19. Cancer Genetics

Overview of Cancer

Multiple Choice
Which of the following are enzymes are responsible for controlling the cell cycle?
Open Question
In this chapter, we focused on cancer as a genetic disease, with an emphasis on the relationship between cancer, the cell cycle, and DNA damage, as well as on the multiple steps that lead to cancer. At the same time, we found many opportunities to consider the methods and reasoning by which much of this information was acquired. From the explanations given in the chapter,

How do we know that cancer cells contain defects in DNA repair?
Open Question
In this chapter, we focused on cancer as a genetic disease, with an emphasis on the relationship between cancer, the cell cycle, and DNA damage, as well as on the multiple steps that lead to cancer. At the same time, we found many opportunities to consider the methods and reasoning by which much of this information was acquired. From the explanations given in the chapter,

How do we know that cancer development requires more than one mutation?
Open Question
In this chapter, we focused on cancer as a genetic disease, with an emphasis on the relationship between cancer, the cell cycle, and DNA damage, as well as on the multiple steps that lead to cancer. At the same time, we found many opportunities to consider the methods and reasoning by which much of this information was acquired. From the explanations given in the chapter,

How do we know that malignant tumors arise from a single cell that contains mutations?
Open Question
A tumor is a growing mass of abnormal cells.What must happen for a benign tumor to become malignant?
Open Question
A tumor is a growing mass of abnormal cells.Give an example from this chapter of a benign tumor that becomes a malignant tumor.
Open Question
A tumor is a growing mass of abnormal cells.Describe the difference between a benign tumor and a malignant tumor.
Open Question
For the retinal cancer retinoblastoma, the inheritance of one mutated copy of RB1 from one of the parents is often referred to as a mutation that produces a 'dominant predisposition to cancer.' This means that the first mutation does not produce cancer but makes it very likely that cancer will develop.Define the 'two-hit hypothesis' for retinoblastoma.
Open Question
Where are the major regulatory points in the cell cycle?
Open Question
List the functions of kinases and cyclins, and describe how they interact to cause cells to move through the cell cycle.
Open Question
What is the difference between saying that cancer is inherited and saying that the predisposition to cancer is inherited?
Open Question
As a genetic counselor, you are asked to assess the risk for a couple with a family history of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) who are thinking about having children. Neither the husband nor the wife has colorectal cancer, but the husband has a sister with FAP. What is the probability that this couple will have a child with FAP? Are there any tests that you could recommend to help in this assessment?
Open Question
What is apoptosis, and under what circumstances do cells undergo this process?
Open Question
Go to the website http://www.cancer.gov and select 'Cancer Types' on the top menu bar. Scroll down to 'Breast Cancer' and click. Select 'Cases & Prevention' from the options. Click 'More information' and select 'BRCA Mutations: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing'. Use the information on this page to answer the following questions.As a special project, instead of selecting 'Breast Cancer' from the list of types of cancer, select another cancer you would like to know more about and produce a short summary of what you find.
Open Question
What kind of information will be made available by The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA)? What sort of role do you think TCGA information will play in cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment in the future?