5.10 Grading of cancer Flashcards
Cancer grade
a histologic parameter which is based on the degree of differentiation of the cancer cells which correlates with tumor behaviour
if you know it’s a neoplasm ask
benign or malignant
if you know its malignat ask
how bad, type, how far has it spread, how dedifferentiate/aggressive it is
differentiation
the extent to which neoplastic cells resemble comparable normal cells both morphologically and functionally
well differentiatied tumors resemble
mature nromal cells of the tissue of origin
poorly differentiated tumors show
little resemblance to the tissue of origin
example of well differentiated carcinoma
hepatocellular carcinoma
differentiation of benign tumors
well differentiated
malignant neoplasms range from
well differentiated to undifferentiated
neoplasmns and function
neoplasms can continue to express function of the tissue of origin
what typically elaborates hormones characteristic of the cell type from which they originate
adenomas and well-differentiated carcinomas of endocrine glands
well differentiated squamous cell carcinomas express
keratins
melanomas express
melanin pigment
breast and gyn cancers have
estrogen receptors
many tumors are graded according to
3 tiered scheme 1. well differentiated, 2. moderately differentiatd, 3. poorly differentiated
limitations of grading
many tumors are of intermediate differentiation, there is sampling error with small biopsies, grading is based on subjective light microscopic interpretation
staging of cancer is based on
the size of the primary tumor, the extent of spread in original tissue, spread to regional lymphnodes, presence or absence of distant metastases
staging is different from grading bc
staging is done on a biopsy or surgical sample by pathologists in conjunction with clinical imaging studies and is more important
why is staging so important
if you get the cancer before it goes to the nodes and excise it you can cure it, but cant always do that clinically bc of the risk of the type of surgery
what do we use to identify how far it has gotten
look for anatomical land marks like basement membrane muscularis
can you do surgery on small cell carcinoma of the lung
no
what is good to cut out
a squamous cell carcinoma because it usually gets big before getting to the LN so often you can cut it out
two staging systmes
UICC, AJC
UICC
union internationale contre cancer