B2.031 Histopathology of Neoplasia

Question 1

what is a tumor parenchyma?

Answer 1

neoplastic cells within the tumor mass

Question 2

what is reactive stroma?

Answer 2

non-neoplastic connective tissue, blood vessels, immune cells, etc. within the tumor mass

Question 3

what are the two components of a tumor?

Answer 3

tumor parenchyma

reactive stroma

Question 4

what is differentiation?

Answer 4

degree of resemblance of neoplastic cells to the cell of origin

Question 5

what does “grading of neoplasms mean”?

Answer 5

describing neoplasms based on their level of differentiation (well differentiated = benign, poorly differentiated = malignant)

Question 6

what is pleomorphism?

Answer 6

variation in size and shape of cells

Question 7

what is anaplasia?

Answer 7

lack of differentiation (malignant)

Question 8

what is invasion?

Answer 8

growth of neoplastic cells beyond the site of origin

Question 9

what categorizes invasion in epithelial neoplasms?

Answer 9

growth beyond the basement membrane

Question 10

what is metastasis?

Answer 10

discontinuous spread of neoplastic cells to a site distant from the site of origin

Question 11

what are some key features of a benign neoplasm?

Answer 11

localized
incapable of invasion
incapable of metastasis
USUALLY good clinical behavior

Question 12

what are some key features of a malignant neoplasm?

Answer 12

capable of invasion into surrounding tissue
capable of metastasis
USUALLY poor clinical behavior (death most often due to spread)

Question 13

give an example of a benign neoplasia with a poor clinical outcome

Answer 13

when in intracranial space, any growth can result in death due to compression

Question 14

give an example of a malignant neoplasia with a good clinical outcome

Answer 14

basal cell carcinomas rarely metastasize despite being malignant

Question 15

how are benign neoplasms usually named?

Answer 15

-oma suffix
adenoma (glands)
chondroma (cartilage)
lipoma (adipose)
leiomyoma (smooth muscle)

Question 16

how are epithelial malignant neoplasms named?

Answer 16

-carcinoma

Question 17

how are mesenchymal malignant neoplasms named?

Answer 17

-sarcoma

Question 18

what are hematopoietic malignant neoplasms called?

Answer 18

lymphoma (lymph nodes)

leukemia (bone marrow, blood)

Question 19

what are melanocytic malignant neoplasms called?

Answer 19

melanoma

Question 20

what is a mixed tumor?

Answer 20

neoplasm with divergent differentiation
due to autonomous proliferation
often a mixture of epithelial and mesenchymal cells

Question 21

what is a teratoma?

Answer 21

neoplasm of germ cells with derivatives of different germ layers

Question 22

what are histologic features of benign neoplasms?

Answer 22

smooth margins
circumscribed
may be encapsulated
uniform composition
good differentiation
low mitotic activity
lack of hemorrhage and necrosis

Question 23

what are histologic features of malignant neoplasms?

Answer 23

infiltrating margins
variegated composition (hemorrhage and necrosis)
lack of resemblance to cell/tissue of origin
cellular atypia
anaplasia
mitotic activity (atypical mitoses)

Question 24

what is desmoplasia?

Answer 24

fibrotic host response to infiltrating neoplasms

Question 25

what is dysplasia?

Answer 25

disordered growth of neoplastic epithelial cells, confined by the basement membrane

Question 26

what is another name for dysplasia?

Answer 26

intraepithelial neoplasia (IN)

Question 27

how is dysplasia classified?

Answer 27

by degree of morphologic atypia

Question 28

what is the furthest progression of dysplasia called?

Answer 28

carcinoma in situ

Question 29

characterize a carcinoma in situ

Answer 29

all cellular features of carcinoma, but still confined by basement membrane

Question 30

do dysplasias always progress to malignancies?

Answer 30

no, can spontaneously correct

Question 31

what screening tool has greatly reduced cervical cancer death rates?

Answer 31

pap smear screening for dysplasia

Question 32

how often do benign neoplasms transform to malignant neoplasms?

Answer 32

rarely