Understanding Cancer

From DNA to Cell Cycle to Tumor

Cancer cells: cervical cancer

What causes cancer?

What do you know about cancer cells?

Based on what you know, develop a plan for how to learn more about cancer.

Cell Cycle Fail: Cancer

Why does that occur?

Mutations to DNA that control proteins

particularly proteins that regulate the cell cycle

AND, repair systems in cell fail

Mutations from:

Inherited gene
Carcinogen Virus

Pedigree

Is this cancer genetic?

Genetic Risk factors

Inherit one damaged copy of a gene

Plus: environmental exposure to carcinogen

Risk Factors for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations

If you have NOT had breast or ovarian cancer Breast cancer by age 50 Breast cancer by age 70 Mutation Carrier 33-50% 56-87% General Population 2% 7%

Ovarian cancer by age 70

Male breast cancer by age 70 If you HAVE had breast cancer Ovarian cancer Breast cancer after 5 years

27-44%
6% Mutation Carrier 15% 27%

<2%
0.05% General Population not available 3.5%

Breast cancer by age 70

64%

11%

Data comes from Myriad Genetic Laboratories

Carcinogens

Known carcinogens:

tobacco
asbestos formaldehyde Radiation - UV, x-ray, etc.

Carcinogens

Cause mutations in cells Questions: Will these mutations be passed on? What conditions must be met for a mutation from a carcinogen be passed on?

http://www.cancer.gov/newscenter/cancer-and-the-environment

Risk Factors for Cancer

Exposure to carcinogens Lifestyle

Cancers from Viruses

HPV: Cervical Cancer & Oral Cancers

http://www.cdc.gov/std/stats09/figures/48.htm

Rates of HPV infection:

Men are much more likely to have an oral HPV infection than women (10.1 percent vs. 3.6 percent). And people who have had more sex partners and more frequent sex are more likely to be positive for HPV. - according to a study in JAMA: http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2012/01/27/145958225/study-1-in-14-people-has-oral-hpv-infection

Other oncoviruses

Hepatitis B & Hepatitis C - liver cancer

Viral DNA or RNA causes a protein to be expressed which can lead to cancer.
Cancer is not a typical response to viral infection

http://www.nature.com/nrc/journal/v3/n1/images/nrc967-f1.jpg

Cells to tumors (neoplasm)

Benign tumor: warts

Malignant tumor - invasive=cancer

metastasis: cells break off and travel

Age - cancer cells are common, but dont become tumors

How to study cancer

WAYS WE STUDY CANCER

Epidemiologic studies
Animal studies Cell line studies DNA sequencing analysis - Genetic