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Which of the following statements is not true about cancer?

a) A cancer is a genetic disease which is often inherited.

b) Cancer is primarily a disease of old age.

c) A cancer is caused by accumulation of a small number of mutations, each of which gives the cell a growth advantage.

d) A tumour is not regarded as malignant until it spreads to other parts of the body forming secondary tumours.

Which of the following best defines an oncogene?

a) An oncogene is a dominantly expressed mutation which gives a cell a growth or survival advantage.

b) An oncogene codes for a mutated form of a protein which forms part of a signal transduction pathway.

c) An oncogene codes for a protein which prevents the cell from undergoing apoptosis.

d) An oncogene codes for a cell cycle control protein.

Which of the following types of protein could be coded by a tumour suppressor gene?

a) A protein which forms part of a growth factor signalling pathway.

b) A protein which codes for a DNA repair enzyme.

c) A protein which helps prevent apoptosis.

d) A protein which controls progression through the cell cycle.

In what way does the ras oncogene contribute to cancers?

a) Ras codes for a transcription factor which is produced in abnormally large amounts.

b) Ras codes for an anti-apoptotic protein, produced in abnormally large amounts.

c) Ras codes for a GTPase switch protein which cannot be switched off in its mutated form.

d) Ras codes for a truncated form of a growth factor receptor which is continually active.

How does p53 prevent the development of cancer?

a) p53 is a transcription factor .

b) p53 prevents the replication of cells with damaged DNA.

c) p53 prevents cells from triggering apoptosis.

d) p53 stimulates synthesis of DNA repair enzymes which replace telomeres.

Oxford University Press, Online Resource Centre, Chapter 33.