92 - Neoplasia 1 Flashcards
Cancer deaths vs cardiovascular deaths in Australia
33% of deaths cardio, 30% are from malignancy per year.
Age group where most cancers are diagnosed
68% in people aged 60 and older.
Proportion of people over 85 diagnosed with cancer
1/2 males, 1/3 females.
Cancers accounting for over 60% of cancers diagnosed
Prostate, colorectal, breast, melanoma of the skin, lung
Most common cancers
Basal cell cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
Very rarely lead to death. Not very aggressive.
Most common cancers in Australia
Basal cell cancer, squamous cell carcinoma of the skin.
Very rarely lead to death. Not very aggressive.
Neoplasia
Excessive and unregulated cell proliferation.
Features of neoplasia 1 2 3 4 5
1) Multistep process beginning in a single cell.
2) Aberrant genetic, epigenetic control mechanisms affecting cell cycle, apoptosis, DNA repair
3) Acquire other features that allow neoplastic growth to progress
4) Comprise neoplastic cells and reactive stroma.
5) Can be benign or malignant
Examples of cells in reactive stroma
Inflammatory cells, fibroblasts, blood vessels
Tumour
Any mass lesion. Commonly used to describe neoplastic lesions, but this is very broad.
Characteristics of malignant cells 1 2 3 4 5 6
Sustaining proliferative signalling Evade growth suppressors Activating invasion and angiogenesis Enabling replicative immortality Inducing angiogenesis Resisting cell death
Most common cancers in males and females
Prostate in males, breast in females.
Most common cancers in males and females in Victoria
Prostate in males, breast in females.
Leading causes of cancer death in males and females in Victoria
Lung cancer leading cause in both.
Prostate and breast are second-most.
Who diagnoses a cancer?
A pathologist.
Most common cancer globally
Lung
Why is liver cancer more common globally than in Australia?
Prevalence of hepatitis B and C
Examples of paediatric cancers 1 2 3 4
Certain leukaemias.
Neuroblastomas
Wilm’s tumour
Certain lymphonmas
What can paediatric cancers be referred to as?
Blastomas
Features of benign cells 1 2 3 4
• Local expansile, generally slow growth, often (not always) well circumscribed (+/- encapsulated) • Well differentiated cells • Unable to metastasise • Rarely life threatening
Features of malignant cells 1 2 3 4
- Locally invasive, destructive growth, often (not always) poorly circumscribed
- Frequently induce ‘desmoplasia’ in stroma as they invade
- Sometimes necrosis: from tumour outgrowing blood supply
- Variable differentiation: well, moderate, poor or anaplastic
- Potential to metastasise: spread and grow at a site separate to the primary tumour
Ways in which tumours can metastasise
- Lymphatic
- Haematogenous
- Transcoelomic
Most important features of malignant cells
Invasive, can metastasise
Transcoelomic
Metastasis via body cavities
Features of benign cells 1 2 3 4
- Local expansile, generally slow growth, often (not always) well circumscribed (+/- encapsulated - capsule not v common)
- Well differentiated cells
- Unable to metastasise
- Rarely life threatening
Transcoelomic
Metastasis via body cavities