Cancer Biology and Pathophysiology Flashcards

Which cancer screening test detects precancerous lesions and is recommended for cervical cancer prevention?

Answer: Papanicolaou (Pap) smear and HPV testing

Pap smear and co-testing with HPV detection identify cervical dysplasia before it progresses to invasive cancer, making cervical cancer highly preventable.

The immune system recognizes cancer cells through a process called immune surveillance. Which cells are the primary cancer-killing effectors?

Answer: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CD8+ T cells) and natural killer (NK) cells

CD8+ cytotoxic T cells and NK cells are the primary immune effectors that recognize and destroy cancer cells expressing tumor-associated antigens.

Which process allows cancer cells to invade surrounding tissues by breaking down the extracellular matrix?

Answer: Matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) secretion

Cancer cells secrete matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) that degrade the basement membrane and extracellular matrix, enabling local invasion and metastasis.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in cancer enables which key behavior?

Answer: Cancer cells to lose cell junctions and gain migratory and invasive properties

EMT is a developmental process hijacked by cancer cells to lose epithelial characteristics and gain mesenchymal traits, enabling migration and metastasis.

Which cancer type has a strong etiological link to Helicobacter pylori infection?

Answer: Gastric (stomach) adenocarcinoma

H. pylori infection causes chronic gastric inflammation that over decades can progress to intestinal metaplasia, dysplasia, and gastric adenocarcinoma.

Which type of biopsy provides the least invasive tissue diagnosis for accessible superficial tumors?

Answer: Fine needle aspiration (FNA)

Fine needle aspiration uses a thin needle to withdraw cells from a mass with minimal invasion and no general anesthesia, making it the least invasive biopsy technique.