MODULE 3 - Cancer.  Queens University PATH 310

Module 3: Cancer
Learning outcomes:
1. Describe stem cell biology as it applies to hematopoiesis
2. Compare and contrast the contributing disease paradigm factors for
patients predisposed to chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) versus
myeloid leukemia (AML).
3. Identify and explain the general approaches, considerations, and
challenges with testing of patients for various types of blood cancers.
4. Apply your knowledge to a hypothetical cancer disease scenario to
describe a potential etiology, mechanism, testing approach,
pathological features, and treatment.
Section 1: Hematopoiesis and the development of Leukemia
Hematopoietic Stem Cells
HSCs are long-lived cells that ultimately give rise to all blood cells. HSCs
comprise only ~ 1 per 105 bone marrow cells (about 20,000 to 200,000 total
per person depending on functional approaches/assays used), yet contribute
to the production of 1011 – 1012 new blood cells each day.
Normal hematopoiesis is “polyclonal”, meaning that the production of blood
cells is not dominated by one stem cell, but instead is a fairly equal
contribution from all hematopoietic stem cells.