Cancer

• • The crucial pathological features/hallmarks that malignant cells use to grow out of control are: sustaining cell proliferation signals; evading cell death; replicative immortality; evading tumour suppressors; inducing or accessing vasculature; and metastasis.
• • These abnormal capabilities malignant cells use to grow out of control occur by: proliferative signalling bypassing normal limits for cell proliferation; cells evading cell death signals; altered homeostasis allowing cells to grow & divide faster than they die; genetic or epigenetic manipulation of tissue environment to evade TSG for cell survival; altered cellular metabolism for vasculature entry; and cells escaping from home tissue to proliferate in foreign sites.
• • Abnormal cell cycle can lead to cells accumulating multiple mutations in TSG & oncogenes by cells proliferating with no 'breaks' or stops. This is because multiple oncogene mutation in one copy of allele is sufficient for gain of function mutation, as these mutations keep promoter proteins (e.g. Ras) in cell cycle active. While multiple TSG mutations in both copies of allele is needed for loss of function mutation, as these mutations prevent suppressor proteins (e.g. Rb) in cell cycle to act as control points.
• • Abnormal cell cycle control affects cancer development by: abnormal mitogen receptor (i.e. RTK) being constantly autophosphorylated for constantly active downstream signalling, because mutated RTK would not require mitogen/external signalling to activate pathway; and abnormal Ras being constantly activated with GTP for constant downstream signalling, because mutated Ras would not require mitogen signalling to activate downstream effects.
• • Some current cancer prevention strategies include: maintaining healthy body weight; eat healthily; don't smoke; & minimise alcohol.
  • Some current cancer treatment strategies include: surgery, cutting cancer out; chemotherapy, drugs to impeded cancer growth; & radiotherapy, gamma radiation.
• • Future possibilities for cancer prevention & treatment include drugs with more selectivity, where it is targeted towards preventing cancer cells themselves & not healthy cells. An example of this is Gleevec drug targeting the catalytic site of fusion protein BCR-ABL to inhibit pathway activation.