Cancer Flashcards
What are benign cancers?
Cancers which remain localised, do not spread - however can still kill due to their location eg a benign brain tumour could raise intracranial pressure and cause problems
What is the definition of a tumour?
A mass forming lesion of any kind
What are neoplasms?
Autonomous outgrowths of tissues which have escaped the normal constraints of cell proliferation
How do cells become cancerous?
Through the accumulation of mutations through the cell cycle which control the process of cell division
what are malignant tumours?
Those which invade local side/ spreads to distant sites
What are hamartomas?
Localised, benign overgrowths of one or more mature cell types eg lungs - they are tumours, but not neoplasms
What is the main problem associated with hamartomas?
They display architectural abnormalities
Where do hamartomas commonly form?
In the lungs
What are three types of tumours?
Neoplastic, hamartomatous or inflammatory
What is a heterotopia?
When normal tissue is found in parts of the body where they are not normally found
A 51-year-old male underwent an endoscopy during colon screening. An erythematous flat lesion, measuring about 2.5 cm in its greatest diameter was noted in the rectum and biopsies were obtained. Histological examination (shown below) revealed multiple fragments of gastric mucosa with associated with mild chronic inflammation. How is this tumour best described?
Heterotopia - usually associated with inflammation as well but generally harmless
Which type of tumour invades connective tissue?
Malignant tumours often invade connective tissue, whereas benign tumours do not.
In the “TNM” system of tumour grading, what do the letters T, N and M represent?
Tumour
Nodes
Metastasis
What is a cancer?
A malignant neoplasm
What does the suffix “sarcoma” mean?
Malignant (soft tissue) tumour
What does the suffix “oma” mean?
Benign tumour
What is the name of a benign tumour of the squamous epithelium cells?
Squamous papilloma
What is the name of a malignant and benign tumour of glandular epithelial cells?
Malignant = Adenocarcinoma
Benign = Adenoma