Benign and Malignant Neoplasms Flashcards
What is invasion?
The infiltration of surround (local) tissue by a neoplasm
Do benign neoplasms invade?
No
Which type of neoplasm would be encapsulated?
Benign is generally encapsulated
Which type of neoplasm would be highly differentiated?
Benign is highly differentiated
Which type of neoplasm would be poorly differentiated?
Malignant is poorly differentiated
Which type of neoplasm will ultimately, progressively infiltrate, invade, and destroy?
Malignant
Which type of neoplasm can often be surgically excised?
Benign
What is metastasis?
The invasive nature of neoplasms which allows them to penetrate into blood vessels, lymphatics, and body cavities, thus providing the opportunity for spread of the neoplasm to a distant anatomical territory
Metastasis unequivocally marks a neoplasm as…
malignant
With few exceptions, all malignant neoplasms have the potential to…
metastasize
Approximately ___% of newly diagnosed patients with solid malignant neoplasms clinically present with metastases
50%
Metastatic spread strongly reduces…
the possibility of cure
What are three pathways of metastatic spread?
- Direct seeding
- Lymphatic spread
- Hematogenous spread
What is an example of a neoplasia with lymphatic spread?
Breast cancer
Lymphatic spread happens through…
lymph nodes
Hematogenous spread happens through…
arteries and veins (blood stream)
Hematogenous spread commonly affects… because…
commonly affects liver because all gut venous drainage goes there
Name four tissue changes associated with neoplastic disease
- Hyperplasia
- Metaplasia
- Dysplasia
- Tumor giant cells
What is dysplasia redux?
Disorderly but non-neoplastic proliferation of cells; loss uniformity of individual cells and loss of architecture; pleomorphism, hyperchromatism, increased mitoses
What are two possible outcomes of dysplasia?
May progress to malignant neoplasia or may revert to normal tissue
What is the potential sequence of events in the evolution of a neoplasia of epithelial cell origin?
Hyperplasia –> Dysplasia –> Carcinoma in situ –> Malignant neoplasia
What is hematochezia?
Frank red blood; lower GI bleed
What is melena?
Black, tarry stool; upper GI bleed
What are the local effects of both benign and malignant neoplasias?
- Swelling
- Irritation
- Blood vessel damage
- Visceral damage
- Compromised organ function
Systemic effects are contingent upon…
hormone secreting a substance
What is the secretion of a benign neoplasm causing systemic effects?
Indigenous hormone secretion
What is the secretion of a malignant neoplasm causing systemic effects?
Indigenous or ectopic hormone production
What is an indigenous hormone?
Native to the tissue of origin
ie. pancreatic neoplasm secreting insulin
What is an ectopic hormone?
Not normally produced by that tissue
ie. lung neoplasm secreting ACTH)
What is paraneoplastic syndrome?
Syndrome in which symptoms “mask” the underlying neoplasm
What are three mechanisms that might create a hypercalcemic state as a systemic effect?
- Primary bone neoplasm (eating bone)
- Metastasis to bone
- PTH-secreting tumor
Are endocrinopathies an example of indigenous or ectopic hormone production?
Ectopic
What are two examples of endocrinopathies?
- Cushing syndrome
- Hypercalcemia
How is Cushing’s syndrome an example of ectopic hormone production?
ACTH production by lung carcinoma
What is the result of parathyroid hormone production by lung carcinoma?
Ectopic hormone production causes hypercalcemia
In neuromyopathic/myasthenic syndrome, what do lung carcinoma tumor cells do?
Elicit antibody formation
When lung carcinoma tumor cells ellicit antibody formation, what is the effect on neurons?
Antibodies to tumor cells “cross-react” with neuronal endings
Antibodies are made against the neuron that releases acetylcholine
Cannot activate mM leading to flaccid paralysis
What is an example of a paraneoplastic vascular disorder?
Thrombosis as a result of increased synthesis of coagulation proteins induced by malignant cells
