Question 1

Which of the following best distinguishes a benign tumor from a malignant tumor?

Accepted Answer

Benign tumors remain confined within the basal lamina, while malignant tumors breach the basal lamina and invade surrounding tissues.

Question 2

A patient is diagnosed with chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). Which chromosomal abnormality is most likely present in their cells?

Accepted Answer

A reciprocal translocation between chromosomes 9 and 22, forming the Philadelphia chromosome

Question 3

According to the clonal evolution model of cancer, which of the following statements is correct?

Accepted Answer

Tumor cells accumulate mutations over time, leading to subclones with different properties.

Question 4

Which of the following best explains why cancer risk increases with age?

Accepted Answer

The accumulation of mutations over time increases the likelihood of oncogenic transformation.

Question 5

Aneuploidy is frequently observed in cancer cells. What is aneuploidy?

Accepted Answer

The presence of an abnormal number of chromosomes in a cell

Question 6

Which of the following is a hallmark of cancer cells?

Accepted Answer

Ability to evade apoptosis

Question 7

A researcher observes that a population of cancer cells continues to divide even when crowded in culture. What property are these cells displaying?

Accepted Answer

Loss of contact inhibition

Question 8

Which of the following best describes the Warburg effect observed in many cancer cells?

Accepted Answer

Cancer cells preferentially use glycolysis for energy production, even in the presence of oxygen.

Question 9

Which of the following statements about oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes is correct?

Accepted Answer

Oncogenes are mutated forms of genes that normally promote cell division, while tumor suppressor genes normally inhibit cell division.

Question 10

A patient inherits one mutated allele of the RB1 gene. What is the most likely outcome regarding retinoblastoma development?

Accepted Answer

The patient is at increased risk and may develop retinoblastoma if the second allele is also mutated somatically.

Question 11

Which of the following best describes the function of the p53 protein in normal cells?

Accepted Answer

It acts as a 'guardian of the genome' by inducing cell cycle arrest or apoptosis in response to DNA damage.

Question 12

Which of the following scenarios best illustrates the concept of cancer metastasis?

Accepted Answer

Cancer cells invade blood vessels and establish secondary tumors in distant organs.

Question 13

Which of the following is a common mechanism by which viruses can contribute to cancer development?

Accepted Answer

Viruses can insert their genetic material into host DNA, disrupting normal gene regulation and potentially activating oncogenes.

Question 14

A new anti-cancer drug is designed to inhibit a hyperactive kinase in a signaling pathway upregulated in tumor cells. This approach is best described as:

Accepted Answer

Targeted therapy

Question 15

Which of the following equations best represents exponential tumor cell growth, where $$N is $$the number of cells, $$N_0 is $$the initial number of cells, $$r is $$the growth rate, and $$t is $$time?

Accepted Answer

$$N = N_0$ e$$^{r t}$$

Question 16

Which of the following best explains why highly proliferative tissues (such as the colon) have a higher risk of developing cancer?

Accepted Answer

They undergo more cell divisions, increasing the chance of acquiring mutations.

Question 17

Which of the following best describes the role of immune checkpoint inhibitors in cancer therapy?

Accepted Answer

They block proteins that inhibit immune cell activation, allowing the immune system to attack cancer cells.

Question 18

A patient with a family history of cancer is found to have a mutation in a DNA repair gene. Which of the following is the most likely consequence?

Accepted Answer

Increased accumulation of mutations, raising cancer risk

Question 19

Which of the following best describes the relationship between cigarette smoking and cancer death rates, as shown in epidemiological studies?

Accepted Answer

There is a strong positive correlation between cigarette consumption and cancer death rates.

Question 20

Which of the following best explains why targeting genomic instability is a promising strategy for cancer therapy?

Accepted Answer

Cancer cells rely on certain DNA repair pathways to survive despite their high mutation rates; inhibiting these pathways can selectively kill cancer cells.

Cancer: Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms

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