7. intro to cancer

Question 1

define NEOPLASIA (tumour):

Answer 1

abnormal mass of tissue with abnormal growth (exceeds and uncordinated), and which persists in the same excessive manner after the cessation of the stimulus which has evoked the change

• Benign or malignant
• When the stimulus (eg. Radiation) is taken away the cells continue to grow (autonomous growth)

Question 2

define HYPERPLASIA:

Answer 2

increase in number of cells in a tissue caused by increased cell division

• proliferation of cells, but when the stimulus is taken away it stops proliferating
• not adaptive response like in muscles and nerve cells
• hormonal influences important
• appear as normal cells not cancer but can develop into cancer

Question 3

define DIFFERENTIATION:

Answer 3

term to describe how different in appearance the cells of a tumour are to the cell type from which they are derived

Important in predicting the likely behaviour of a tumour

Question 4

define anaplasia

Answer 4

cells with poor differentiation without morphological characteristics

Question 5

characteristics of benign tumours

Answer 5

grow by expansion

compress adjacent tissue

do not infiltrate

stay at their site of origin and do not spread

Question 6

characteristics of malignant tumours

Answer 6

grow by expansion and infiltration

compress and invade adjacent tissue

infiltrate

can spread to distant sites - metastasis

Question 7

what type of cancer is usually fatal

Answer 7

secondary (spread to another part of body)

Question 8

where do most tumours arise from

Answer 8

epithelia- first point of contact

Question 9

ADENOMA:

Answer 9

benign tumours of glandular epithelium (colonic/ thyroid)

Question 10

PAPILLOMA:

Answer 10

benign tumours of squamous and transitional epithelium (bladder)

Question 11

CARCINOMA

Answer 11

malignant epithelial tumours

Question 12

MESENCHYMAL TUMOURS:

Answer 12

embryonic connective)

Question 13

Bone:

Answer 13

osteoma

osteosarcoma

Question 14

Adipose tissue:

Answer 14

lipoma

liposarcoma

Question 15

Cartilage benign, malignant

Answer 15

chondroma

chondrosarcoma

Question 16

Smooth muscle

Answer 16

leiomyoma

leimyosarcoma

Question 17

Strated muscle

Answer 17

rhabdomyoma

rhabdomyosarcoma

Question 18

Teratomas

Answer 18

tumours of germ cells containing representatives from all 3 embryological germ cell layers

Question 19

Embryonal tumours

Answer 19

derived from embryonic blast tissue

Question 20

Gliomas:

Answer 20

glial cells of CNS

Question 21

Melanoma

Answer 21

tumour of melanocytes, usually in skin

Question 22

Lymphoma:

Answer 22

tumours of lymphoid tissue

Question 23

Leukaemia

Answer 23

tumour of haemopoietic cells in bone marrow

Question 24

Neuroendocrine tumour

Answer 24

tumours derived from neuroendocrine cells scattered in many sites

Question 25

Kaposi’s sarcoma:

Answer 25

type of cancer that forms masses in the skin

Question 26

Wilms tumour

Answer 26

type of kidney cancer

Question 27

Cellular/ nuclei pleomorphism:

Answer 27

variation in size and shape of cells/ nuclei in a tumour

Question 28

Nuclear Hyperchromatism:

Answer 28

very dark- staining nuclei due to increased nuclear DNA

Question 29

High mitotic count:

Answer 29

increased numbers of cells in mitosis, including abnormal mitotic forms

Question 30

DYSPLASIA:

Answer 30

abnormal cell structure due to:

• Loss of differentiation
• Pleomorphism
• Nuclear hyperchromatism
• High nucleus: cytoplasm
• High mitotic activity

Question 31

CARCINOMA IN SITU

Answer 31

dysplasia in epithelium that does not show invasion across epithelial basement membrane (or intra-epithelial neoplasia)

characteristics of malignancy but no evidence of invasion

Question 32

list four cytological criteria of a malignant tumour

Answer 32

Pleomorphism: cellular/ nuclear distinct forms

High nucleus: cytoplasm

Nuclear hyperchromatism

High mitotic count

Abnormal mitosis

Question 33

non metastatic effect of tumours

Answer 33

effects on nervous system

weight loss, loss of appetite, fever, malaise and anaemia

• Cytokines are released from inflammatory cells due to presence of tumour
• Some tumours retain function of origin organ- if endocrine function- excess hormones may be secreted
• Some tumours can also secrete hormones (paraneoplastic syndrome) that can result in hypercalcemia, myopathy, malfunction of nerves or cerebellar ataxia
• These are due to autoantibodies generated to tumour cells which cross react with normal tissues and cause immune-mediated damage

Question 34

Cachexia:

Answer 34

weight loss that cant be reversed by normal nutritional support

• Cachexia is a wasting syndrome
• Anorexia is loss of appetite sometimes associated with cancer cachexia
• Believed that chemicals released from the cancer into blood contributes to muscle and fat loss (increasing metabolism)
• Less able to respond to chemo
• Progressive weakness and death due to secondary infection (pneumonia)

Question 35

main routes of metastatic spread of malignant tumours

Answer 35

lymphatics,

• When invades lumen of lymphatic, bits can break off and pass to the lymph nodes draining area
• Pass to the lymph node and trapped in the subcapsular sinus
• The tumour cells proliferate until the whole node is replaced by tumour

blood vessels (capillaries and small veins),

serosal surfaces

Question 36

Common sites of blood borne metastasis:

Answer 36

Brain and CBF

Liver

Lung

Adrenals

Bone

Question 37

UNDIFFERENTIATED or ANAPLASTIC TUMOUR

Answer 37

composed of cells which are so undifferentiated that their cell of origin is unknown

Question 38

POORLY DIFFERENTIATED TUMOUR

Answer 38

composed of cells which bear little resemblance to the cell of origin, but just enough to enable the original cell type to be identified.

Question 39

WELL - DIFFERENTIATED TUMOUR

Answer 39

is composed of cells which very closely resemble the cell of origin