Paper IV: Cancer Biology (Advance Paper II)

BIOLOGY OF CANCER

Cell cycle and cancer, the nature and types of cancer

Cellular oncogenes and Tumor suppressor genes: DNA viruses, retroviruses, proto oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, pRb and control of the cell cycle clock, p53 and apoptosis

Tumor immunology: immune mediated disease (hypersensitivity and autoimmunity)

TOXICITY AT CELLULAR LEVEL AND ENZYMOLOGY INVOLVED
 

Mechanism of toxicity: toxicity of O_2, xenobiotics, mutagens and carcinogens

Multistage carcinogenesis: chemical carcinogens-genotoxic, nongenotoxic and inorganic carcinogens

Biotransformation of xenobiotics through liver detoxification (Phase I and II)

Mechanism of repair (molecular and cellular), toxicity resulting from inappropriate repair

PRINCIPLES OF CANCER TREATMENT

Natural history of cancer therapy, ethical and philosophical issues

Treatment available: surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, biological therapy, gene therapy

PRINCIPLES OF CANCER SCREENING AND CHEMOPREVENTION OF CANCER

Screening of cancer and the biases of screening, screening of specific cancers

Chemoprevention: Chemopreventive agents from natural products, preclinical animal model selection, phytopharmaceuticals in cancer chemoprevention

TEST SYSTEMS/ASSAYS USED IN CANCER

Carcinogenicity assessment: short term tests for mutagenicity, chronic testing for carcinogenicity and transgenic animals in carcinogenicity assessment

Assays for detecting genetic alterations: DNA damage and repair assays, genetic alteration in mammals, mammalian cytogenetic assays, germ cell mutagenesis

New approaches to genetic toxicology