Basics of Neoplasia Flashcards
Which species can get cancer?
Any multicellular species
ie. plants, sharks, etc
What is neoplasia?
New growth
What is neoplasm?
Solid new growth
What is a tumor?
Any nonspecific mass
What is oncology?
Study of tumors/masses
What is a benign neoplasm?
Not cancer; cannot invade
What is a malignant neoplasm?
Always cancer; can invade
What is differentiation?
Degree of resemblance of a tissue to the tissue of origin
Describe well-differentiated neoplasm
Kind of looks normal and tends to be benign
Describe poorly-differentiated neoplasm
Doesn’t look normal
Describe undifferentiated/anaplastic neoplasm
Looks totally different, acts different, tends to be malignant
Pathologists employ the concept of differentiation to…
develop a prognosis once a tentative diagnosis of neoplastic disease has been made
Patients with a well-differentiated neoplasm are more likely to…
survive for a longer period of time or may be completely cured with treatment
Patients with an anaplastic neoplasm are more likely to…
experience a lower survival rate and/or increased risk of mortality
What are the features of anaplasia?
- Cellular pleomorphism and/or tumor giant cells
- Hyperchromatism of nuclei
- Prominent nucleolus
- Frequency of mitoses
- Disorientation of cells/loss of architecture
- Metastasis
All neoplasms have which two components?
- Parenchyma
- Stroma
What is parenchyma?
The proliferating neoplastic cells (by which the tumor is named)
What is stroma?
Fibrous connective tissue and blood vessels
If stromal component is minimal, the neoplasm will be…
soft and fleshy
If there is an abundance of stroma, neoplasm will be…
dense and hard
What is desmoplasia?
Abundant stroma in neoplasm making it dense and hard
Which type of cells are the most common to proliferate into cancer?
Epithelial cells (especially linings)
Give examples of epithelial linings that normally proliferate under normal conditions
- Respiratory epithelium
- Gastro-intestinal linings
- Genito-urinary tract
- Skin
Glandular linings are also epithelium
Give an example of glandular lining that normally proliferates under normal conditions
Mammary gland
Do ovaries and testes normally proliferate under normal conditions?
Yes, they’re always kind of dividing
Does bone marrow normally proliferate under normal conditions?
Yes
Activity of myoblasts, organ hypertrophy, and fetal tissue growth are all examples of…
tissues normally proliferating under normal conditions
Explain the proliferation of wound healing and possibility of mutation
Wound healing must recruit and proliferate cells
Increased turnover leads to increased mutation
