A Closer Look at Cancer
Honors Biology
Mrs. Stone
On as separate piece of paper define the following words and respond to the following
questions that accompany the article “Cancer – The Intimate Enemy.” The questions do
not apply directly to the article, you must synthesize the information in the article to come to
logical conclusions about the questions.
Please briefly define the following terms on a separate piece of paper, in your own words
using context clues from the text:
Benign
Tumor Suppressor Genes
Malignant
Biopsy
Metastasis
Surgery (as it applies to cancer)
Carcinogens
Radiation (as it applies to cancer)
Oncogenes
Chemotherapy (as it applies to cancer)
Please answer the following questions in complete sentences on a separate piece of paper.
1. What happens to the nucleotide sequence in DNA when there is a mutation?
2. When a tumor is found, an individual will undergo a test to determine if the cells are malignant
or benign. Why would a doctor consider discovering that a tumor is benign a good prognosis.
3. With a handful of exceptions, cancer is a disease of aging and is vastly more likely to strike in
the middle or later years than in early childhood, youth or young adulthood. Why do experts
unanimously cite age as the single most important risk factor?
4. Why do you think there was a 25-year lag between the onset of widesptread cigarette
smoking among women after WWII and the massive increase in female lung cancer detected in
the 1970’s?
5. If a woman carries the BRCA1 mutation she faces an increased risk-not a certainty of
developing breast cancer. If a woman does not carry this mutation, her risk of breast cancer is
lower. Why do you think this is true? What is the best way for a woman carrying the BRCA1
mutation to prevent cancer?
6. ***Do not respond to this question we will discuss in class*** Briefly explain why some foods
labeled anti-oxidants prevent cancer.