4. Pathology of neoplasia

Question 1

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 1

Abnormal mass of tissue - the growth excess and is uncoordinated with that of normal tissues and persists in the same excessive manner after cessation of the stimuli which evoked the change

Question 2

What is signified by -oma?

Answer 2

Benign tumour

Question 3

What is meant by chondroma?

Answer 3

Cartilaginous tumour

Question 4

What is meant by fibroma?

Answer 4

Fibrous tumour

Question 5

What is meant by osteoma?

Answer 5

Bone tumour

Question 6

What is meant by adenoma?

Answer 6

Glandular tumour

Question 7

What is meant by papilloma?

Answer 7

Tumour with fingerlike projections

Question 8

What is meant by polyp?

Answer 8

Tumour that progresses above a mucosal surface

Question 9

How are benign neoplasms named?

Answer 9

-oma

Question 10

How are malignant neoplasms named?

Answer 10

If there is something before the ‘oma’ then this is a malignant tumour:
Sarcoma - this is a mesenchymal tumour
Carcinoma - this is an epithelial tissue

Question 11

What is meant by a well differentiated neoplasm?

Answer 11

Resembles mature cells or tissue origin - this is a benign neoplasm

Question 12

What is meant by a poorly differentiated neoplasm?

Answer 12

Composed of primitive cells with little differentiation - this is a malignant neoplasm and has the worst prognosis

Question 13

What is a teratoma?

Answer 13

This is a mixed tumour i.e. comprised of cells from more than one germ layer - arises from totipotentcells e.g. gonads

Question 14

What is a misnomer?

Answer 14

This is a malignant tumour that is named as though it should be a benign tumour e.g. hepatoma, melanoma, seminoma, lymphoma

Question 15

What is a leiomyoma?

Answer 15

Benign smooth muscle tumour

Question 16

What are the different stages involved in the growth of malignant tumours?

Answer 16

1. Malignant change of the target cells - known as transformation
2. Growth of the transformed cells
3. Local invasion
4. Distant metastases

Question 17

Define anaplaisa

Answer 17

This is where cells undergo poor differentiation and they lose the morphological characteristics of mature cells - change in the identity of a tissue

Question 18

What are the different characteristics of anaplasia?

Answer 18

Loss of polarity
Change in size and shape
Abnormal nuclear morphology
Changing rates of mitosis

Question 19

What is dysplasia?

What can dysplasia signify?

Answer 19

The presence of abnormal cell types within the tissue

Can signify a stage preceding the development of cancer

Question 20

What are the characteristics of benign tumours?

Answer 20

Progressive but slow rate of growth - few and normal mitosis
Well differentiated
Cohesive growth - does not invade the internal capsule or the basement membrane
No distant metastases

Question 21

What are the characteristics of malignant tumours?

Answer 21

Variable rate of growth - frequent mitosis and may be abnormal
Some degree of anaplasia i.e. poor differentiation
Infiltrative - into the internal capsules and the basement membrane
Metastases may occur

Question 22

What is paraneoplastic syndrome?

Answer 22

This is a collection of symptoms that results from substances produced by the tumour itself
Non-metastatic manifestation of malignant disease

Question 23

What are the different classifications of paraneoplastic syndrome?

Answer 23

Endocrine
Neurological
Haematological
Others