the age of 50

Viruses that cause cancer

HPV, EBV, HBV, HCV

Human Papillomavirus (HPV)

sexually transmitted infection
causes abnormal cells to start growing and eventually can turn into cancer
main cause - cervical cancer
linked to throat and mouth cancer
vaccine available to protect against 4 types of virus

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)

type of herpes virus known for causing infectious mononucleosis (mono)
infects and stays in B lymphocytes
infection increases a person's risk of developing nasopharyngeal cancer and Burkitt lymphoma
linked to Hodgkin diseases and stomach cancer
no meds or vaccine available

Hepatitis B and C virus (HBV, HCV)

cause liver infection
long term infection increases the change of developing liver cancer
vaccine for HBV prevention
few meds available that are effective in treating both

surgery (cancer)

-majority of patients with solid tumors are treated surgically
-main benefit: removal of tumor with minimal damage to other body cells
-stage 1
-side effects: pain, infection, bleeding, fatigue, blood clots

chemotherapy

drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill fast-growing cells in your body
given through IV, pill, capsule, liquid, shot, cream
to stop, cure, or slow cancer progression
side effects- tiredness, sickness, hair loss, infection, anemia, bruising, soreness, bleeding

radiation therapy

uses high does of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
beams of intense energy to kill cells precisely aimed
often x-rays
used before surgery to shrink tumor or afterwards to stop growth of remaining cells
side effects- headaches, blurry vision, hair loss, fatigue, nausea, skin changes

immunotherapy

use of immune cells, antibodies, or vaccines to treat or prevent disease
uses substances to stimulate or suppress immune system to help body fight cancer
used in late stages
side effects: fever, chills, weakness, dizziness, nausea, muscle aches, fatigue, headaches

targeted therapy

targets proteins that control how cancer cells grow, divide, and spread
small molecule drugs (pills, capsules, needle to blood)
used when other treatments are not effective
used if cancer is coming from a certain area or drug
side effects- high blood pressure, fatigue, mouth sores, nail changes, loss of hair color, skin problems

hormone therapy

adjust hormones that cause certain cancers
take meds to replace estrogen
used when its specific to hormone related cancers
side effects- hot flashes, decreased sexual desire, bone density loss, fatigue, memory problems, weight gain

stem cell transplant

healthy stem cells replace damaged stem cells
used when bone marrow is damaged and can no longer produce healthy blood cells
side effects: mouth pain, nausea, infections, bleeding, graft failure, lung problems

precision medicine

designed to optimize efficiency or therapeutic benefit for particular groups of patients using genetic or molecular profiling
uses info about patients own genes or proteins to treat cancer
preventative-usually
used when there is a history, family, or specific genes

SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphisms)

variations in the DNA sequence that occur when a single nucleotide in the genome is altered

BRCA1 and BRCA2

breast cancer 1 and 2 - genetic mutations associated with increased risk for breast cancer

Yeast as a model organism

Unicellular, easy to grow in labs
Thousands of mutant lines available to study gene function
Used to study the cell cycle and protein-protein interactions
Shares chromosomes features with humans

myoelectric prosthetics

use muscle activity from the remaining limb for the control of joint movement

Biofeedback therapy

The technique of making unconscious or involuntary bodily processes perceptible to the senses in order to manipulate them by conscious mental control