Lecture notes from Imperial College London, Medical Biosciences BSc, 2nd year, Cancer Biology (CBIO) module
learning outcomes:
- Define key terms relating to cancer (words to describe cancer and cancer-related processes)
- Explain the differences between a normal cell and a cancer cell
- Ou...
Introduction to hallmarks of cancer
- properties that normal cells acquire that enable them to become malignant
What is cancer?
- cancer = group of diseases in which cells divide & grow uncontrollably, invading other parts of body
swelling
=> if forms a mass (growth in solid tissue): forms a tumour = neoplasm
- malignant tumour (cancer) = can invade other parts of the body abnormal
e
- benign tumour (not cancer) = nonmalignant (grow but do not spread to other parts of the body)
- neoplasia = new, abnormal growth of tissue
- metastasis = movement of cancer cells (extravasation: movement out of a blood vessel into tissue)
2
- somatic mutation = mutation after conception => only passed on to daughter cells
- germline mutation = passed on to all cells of offspring intravasation:
- apoptosis = programmed cell death movement of cancer
- angiogenesis = new blood vessels formed, branching from existing ones cells into the blood/
- biomarker = molecule informative about the presence/ extent of a disease lymph sys.
- biopsy = sample of cells/ tissue removed for disease examination
- carcinogen = substance, exposure to which increases the risk of cancer
How common is cancer?
- 1/2 to 1/3 lifetime risk of developing cancer BUT depends on age, sex, location, ethnicity...
- 10-year-survival rate across all cancers is 50%
- lung cancer = most common cancer killer (20% of cancer deaths)
- deaths from cancer are decreasing
- ~28% deaths in the UK are due to cancer
- ~15% of cancers in the UK are due to tobacco (active or passive)
Development of cancer is a multistep process
- incidence increases w/ age: accumulated damage
- cells with mutations repaired/ apoptosis
=> transformation: 3 to 7 genetic alterations occur for
normal cells to become cancerous
, Cancer is not a single disease
- approximately 200 cancer types ⑲
- carcinomas (80-90% diagnoses): epithelial
cells covering external (skin cancer) or internal
(adenocarcinomas) surfaces
=> squamous cell carcinoma: lungs
=> ductal carcinoma in situ (breast cancer)
=> colon cancer
=> papillary transitional cell carcinoma (bladder)
=> prostate cancer
- sarcomas (rare): from supporting tissues (bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissues, muscle...)
=> mixed myeloid liposarcoma: fat
=> fibrosarcoma: fibrous tissue around muscles
=> Ewing’s sarcoma: bone
⑳ - lymphomas (common in children & young adults): from lymphocytes
=> Hodgkin’s lymphoma (large, multinucleated ‘Reed-Sternberg’ lymphocytes): start in lymphatic s.
E => non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (common) => B-cell and T-cell lymphoma: start in the WBCs
ex: Burkitt lymphoma
- myelomas: many & abnormal antibody-producing B plasma cells (start in bone marrow)
8 - leukaemias: immature blood cells from the bone marrow accumulate in the blood, few RBCs
=> acute leukaemia = aggressive, very quick (produces very immature WBCs)
=> chronic leukaemia = less aggressive, slow (produces slightly immature WBCs)
=> lymphocytic leukaemia = affects lymphocytes (B & T)
=> myelogenous leukaemia = affects myeloid cells (RBCs, WBCs, platelets) solid
can
form
tumour (cancerous
lymphocytes accumulate
nodes ...)
in
organs, lymph
- central nervous system tumours (brain & spinal cord)
=> glioma: glial cells brain
- germ cells tumours: pluripotent cells within gonads
=> ovarian cancers
=> seminoma: testicle tumour
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