1.

General idea of cancer cells

 3. CHARACTERISTICS OF CANCER CELLS

THE FOUR BASIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CANCER CELLS:

The cells of the cancer, at least at its beginning, must have

been derived from a single cell that went wrong.

The cell must have independent ability to divide

continuously and out of control.

The cell must be able to separate from its neighbouring

cells and move to a new location where a new mass of cells
will develop.

When a cancer cell divides, it often results in a cell with an

abnormal number of chromosomes, either more or less
than the normal complement with some exceptions.
Characteristics of Cancer Cells
Cancer cells lack differentiation.
Cancer cells have abnormal nuclei.
Cancer cells form tumors.
Cancer cells undergo metastasis and
angiogenesis.
The Cell Cycle and Cancer

Characteristics of Cancer Cells

Cancer cells lack differentiation.
Cancer cells have abnormal nuclei.
Cancer cells form tumors.
Cancer cells undergo metastasis and
angiogenesis.
Cancer cells lack differentiation

Unlike normal cells that differentiate into

muscle or nerves cells, cancer cells have an
abnormal form and are nonspecialized.

Normal cells enter the cell cycle only about

50 times; cancer cells are immortal in that they
can enter the cell cycle repeatedly.
 Cancer cells have abnormal nuclei
The nuclei may be enlarged and may have an
abnormal number of chromosomes.

The chromosomes have mutated; some chromosomes

may be duplicated or deleted.

Gene amplification, extra copies of genes, is more

frequent in cancerous cells.

Whereas ordinary cells with DNA damage undergo

apoptosis, cancer cells do not.
Cancer cells form tumors

Normal cells are anchored and stop dividing

when in contact with other cells; i.e., they
exhibit contact inhibition.

Cancer cells invade and destroy normal

tissue and their growth is not inhibited.

Cancer cells pile on top of each other to

form a tumor.
Cancer cells undergo metastasis and angiogenesis
A benign tumor is encapsulated and does not invade adjacent
tissue.

Cancer in situ is a tumor in its place of origin but is not

encapsulatedit will invade surrounding tissues.

Many types of cancer can undergo metastasis, in which new

tumors form which are distant from the primary tumor.

Angiogenesis, the formation of new blood vessels, is required

to bring nutrients and oxygen to the tumor.

A cancer patients prognosis depends on whether the tumor has

invaded surrounding tissue, whether there is lymph node
involvement, and whether there are metastatic tumors
elsewhere in the body.
Carcinogenesis The Development
of Cancer
The genetic mutation theory
HANSEMANN 1987

Statement: the origin of cancer is due to structural anomalies

of the genes that regulate cell growth and differentiation.

The viral theory

of the origin of cancer has stimulated the study of the
proliferation mechanisms of normal and tumor cells, leading to
the discovery ofviral oncogenes,capable of malignant
transformation, and their normal homologues,
theprotooncogenes.

Viral oncogenes act in the nucleus, the cytoplasm and at the cell
membrane surface. Their action is carried out by:
phosphorylation, initiation of DNA synthesis and transcription
regulation[57].
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK9552/