Name ______Date ______Block ______

Cancer Warrior (NOVA)

Video Questions

Watch online at: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/cancer/program_t.html

  1. BEFORE WATCHING: What exactly is cancer and how does it spread?
  1. Traditional chemotherapy drugs target cell processes that then halts cell division or results in cell death. Thus, these drugs are cell poisons, causing multiple side effects. List some of the cell processes that these drugs often target.
  1. Briefly describe the initial experiment in which Dr. Folkman accidentally observed an important connection between tumor growth and blood vessels. What is this growth of blood vessels called?
  1. Angiogenesis is a normal process that naturally occurs when?
  1. Why were other researchers missing the connection (between blood vessel growth & tumors)? What experience did Dr. Folkman have that others lacked?
  1. How difficult was it to find the factor released by cancer cells that induces blood vessel growth? Why was it so important to find this factor?
  1. How long did it take for Dr. Folkman and his researchers to find endostatin and angiostatin? How did they go about searching for these drugs?
  1. Often more questions than answers are generated by a phase 1 trial. List a few such questions:
  1. Random chance or serendipity is sometimes key to new developments in research. What is one such moment that happened with the research to develop anti-cancer drugs that halt angiogenesis?
  1. Were there any changes to your initial ideas about how cancer grows or is treated? Explain.