Cancer Flashcards
What are benign cancers?
Cancers which remain localised, do not spread - however can still kill doe 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
What is the name of a malignant and benign tumour of transitional epithelial cells?
benign = transitional papilloma
malignant = transitional cell carcinoma
What is the name of a malignant and benign tumour of squamous epithelial cells?
benign = squamous papilloma
malignant = squamous cell carcinoma
what is the name given to a benign and malignant tumour of smooth muscle?
Leiomyoma = benign
leiomyosarcoma = malignant
What is the name given to benign and malignant tumours of the bone?
Osteoma = benign
Osteosarcoma = malignant
What is a lymphoma?
A malignant neoplasm of the lymphocytes
What is leukaemia?
A malignant neoplasm of the bone marrow
What are teratomas?
Tumours derived from germ cells and can contain tissue from all three germ layers
What does invasion mean?
The direct extension into the adjacent connective tissue r other structures like blood vessels
What are the four main differences between benign and malignant tumours?
- invasion
- metastasis
- growth patterns
- differentiation
What is meant by metastasis?
The spread of cancer via the blood vessels
What is meant by the degree of differentiation?
How much do the cells of the tumour resemble the cells of the tissue it is derived from
How do tumour cells differ from the cells they are derived from?
They have a larger nuclei (so higher nuclear:cytoplasm ratio) and more mitoses than the normal tissue they are derived from
May also show abnormal mitoses and marked nuclear pleomorphism
What is meant by growth pattern?
how much does the architecture of the tumour resembles the architecture of the tissue it is derived from.
How does the growth pattern of tumours differ from that of the tissue it is derived from?
less well defined architecture than the tissue they are derived from
Describe how a benign tumour becomes malignant?
- hyperproliferation
- adenomatous polyps form
- when the polyps undergoes dysplasia - becomes pre cancerous
- then forms an adenocarcinoma and then becomes an invasive cancer
By which routes do tumours spread?
Direct extension. Haematogenous. Lymphatic Transcoelomic Perineural
What are three stages involved in the direct extension of a tumour?
fibroblastic proliferation (“ a desmoplastic response”), vascular proliferation (angiogenesis) and an immune response.
which blood vessels are usually invaded in haematogenous invasion and why?
The blood vessels usually invaded are the venules and capillaries because they have thinner walls.
By what route do most sarcomas metastasize through?
Haematogenous
Which cancers metastasize via the lymphatics first?
Epithelial cancers
How is the pattern of lymphatic spread dictated?
dictated by the normal lymphatic drainage of the organ in question
What is meant by transcoelomic spread?
This is via seeding of body cavities.
Which cavities are common sites for transcoelomic spread?
pleural cavities for intrathoracic cancers and peritoneal cavities for intra-abdominal
What is perineural spread?
Spread of cancer via nerves
How do we assess tumour spread?
- CLinically
- Radiologically
- Pathologically
How do we describe tumour spread (stage)?
T = Tumour: the tumour size or extent of local invasion
N = Nodes: number of lymph nodes involved
M = Metastases: presence of distant metastases
This is called the “TNM” system and the details are different for each kind of cancer
What is meant by grade and stage?
Grade = how differeniated is the tumour
Stage = how far has the tumour spread - TNM
