Lec 15 Cancer

Carcinomas

Epithelial cells

(Lung, Breast, Colon, Bladder, Prostate)

Blastomas

Immature or embryonic tissues

Sarcomas

connective tissues: Fat, Bone, Muscle

Leukemias

Bloodstream

Lymphomas

Lymph nodes

Proto-oncogene

A normal gene that codes for proteins regulating cell growth and differentiation

oncogene

a mutated form of a proto oncogene

ways in which tumor suppressors can become suppressed

Tumor supressor genes usually prevent cancer, mutations in them can cause the cell to ignore inhibitory signs—> Leading to cancer

ways in which proto-oncogenes are converted (activated) to become oncogenes

1)Point mutations

2)Gene amplification

3)Virus (retroviruses that can insert parts of proto oncogenes into host genomes)

4)Chromosomal rearrangements

P53

Involved in a wide range of tumors, inactive or lsot in more than 50% of cancer cells

Codes for cytoplasmic p53 protein that regualtes cell division and apoptosis

Erb-B2

Involved in breast, ovarian and salivary gland cancers

how viral causes of cancer work

Oncogene activated leading to enhanced cell growth

Epstein-Barr virus,

Burkitt’s lymphoma

Hepatitis B virus,

Liver cancer

Human papillomavirus

Cervical cancer

Kaposi’s sarcoma- associated herpesvirus

Kapsoi’s sarcoma

Surgery for cancer

Cancer must be in primary tumor stage and must be able to remove entire tumor without damaging organs

Radiation for cancer

Causes damage to DNA of tumor cells so they die

Few side effects, not painful

Needs presence of O2 to trigger ROS to kill cancer cell DNA

Chemo for cnacer

Complimentary to surgery or radiation

Less useful for larger solid tumors

*Most chemo lacks selectivity for cancer cells and drug resistance is a amjor challenge

Immunologic cancer therapy

Stimulates pt immune system to attack malignant tumor cells

a)vaccinate patients to train body to recognize and kill tumor cells

b)administer antibodies as drugs

Herceptin

Acts on ErbB2 receptor as cancer immunotherapy

Gardasil

vaccine that protects against certain strains of the human papillomavirus (HPV), which is known to cause cervical cance