Cancer

Question 1

What is a harmatoma?

Answer 1

• localised benign overgrowth of one or more mature cell types
• Architectural but not cytological abnormalities
• Eg ones in the lung are made of cartilage and bronchial tissue

Question 2

What is a heterotopia?

Answer 2

• Normal tissues being found in parts of body where they don’t belong

Question 3

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 3

autonomous growth of tissue which have escaped normal constraints on cell proliferation

Question 4

Types of epithelial cancer

;

Answer 4

• squamous: epithelioma or papilloma (benign) OR carcinoma (malignant). Skin, cervix etc
• Glandular: adenoma (B) OR Adenocarcinoma (M). Breast, pancreas
• Transitional: papilloma, carcinoma, Bladder

Question 5

Types of cancer in connective tissue:

Answer 5

• smooth muscle: leiomyoma, leiomyosarcoma (uterus, colon)

- Bone: osteoma, Osteosarcoma (arm, leg)

Question 6

What is a teratoma?

Answer 6

tumours from germ cells, have tissue from all 3 germ layers
Can contain mature or immature tissue or cancers
(Eg, hair and teeth growing in cyst of woman’s ovary)

Question 7

What is invasion?

Answer 7

direct extension into adjacent connective tissue. In DYSPLASIA, there is no invasion. Once it invades, there is cancer.

Question 8

What is metastasis

Answer 8

spread via blood vessels. To lymph nodes. All malignant can metastasise. Vascular invasion - veins.

Question 9

Differentiation

Answer 9

how much the tumour cells look like the tissue they came from. Tumour cells have big nuclei nuclear cytoplasmic ratio and abnormal mitosis (tripolar).

Question 10

What is growth pattern

Answer 10

how much the structure of the tissue look like normal.

Question 11

List 5 ways in which tumours spread around the body

Answer 11

• Direct extension: through basal membrane
• Haematogenous: via blood vessels. Most sarcomas
• Lymphatic: lymph nodes to duct. Most epithelial cancers (carcinomas)
• Transcoelomic: via body cavities eg pleural/peritoneal cavities. Natural movement of organs spread cancer around.
• Perineural: travelling through the nerves

Question 12

List 3 ways in which we can assess tumours:

Answer 12

• clinically: lumps in breasts
• Radiologically: imaging
• Pathologically: lymph node frozen assessment

Question 13

How does the TNM staging system (measure of cancer spread) work?

Answer 13

• T for tumour: size/extent of invasion
• N for nodes: no of nodes involved
• M for metastases: presence of distant metastases

Question 14

How does the grading system work?

Answer 14

how differentiated the tumour is. Cytological/ structural. EG Nuclear cytoplasmic ratio, mitosis

Question 15

What is dysplasia?

Answer 15

A benign tumour