Name__________________
Cancer Webquest
Introduction:
Cells divide in order for an organism to grow, develop and repair itself. Cells grow and divide in a specific
fashion. When cells do not divide the way they are supposed to cancer can develop. In this activity, you will
explore what cancer is, how it’s linked to the cell cycle, and cell division. Go to the following websites listed
below and answer the questions on this worksheet.
Tip: Go to the class website to use hyperlinks.
What is Cancer?
Go to: http://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancerbasics/what-is-cancer
1.
How are cancer cells different than normal cells?
2.
How does a normal cell become a cancer cell?
3.
What is metastasis?
4.
What do the different stages of cancer mean?
5.
What is a benign tumor?
How People Get Cancer:
Go to: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention
6.
Click on “Risk Factors.” What is a risk factor?
7.
List 3 risk factors for cancer and why they are considered risk factors.
8.
Click on “Genetics” on the menu on the left side of the page. How common is it for a cancer to be
inherited? In how many cancers have researchers found a genetic mutation to be a partial cause?
9.
Why do some cancers with no inherited genetic component seem to run in families?
10.
What are the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes? How do they influence a person’s cancer risk?
How Cancer Spreads & Grows:
Go to: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/body/how-cancer-grows.html
11. How do all cancers begin?
**Launch the Interactive**
Introduction:
12.
What are carcinomas?
**Click on “DNA of a Normal Cell” (2nd square on timeline, below pics)**
13.
When a cell divides, what happens to its DNA?
**Click on “Mutation of DNA”**
14.
How did the DNA suffer a mutation?
**Click on “Genetically Altered Cell”.**
15.
How do body cells replicate?
16.
What does a mutation in a cell’s DNA cause it to do differently than normal cells?
**Click on “Spread & Second Mutation”**
17.
Over time, what can the genetically altered cells do?
**Click on “Third Mutation”**
18.
How can further mutations give cancer cells an advantage?
**Click on “Angiogenesis”**
19.
What is angiogenesis?
20.
Why do tumor cells need blood vessels to continue to grow?
**Click on “Tumor Cells Travel”**
21.
Why are tumors so lethal?
**Click on “Metastasis”**
22.
What does a tumor cell need to form a new colony?
23.
If left untreated, what will most likely happen to the patient?
Treatment
Go to: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types
1. Click on “Radiation.” How does radiation work against cancer?
2. What types of cancer can be treated using radiation?
3. Click on “Chemotherapy.” How does chemotherapy work against cancer?
4. Why do many people get sick and lose their hair during chemo?
5. Click on “Immunotherapy.” What is immunotherapy and how does it work against cancer?