LIST THE STEPS REQUIRED FOR A CANCER TO INVADE AND METASTASIZE.) Explain the role ezrin plays in veterinary cancer. Include in your answer a
veterinary tumour type as an example. (6 marks)
Answer all parts of this question:
a) List the steps required for a cancer to invade and metastasize. (5 marks)
b) Explain the role ezrin plays in veterinary cancer. Include in your answer a
veterinary tumour type as an example. (6 marks)
c) Hypoxia is associated with a more malignant phenotype. Describe and give
examples of three (3) mechanisms that may contribute to the association of
hypoxia and increased malignancy. (6 marks)
d) Hypoxia-induced factors (HIF) are induced in response to changes in available
oxygen. List three (3) cellular pathways that may be influenced by HIF-targeted
genes and, for each pathway, provide three (3) examples of HIF-target genes.
(7 marks)
e) Explain the role of the FAK (focal adhesion kinase) pathway in invasion and
metastasis of cancer. (6 marks)
2. Chemotherapy
Answer all parts of this question:
a) Describe the mechanisms of resistance for alkylating agents. (10 marks)
b) Drug resistance to chemotherapeutic agents is the major limiting factor to curing
many veterinary and human cancers. Discuss how and why drug resistance may
occur. (14 marks)
c) Explain why using cisplatin and cytosine arabinoside in combination may be
more effective than either agent alone, and justify why these two drugs could be
administered concurrently. (6 marks)
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Veterinary Oncology Paper 1 Page 3 of 5
© 2016 The Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists ABN 00 50 000894 208
3. Radiation biology
Answer all parts of this question:
a) Radiation can be directly or indirectly ionizing. Explain the difference in these
two mechanisms, and provide examples of each type. (8 marks)
b) A single dose of whole body radiation is administered to a dog. Predict the
effects of each of the following doses: (10 marks)
i. 3Gy
ii. 8GY
iii. 100Gy
c) The treatment recommendation for an incompletely excised soft tissue sarcoma
is 3Gy per day for 19 treatments. The owner wants to take a week off in the
middle of the protocol. From a radiation biology perspective, explain why this
should not be encouraged. (12 marks)
4. Autophagy
Answer all parts of this question:
a) Autophagy has a dual role in cancer development. Contrast the opposing effects
of autophagy on tumours, specifically the effect on tumour suppression and
tumour cell survival. (18 marks)
b) Briefly describe the morphological changes associated with the following types
of cell death: (8 marks)
i. autosis
ii. classical type II autophagic cell death
iii. apoptosis
iv. necrosis.
c) List two (2) examples of anti-apoptotic proteins and identify a veterinary or
human tumour involving each protein. (4 marks)