Ch. 21 Cancer

Which of these is NOT a carcinogen?

UV light testosterone fat cigarette smoke *4all of the above are carcinogens

What is the normal role of telomerase?

builds telomeres in embryonic cells

The function of the tumor suppressor gene is to ________.

prevent cell division when conditions are not right for cell division

What is the most common cancer among men?

prostate

Vaccines have been developed that can reduce the risk of developing cancer caused by viruses.

True

The difference between a benign tumor and a malignant tumor is that ________.

A benign tumor does not invade other tissues; a malignant tumor does.

Which is the best definition of apoptosis?

Apoptosis is a cellular repair mechanism whereby certain cells commit suicide.

In general, for a tumor to form, which gene or genes must mutate?

Both the proto-oncogene and the tumor suppressor gene must mutate.

What is the first thing that happens when a healthy cell detects damage to DNA?

It stops the cell cycle.

A mutation in gene p53 is thought to be responsible for more than half of all cancers.

True

Radiation therapy targets rapidly dividing cells such as cancer cells, along with blood and hair cells.

True

Why is a mutation in the p53 gene so important?

cell division is uncontrolled

_____ is a carcinogen that promotes colon cancer.

fat

What type(s) of cancer cause the most deaths in both men and women?

lung and bronchus

Cancer cells form in our body every day.

true

Mutations in the genes BRCA1 and BRCA2 are associated with an increased risk for developing breast cancer.

true

Complete this sentence. Metastasis means that ________.

tumor cells have broken off from the primary mass and have traveled via lymphatic vessels or blood vessels to new locations

What do all cancer cells have in common?

uncontrolled cell division