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Covenant Bio 346 Chapter 11
Cancer biology
39
Biology
Undergraduate 2
05/18/2012

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Term
Pap smear
Definition
screening technique for early detection of cervical cancer in which cells obtained from a sample of vaginal secretions are examined with a microscope.
Term
mammography
Definition
screening technique for breast cancer that uses low-dose X-rays to create detailed pictures that reveal the internal tissues of the breast.
Term
fecal occult blood test (FOBT)
Definition
test to check for eimy amounts of blood in the feces, which may be a sign of colon cancer.
Term
proteomic analysis
Definition
technique that permits rapid examination of the protein makeup of a timy sample, such as a drop of blood, creating a snapshot of thousands of proteins at once.
Term
false positive
Definition
situation in which a person who does not have cancer obtains a positive test result that incorrectly suggests that the disease may be present.
Term
imaging techniques
Definition
techniques for taking pictures of the inside of the body, including conventional X-ray procedures, computed tomography (CT scan), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, and ultrasound imaging.
Term
magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
Definition
imaging technique in which radio waves and magnetic fields are used instead of X-rays to create a series of detailed cross-sectional images of the body.
Term
basal lamina
Definition
thin dense layer of protein-containing material that forms a barrier between epithelial cell layers and underlying tissues.
Term
tumor staging
Definition
estimate of how far cancer has progressed based on a tumor's size and extent of spread at the time of diagnosis. (TNM system)
Term
mastectomy
Definition
treatment for breast cancer that involves surgical removal of the breast.
Term
mitotic death
Definition
cell death caused by high-dose radiation exposure that causes chromosomal damage so severe that it prevents cells from progressing through mitosis.
Term
hyperthermia
Definition
raising the temperature of body tissues a rew degrees to sensitize cancer cells to the killing effects of radiatino used in cancer treatment.
Term
antimetaoblites
Definition
molecules that inhibits oxidation reactions, othen by reacting with free radicals.
Term
pyrimidine
Definition
single-ringed nitrogen-containing molecule; parent compound of the bases bytosine (C), thymine (T), and uracil (U).
Term
alkylating agent
Definition
highly reactive organic molecules that trigger DNA damage by linking themselves (or a reactive chemical group) directly to DNA; used in cancer chemotherapy, but many are also carcinogenic.
Term
antibiotic
Definition
natural substance produced by a microorganism, or a synthetic derivative, that kills or inhibits the growth of other microorganisms or cells.
Term
androgen
Definition
steroid hormones, such as testosterone, that are produced maainly in the testes and exert their effects by binding to androgen receptors in target tissues; they stimulate cell proliferation in the prostate gland and exert a variety of effects on other tissues.
Term
estrogen
Definition
steroid hormones produced by the ovaries that exert their effects by binding to estrogen receptors in target tissues; they stimulate cell proliferation in the breast and uterus, and exert a variety of effects on other tissues as well.
Term
estrogen receptor
Definition
intracellular protein to which estrogens bind in target cells, thereby leading to changes in cell behavior such as an activation of cell proliferation.
Term
differentiating agent
Definition
substances that promote the process by which cells acquire the specialized characteristics of differentiated cells.
Term
cancer stem cells
Definition
small subpopulation of cancer cells within a tumor that are the only cells capable of unlimited prolieration; give rise to all other cells of the tumor.
Term
hematopoietic stem cell
Definition
unspecialized cell type whose normal proliferation gives rise to more hematopoeitic stem cells as well as to cells that differentiate into the various types of blood cells.
Term
graft-versus-host disease
Definition
a potentially life-threatening condition that can occur during stem cell transplantation when immune cells in the donated stem cell population attack the tissues of the person receiving the transplanted cells.
Term
Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG)
Definition
bacterial strain that does not cause disease but elicits a strong immune response at the site where it is introduced into the body; sometimes used in immunotherapy.
Term
antibody
Definition
class of proteins produced by B lymphocytes that bind with extrodinary specificity to substances, referrred to as antigens, that provoke immune response.
Term
monoclonal antibody
Definition
purified antibody directed against a single antigen; obtained using a laboratory technique for producing and selecting cloed populations of antibody-producing cells called hybridomas.
Term
vaccine
Definition
preparation containing antigens that stimulates an immune response toward those antigens.
Term
adoptive-cell-transfer (ACT)
Definition
procedure in which a cancer patient's own lymphocytes are isolated, selected, and grown in the lab to enhance their cancer-fighting properties prior to injecting the cells back into the body.
Term
Herceptin
Definition
monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of breast cancer; binds to and inactivates a cell surface growth factor receptor known as ErbB2.
Term
rational drug design
Definition
lab synthesis of small molecule inhibitors that are designed to bind to and inactivate specific taget molecules.
Term
Iressa
Definition
monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of lung cnacer; bind to and inactivates the epidermal growth factor receptor.
Term
Avastin
Definition
monoclonal antibody used in the treatment of colon cancer; inhibits angiogenesis by binding to and inactivating the angiogenesis growth factor, VEGF.
Term
lysis
Definition
cell death through rupturing of the plasma membrane.
Term
clinical trial
Definition
procedures in which drugs or other treatments proposed for humans are first evaluated in humans for safety, dose, and effectiveness; consist of Phases I, II, and III trials.
Term
randomized trial
Definition
experiment in which people are randomly assigned to different groups that receive different doses (or no dose) of a drug or treatment.
Term
placebo
Definition
an inactive substance that resembles a drug in appearance; given to patients in the control group in a randomized double-blind trial.
Term
experimental treatment
Definition
any new drug or other treatment that is undergoing clinical testing but has not yet been approved for use in standard medical practice.
Term
alternative treatment
Definition
a diverse array of largely untested treatments for cancer (or other diseases) that are used as an alternative to standard medical care.
Term
PC-SPES
Definition
herbal remedy for prostate cancer that appeared to be effective in preliminary human testing, but was taken off the market when it was found to be contaminated with synthetic drugs.
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