עקרונות בהתפתחות הסרטן

cancer

a large group of disturbances with different causes, treatments, and prognosis. It is caused by a genetic mutation to a cell

neoplasia

growth of new cells that isn’t the same as regular growth or it replaces tissue. It can be benign

ploidy

classifies the number and structure of tumor chromosomes as normal or abnormal. For ex. part of the chromosomes can go onto a different chromosome

carcinogenesis

cancer development. the process of changing a normal cell into a cancer cell

initiation, promotion, progression

the 3 phases of carcinogenesis

initiation

a change in gene expression caused by anything that can damage cellular DNA. It is in this phase that the oncogene is created

promotion

enhanced growth of an initiated cell by promoters. Once a normal cell has been initiated by a carcinogen it can become a tumor

latency time

time between the initiation phase and the development of the cancer disease

progression

the continued change of a cancer making it more malignant over time. After cancer cells have grown into a tumor, another event must occur for it to become a health problem

invasion, angiogenesis, metastasis

phases of the progression phase of carcinogenesis

benign tumor cell

a cell that grew at the wrong time or in the wrong place but the cell looks like the original cell and works accordingly. It won’t move around and will know how to stay in the tissue

anaplasia

characteristic of a cancerous cell. the cell loses its similarity to the original cells

cancer cell charachterisitics

anaplasia, enlarged nucleus, doesn’t fill proper role, fast division, it will move around between tissues, doesn’t undergo apoptosis

primary tumor

the original tumor that developed from the tissue. It can enlarge and push the tissue

secondary tumor

metastasis. The cancer cells move out of the original tissue to surrounding tissues

Grading

classifies the cellular aspects of the cancer

poorly diffrentiated

the cancer cell barely looks like the original cell. This is considered a high grade

well diffrentiated

the cells look like adult cells from the original tissue. this is considered a low grade

staging

classifies the clinical aspects of the cancer.

Tumor size, Lymph node involvement, Metastases

TMN classification of staging

3 factors that effect carcinogenesis

exposure to carcinogens, genetic changes, immune system

oncogene activation

the main mechanism of carcinogenesis

TAA

these proteins sit on cancerous cells. They can be identified by T lymphocytes so the immune system will know to attack them. Some cancer cells know how to hide this protein

causes of cancer

smoking, alcohol, radiation, chronic disease, viruses that damage suppressor genes, low fiber diet, red meat, age, genetics, immunocompromised, socioeconomic status

primary prevention of cancer

protection from the sun, avoid smoking, proper protection at work, decreasing risk factors, aspirin, celecoxib, vitamin D, HPV vaccine

secondary prevention of cancer

mamography, colonoscopy, genetic testing

tertiary prevention of cancer

preventing the disease from getting worse and development of a new disease