BIO302 - Quiz #1 - What is Cancer?

Only malignant neoplasms cause death. A. True B. False

False A benign neoplasm may cause death also - ex., brain tumor, noncancerous resting on the brain stem.

Most cancers start as benign neoplasms A. True B. False

False Most cancer comes from dysplasia ("pre-cancer" that does not form a mass or tumor) -- NOT benign neoplasms.

There are over 200 types of cancer. A. True B. False

True

Cancer cells arise from normal cells and utilize normal processes in abnormal ways. A. True B. False

True All cancer cells were originally normal. Once turned, the cancer cell uses the normal function of a cell to its advantage.

All cancers have the common feature: loss of growth control. A. True B. False

True Common features: Loss of growth control, cannot kill cancer cells, can spread to other places.

Carcinogenesis is the process by which cancer cells spread throughout the body. A. True B. False

False Carcinogenesis - process by which a normal cell progresses into cancer. The process of cancer spreading throughout the body is metastasis.

Both benign and malignant tumors can metastasize. A. True B. False

False Only malignant can metastasize. Benign tumors do not carry cancer, therefore cannot spread cancer.

The fundamental cause of cancer is gene mutation. A. True B. False

True

Not all tumors are cancer. A. True B. False

True Not all tumors are cancer, but they are abnormal. If non-cancerous, they are considered benign.

Dysplastic cells are precursors to cancer. A. True B. False

True dysplastic cell - "pre-cancer"