Download CQ1: Do you know someone personally that has had cancer?

ANSWER KEY
for
“But I’m Too Young! A Case Study of
Ovarian Cancer”
by
Nancy Rice, Department of Biology, Western Kentucky University
Bruno Borsari, Biology Department, Winona State University
Clicker Questions
CQ1: Do you know someone personally that has had cancer?
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A: Yes
B: No
The correct answer is: either A or B
CQ2: Abby wondered: what is the difference between cancer and tumor? What do you think?
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A: The two terms can be used interchangeably as they are synonymous.
B: Cancer is a disease that eventually disrupts body functions whereas a tumor is a mass
of cells with no apparent function in the body.
C: Cancer is a disease which affects men whereas a tumor may affect both men and
women.
D: Cancer is a disease of the digestive tract whereas a tumor may develop anywhere in
the body.
The correct answer is: B
CQ3: Normal CA-125 levels are indicated by values of 35 U/ml or less. Abby’s CA-125 levels
taken at two different times are indicated below. Is Abby likely to have a cyst or cancer?
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A: Cyst
B: Cancer
The correct answer is: B
CQ4: Why does cancer primarily affect older people rather than young people?
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A: Because the immune system of older people is not as effective in distinguishing
normal cells from cancer cells.
B: Because older people have been exposed to more carcinogens.
C: Because cancer develops after multiple mutations have occurred which takes years to
happen.
D: None of the above.
The correct answer is: C
CQ5: What would you expect cells to be like if they did not have properly functioning p53?
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A: The absence of p53 inside cells would cause them to divide more rapidly.
B: The absence of p53 could cause cells to replicate with damaged DNA that could
ultimately lead to cancer.
C: The absence of p53 could cause cells to skip mitosis (M phase) and stay in S phase of
the cell cycle.
D: The absence of p53 would have no effect on the cells.
The correct answer is: B
CQ6: The BRCA1 and BRAC2 genes that may be mutated in Abby’s cells would be considered?
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A: An oncogene
B: A tumor suppressor gene
The correct answer is: B
CQ7: How do cancer cells travel through the human body?
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A: Cancer travels through the body by way of sexual intercourse between a healthy
person and one affected by the disease.
B: The circulatory system only is responsible for relocating cancer cells.
C: The lymphatic system collects fluids from capillaries and with it cancer cells, which
are then delivered by the circulatory system.
D: They are moved around on neurons throughout the body.
The correct answer is: C
CQ8: Can surgery successfully cure a cancer that has metastasized?
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A: No, all body cells are dividing uncontrollably.
B: Yes, it could remove all cells with defective cell-cycle regulation.
C: No, cancer cells are no longer localized in one spot.
D: Yes, if the tumor is benign.
The correct answer is: C
Pre- and Post-Case Questions
The following pre- and post-case questions and transfer question are available in a PowerPoint
presentation for instructors who wish to use them in class.
PQ1: Which is true of all cancers?
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A: They are caused by viruses.
B: They are caused by chemical carcinogens.
C: They are caused by changes in DNA.
D: They are inherited.
E: They all respond in the same way to treatment.
The correct answer is: C
Rationale: This is an application question. Cancer results from the accumulation of mutations in
genes that regulate the cell cycle. As a result of the mutation, the corresponding protein product
either gains a function or is no longer active, and thus the cell is able to evade the normal
controls in place for cell division. While a person’s susceptibility to a particular cancer can be
associated with exposure to certain viruses or carcinogens, these ultimately result in DNA
damage.
PQ2: A malignant tumor is more dangerous than a benign tumor because …
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A: its cells are dividing faster.
B: it travels through the digestive tract.
C: it causes neighboring cells to mutate.
D: its cells engulf neighboring normal tissue cells.
E: its cells can acquire the capacity to invade other tissues.
The correct answer is: E
Rationale: This is a factual question. Malignant cancers have the potential to become
metastatic—meaning they can move. This is the dangerous part of cancer. A localized tumor can
be removed surgically and treated, but cancer that has metastasized is difficult to treat because it
is no longer in one location. The stages of cancer are based upon this phenomenon. Stage 0 or 1
is very localized cancer, while metastatic cancers that are at distant sites from the primary tumor
are Stage 5. A good prognosis is inversely correlated to stage.
PQ3: For a cell, a mutation in a tumor suppressor gene is most like?
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A: A stuck accelerator.
B: Broken brakes.
C: A bad mechanic.
D: I don’t know.
The correct answer is: B
Rationale: This is an application question. In this analogy, an oncogene would be the stuck
accelerator that gains a function to keep the cell cycle progressing. Tumor suppressors are
normally the “brakes” in the cell cycle. Thus a mutation would be similar to losing your brakes
on a car. A bad mechanic would be analogous to mutations in genes that repair DNA. If over the
course of a cell’s life, DNA is not properly repaired it can eventually lead to cancer, just like a
bad mechanic can result in an automobile breaking down.
PQ4: In 1971, Dr. Judah Folkman suggested that a tumor cannot grow beyond 1–2 mm without
new blood vessels that provide nutrients to the tumor. In the 1990s, it was discovered that
vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulates the formation of new blood vessels. And
now we know that many cancer cells secrete high levels of VEGF. From this information, one
might predict:
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A: Small tumors secrete more VEGF than large tumors.
B: Preventing VEGF production or action can stop tumors from growing.
C: Normal cells do not secrete VEGF.
D: Dr. Folkman won the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine.
The correct answer is: B
Rationale: This is an application question.
PQ5: Can surgery successfully cure a cancer that has metastasized?
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A: No, all body cells are dividing uncontrollably.
B: Yes, it could remove all cells with defective cell-cycle regulation.
C: No, cancer cells are no longer localized in one spot.
D: Yes, if the tumor is benign.
The correct answer is: C
Transfer Question
TQ1: Which of the following would be most likely to cause a cell to become malignant (cancer)?
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A: Activation of a proto-oncogene and inactivation of a tumor suppressor gene.
B: Activation of a proto-oncogene and activation of a tumor suppressor gene.
C: Inactivation of a proto-oncogene and inactivation of a tumor suppressor gene.
D: Inactivation of a proto-oncogene and activation of a tumor suppressor gene.
The correct answer is: A