Pathophysiology of Cancer Cell Death
Summary of Key Points
• Regulated cell death can occur via extrinsic apoptosis, intrinsic apoptosis, or regulated necrosis. Autophagy operates as a bona fide cell death mechanism in a few (mostly developmental) settings.
• Oncogenesis results from multiple molecular alterations, one of which frequently impairs the ability of cancer cells to die in response to exogenous or endogenous signals.
• Several oncoproteins and oncosuppressor proteins regulate the molecular machinery for apoptotic or necrotic cell death either directly or in an indirect fashion.
• Targeting deregulated cell death signaling pathways in cancer is a clinical reality and underlies promising approaches for the development of novel anticancer regimens.
1. Which of the following molecular alterations may be common among patients with lymphoma?
A A translocation between chromosome 14 and chromosome 19, resulting in the overexpression of BAX
B A loss-of-function point mutation in AKT
