Chapter 3 Multiple choice questions

. Which of the following statements on heritability of cancer are true?

The risk of developing cancer is higher for people with an inherited gene mutation.

Genes when mutated contribute a germline susceptibility to cancer include TP53, RB1, and VHL.

Germline mutations in FANCA, BRCA1, BRCA2, and TP53 can all be underlying causes of breast cancer.

The relative risk of developing a cancer is two to four times higher if a first-degree relative has cancer.

. Which of the following statements are true in relation to diet and cancer risk?

Diet can be implicated in the cause of 35% of all cancers.

Excessive alcohol consumption is causative for liver and esophageal cancers.

Diet has the greatest effect on the development of colorectal and stomach cancers.

Dietary fiber can have a protective effect, reducing the risk of colorectal cancer.

The risk of cancer from dietary effects can be modified by inherited genetic variants.

. Which of the following extrinsic risk factors have been associated with breast or prostate cancers?

Alcohol consumption

The use of tobacco products

Asbestos

HPV

Obesity

. Which of the following statements about mutational signatures are true?

Mutational signatures allow researchers to identify which risk factor(s) may have contributed to the development of the cancer.

The C to A transversion is significantly over-represented in skin cancers related to UV light exposure.

Identification of mutational signatures requires a multidisciplinary approach combining biological data with mathematical and computational modelling.

Different methodological approaches to extracting mutational signatures from similar data sets may produce different results and so need to be interpreted carefully.

. Which of the following statements about genetic polymorphisms and cancer are correct?

High penetrance genes account for the vast majority of cancers.

Cancer is a polygenic disease, caused by a combination of low and moderate penetrance genes working in concert with environmental and lifestyle risk factors.

Whole exome or genome sequencing can be used to identify cancer susceptibility genes.

Polymorphisms encoding ADH enzyme with high activity is associated with increased risk of oesophageal cancer in individuals who consume alcohol.

. Which of the following questions relating to colorectal cancers is correct?

The APC gene is commonly mutated in colorectal cancer patients.

Inherited defects in mismatch repair genes can lead to hereditary non-polyposis colorectal cancer.

A low-fat diet can increase colorectal cancer risk through increased production of pro-carcinogenic metabolites via gut microbes.

N-nitroso compounds formed from nitrates contained within processed meat can cause mutations commonly in K-RAS contributing to colorectal cancer formation.

. Which of the following statements about obesity and cancer are correct?

Obesity increases the risk of breast cancer in pre-menopausal women but not in post-menopausal women.

There are gender differences associated with obesity and the risk of cancer developing.

Fat cells increase the production of hormones and growth factors which stimulate pro-carcinogenic signalling pathways.

Fat cells can change the balance of pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory molecules overall reducing inflammation.

. Which of the following statements about smoking and lung cancer are correct?

All smokers will develop lung cancer in their lifetime.

Women are more susceptible to the harmful effects of tobacco smoke than men as they are more to likely to carry the gene variant CYP1A1 which is associated with a higher risk of lung cancer in smokers.

Stopping smoking can reduce lung cancer risk, and the gain in life years is independent of the age at which smoking is stopped.

The mutational signature, C to A transversion is frequently observed in smoking-associated lung cancers.

. Which of the following are well-known risk factors for cancer development?

Germline mutations

Certain bacterial and viral infections

Tobacco use

Sunlight exposure

Aspirin use

. Which of the following statements about breast cancers are true?

Can be classified into four molecular sub-types

HER2 positive breast cancers account for the highest proportion of breast cancers in patients.

Individuals with a germline mutation in the BRCA1 gene will always develop breast cancer.

The risk of breast cancer occurring changes through the course of a women's lifetime.

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