Definitions
A substance or agent that can cause cancer by altering cellular metabolism or damaging DNA directly in cells.
What is a carcinogen?
A type of gene that contains mutations that promotes the uncontrolled growth of cancer.
What is an Oncogene?
A group of six characteristic features of cancer originally proposed by Hanahan and Weinberg in 2000.
What are the Hallmarks of Cancer?
A gaseous substance that is inhaled into the lungs and contains over 2000 carcinogens.
What is tobacco smoke?
The theory that cancer develops via the accumulation of multiple genetic mutations and alterations over time, transforming a normal cell into a malignant one.
What is the multistep theory of carcinogenesis?
A gene that when mutated, becomes an oncogene that drives uncontrolled cell division.
What is a proto-oncogene?
A tumour suppressor gene that is commonly mutated in inherited breast cancer.
What is BRACA1 (or BRACA2)?
This Hallmark of cancer enables cells to continue to grow in the absence of growth factors.
What is "sustaining proliferative signalling"?
An oncogenic virus that is commonly associated with cervical cancer.
What is HPV?
The first step in the multi-step theory of carcinogenesis, where a normal cell undergoes a genetic mutation.
What is initiation?
A gene that suppresses the formation of tumours by slowing down cell division, repairing DNA mistakes, or initiating apoptosis if the cell is damaged beyond repair.
What is a tumour suppressor gene?
An enzyme involved in the transfer of phosphate groups to proteins and regulates progression through the cell cycle.
What is a Kinase?
A hallmark of cancer where cancer cells avoid mechanisms that normally limit cell growth, such as contact inhibition.
What is "evasion of growth suppressors"?
A microorganism that causes gastric and duodenal ulcers and is associated with stomach cancer and lymphomas.
What is H. Pylori?
The third leading cancer in Australia, that is an exemplar of the multistep carcinogenesis model.
What is colorectal cancer?
This group of genes regulate programmed cell death, which is essential for removing damaged or unnecessary cells from the organism.
What are apoptosis-related genes?
This important tumour suppressor gene encodes a protein that is responsible for DNA repair and apoptosis.
What is TP53?
The cancer hallmark whereby cells stimulate the formation of new blood vessels to supply the tumour with nutrients and oxygen.
What is "inducing angiogenesis"?
A carcinogen that causes direct DNA damage, including the formation of thymine dimers, which can result in skin cancer.
What is UV radiation (light)?
A step in the multi-step theory of carcinogenesis in which there is selective growth and expansion of initiated cells through enhanced proliferation due to exposure to promoting agents, without directly causing DNA damage.
What is promotion?
A condition of genetic hypermutability that results from impaired DNA mismatch repair, leading to the accumulation of insertion or deletion mutations in microsatellites.
What is microsatellite instability (MSI)?
This group of genes repairs errors that occur during DNA replication, thus maintaining genomic stability and includes MLH1 and MSH2.
What are mismatch repair (MMR) genes?
A cancer hallmark which includes elongation of telomeres, allowing cells to divide indefinitely.
What is "enabling replicative immortality"?
A naturally occurring mineral fibre, used extensively in building materials that when inhaled, can cause chronic inflammation that may lead to mesothelioma.
What is asbestos?
A step in the multi-step theory of carcinogenesis in which further genetic mutations lead to increased malignancy, invasiveness, and the potential for metastasis.
What is progression?