Malignant Diseases and Carcinogenesis

Vocabulary flashcards covering the causes, infectious links, mechanisms, and classification of malignant diseases based on lecture notes.

Germline cells

Sperm and egg cells which, if mutated, can pass on genetic mutations and potentially cause cancer in future generations.

Infectious agents

Agents related to $16\%$ of cancers, often associated with chronic inflammation or the encoding of at least 1 oncogene.

HBV and HCV

Viruses associated with the development of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Herpes virus

Virus associated with Burkitt’s lymphoma, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, and gastric carcinoma.

HPV strains

Papillomaviruses associated with anogenital, head, neck, and skin cancers.

Dysbiosis

An imbalance of normal microflora which, along with inflammation, acts as a cofactor for cancer progression in oncogenic viruses.

H. Pylori

A bacteria with class I carcinogen status associated with gastric carcinoma and lymphoma.

IL-B1

A cytokine produced by H. Pylori-infected dendritic cells that contributes to the initial inflammatory response in gastric carcinogenesis.

Intestinal metaplasia

A step in gastric carcinogenesis where cells differentiate into pre-cancerous cell types.

Genomic instability

A state caused by ROS and nitrogen species that leads to DNA cross-links or breaks, resulting in mutations within oncogenes and tumour suppressing genes.

NF-kB

A transcription factor that induces expression of anti-apoptosis ($Bcl-2$/$Bcl-xL$), cell proliferation (cyclin D), and angiogenesis ($VEGF$).

Leukaemia

Blood cancers characterized by the production of blasts, which are undifferentiated white blood cells.

Solid tumours

Abnormal masses of tissue that usually do not contain cysts or liquid areas.

Benign tumours

Encapsulated and non-invasive solid tumours.

Malignant tumours

Tumours able to invade tissues and undergo metastasis.

Metastasis

The process where cancer breaks off from a primary tumour and spreads to other body parts to form new tumours.

Sarcomas

Cancers originating in connective tissues, such as bone or muscle.

Carcinomas

Cancers originating in epithelial cells.

Lymphomas

Cancers of the lymphoid organs, such as the spleen and lymph nodes.

Contact inhibition

A regulatory process lost in malignant cells, causing them to grow in multiple layers and exhibit uncontrolled growth.

Angiogenesis

The formation of new blood vessels to allow nutrients and oxygen to reach the tumour.