9. Neoplasia 2 Flashcards
Melanoma
type of skin cancer which forms from melanocytes (pigment-containing cells in the skin).
In women, the most common site is the legs, and in men, the back.
Primary cause is ultraviolet light (UV) exposure in conjunction with the amount of skin pigmentation in the population. Melanocytes produce the dark pigment, melanin, which is responsible for the color of skin. These cells predominantly occur in skin, but are also found in other parts of the body, including the bowel and the eye (see uveal melanoma). Melanoma can originate in any part of the body that contains melanocytes.
The treatment includes surgical removal of the tumor. If melanoma is found early, while it is still small and thin, and if it is completely removed, then the odds of a cure are high.
The likelihood that the melanoma will come back or spread depends on how deeply it has gone into the layers of the skin. For melanomas that come back or spread, treatments include chemo- and immunotherapy, or radiation therapy. Five year survival rates in the United States are on average 91%.
Melanoma is less common than other skin cancers. However, it is much more dangerous if it is not found in the early stages.
Carcinoid tumour
a slow-growing type of neuroendocrine tumor originating in the cells of the neuroendocrine system. Often seen in GI system
In some cases, metastasis may occur.
Carcinoid tumors of the midgut (jejunum, ileum, appendix, and cecum) are associated with carcinoid syndrome.
Carcinoma of the pancreas
Pancreatic cancer arises when cells in the pancreas begin to multiply out of control and form a mass.
These cancer cells have the ability to invade other parts of the body.
Often die from PE; thrombogenic tumours
There are a number of types of pancreatic cancer. The most common, pancreatic adenocarcinoma, accounts for about 85% of cases, and the term “pancreatic cancer” is sometimes used to refer only to that type. These adenocarcinomas start within the part of the pancreas which make digestive enzymes. Several other types of cancer, which collectively represent the majority of the non-adenocarcinomas, can also arise from these cells. One to two in every hundred cases of pancreatic cancer are neuroendocrine tumors, which arise from the hormone-producing cells of the pancreas. These are generally less aggressive than pancreatic adenocarcinoma.
Signs and symptoms of the most common form of pancreatic cancer may include yellow skin, abdominal or back pain, unexplained weight loss, light-colored stools, dark urine and loss of appetite.
There are usually no symptoms in the disease’s early stages, and symptoms that are specific enough to suspect pancreatic cancer typically do not develop until the disease has reached an advanced stage. By the time of diagnosis, pancreatic cancer has often spread to other parts of the body.
Parathyroid adenoma
a benign tumor of the parathyroid gland.
It generally causes hyperparathyroidism
When a parathyroid adenoma causes hyperparathyroidism, more parathyroid hormone is secreted, causing the calcium concentration of the blood to rise, resulting in hypercalcemia.
Lung cancer
carcinoma of the lung or pulmonary carcinoma
a malignant lung tumor characterized by uncontrolled cell growth in tissues of the lung.
If left untreated, this growth can spread beyond the lung into nearby tissue or other parts of the body. Most primary lung cancers are carcinomas that derive from epithelial cells.
The main primary types are small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) and non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC).
The most common symptoms are coughing (including coughing up blood), weight loss, shortness of breath, and chest pains.
The vast majority (80–90%) of cases of lung cancer are due to long-term exposure to tobacco smoke. About 10–15% of cases occur in people who have never smoked. These cases are often caused by a combination of genetic factors and exposure to radon gas, asbestos, or other forms of air pollution, including second-hand smoke.
Lung cancer may be seen on chest radiographs and computed tomography (CT) scans. The diagnosis is confirmed by biopsy which is usually performed by bronchoscopy or CT-guidance.
Treatment and long-term outcomes depend on the type of cancer, the stage (degree of spread), and the person’s overall health, measured by performance status. Common treatments include surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.
Squamous cell carcinoma of the skin
Cancer of a kind of epithelial cell, the squamous cell. These cells are the main part of the epidermis of the skin, and this cancer is one of the major forms of skin cancer.
SCC is a histologically distinct form of cancer. It arises from the uncontrolled multiplication of cells of epithelium, or cells showing particular cytological or tissue architectural characteristics of squamous cell differentiation, such as the presence of keratin, tonofilament bundles, or desmosomes, structures involved in cell-to-cell adhesion.
SCC typically initially occurs in the sixth decade of life (the 50s), but is most common in the eighth decade (the 70s). It is twice as prevalent in men as in women. People with darker skin are less at risk to develop SCC.
Basal cell carcinoma
One of the most common cancers
Rarely metastasizes or kills. However, because it can cause significant destruction and disfigurement by invading surrounding tissues, it is still considered malignant.
In 80 percent of all cases, basal-cell cancers are found on the head and neck. There appears to be an increase in the incidence of basal-cell cancer of the trunk in recent years
Gastric cancer
cancer (adenocarcinoma) developing from the lining of the stomach.
Early symptoms may include heartburn, upper abdominal pain, nausea and loss of appetite.
Later signs and symptoms may include weight loss, yellow skin, vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and blood in the stool among others.
The cancer may spread from the stomach to other parts of the body, particularly the liver, lungs, bones, lining of the abdomen and lymph nodes.
The most common cause is infection by the bacteria Helicobacter pylori, which accounts for more than 60% of cases.
Other common causes include eating pickled vegetables and smoking. About 10% of cases run in families and between 1% and 3% of cases are due to genetic syndromes inherited from a person’s parents such as hereditary diffuse gastric cancer.
Most cases of stomach cancers are gastric carcinomas. This type can be divided into a number of subtypes. Lymphomas and mesenchymal tumors may also develop within the stomach. Most of the time, stomach cancer develops through a number of stages over a number of years.
Diagnosis is usually by biopsy done during endoscopy. This is then followed by medical imaging to determine if the disease has spread to other parts of the body. Japan and South Korea, two countries that have high rates of disease, screen for stomach cancer.
A Mediterranean diet lowers the risk of cancer as does the stopping of smoking. There is tentative evidence that treating H. pylori decreases the future risk.
If cancer is treated early, many cases can be cured.
Treatments may include some combination of surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and targeted therapy.
Outcomes are often poor with a less than 10% 5-year survival rate globally. This is largely because most people with the condition present with advanced disease.
Astrocytoma
type of cancer of the brain.
originate in a particular kind of glial cells, star-shaped brain cells in the cerebrum called astrocytes.
This type of tumor does not usually spread outside the brain and spinal cord and it does not usually affect other organs.
two broad classes recognized in literature, those with:
Narrow zones of infiltration (mostly invasive tumors; e.g., pilocytic astrocytoma, subependymal giant cell astrocytoma, pleomorphic xanthoastrocytoma), that often are clearly outlined on diagnostic images
Diffuse zones of infiltration (e.g., high-grade astrocytoma, anaplastic astrocytoma, glioblastoma), that share various features, including the ability to arise at any location in the CNS, but with a preference for the cerebral hemispheres; they occur usually in adults; and an intrinsic tendency to progress to more advanced grades.
People can develop astrocytomas at any age. The low-grade type is more often found in children or young adults, while the high-grade type are more prevalent in adults. Astrocytomas in the base of the brain are more common in young people and account for roughly 75% of neuroepithelial tumors.
