Cancer Behaviour Flashcards
What are the three groups of cancers
Epithelial, mesenchymal and haematological (also neuroectoderm which is a far smaller group)
What do you call epithelial malignancy
Carcinoma
What is the relationship between carcinomas and age
Risk increases associated with long term accumulation of environmental risk (children are rare)
What characterises epithelial malignancy
Local growth. Spreads by haematogenous and lymphatic routes.
Where does testicular carcinoma spread to
Para-aortic lymph nodes due to embryological development
Where do GI carcinomas generally spread to
The liver - other sites are rare
What are mesenchymal tumours
Soft tissue tumours (all kinds and connective tissue) called sarcomas
What do you call smooth muscle tumours
leiomyoma/sarcoma
What do you call skeletal muscle tumours
Rhabdomyoma/sarcoma
What do you call fat tumours
lipoma/liposarcoma
What do you call bone tumours
osteoma/osteosarcoma
What do you call cartilage tumours
Chondroma/ chondrosarcoma
What do you call blood vessel tumours
Haemangioma / angiosarcoma
What do you call nerve tumours
Neuroma/MPNST
What is the age distribution of sarcomas
more common in children
How do sarcomas spread
Local growth is the defining feature (they can get massive) lymphatic spread is very rare. can spread through the haematogenous route and disseminate wildly if left alone enough
What is the histology of sarcomas
Tend to be spindle cell lesions - elongated tapered cell shapes and a solid tumour
What genetic changes are sarcomas generally associated with
Specific large translocations
What are lymphomas
Mass like lesions in lymph nodes
What are leukemias
Circulating malignant cells in the blood and bone marrow
Why do haematological cancers not metastasise
Because they are already throughout the body
Other than FBCs what are signs of a haemotological malignancy
Large lymph nodes not fitting drainage of an epithelial malignancy (diffuse spleen and liver involvement) and symptoms from marrow involvement (anaemic, bleeding and infections)
What are B symptoms in a haematological malignancy
unpredictable - such as sweating (esp at night) and weight loss.
A main differential is infection
What is the histology of haematological malignancy
Look like the cell of origin at low grade and quite monoclonal.
Solid white masses in lymph nodes.
What is the common name for brain tumours
Gliomas
What are lesions in the brain in older people normally
Metastases, esp if there are multiple
Why is there no benign/malignant cut off in brain tumours
Brain is in an enclosed space so tumour growth effects surrounding tissue. Slow growing tumours can let the brain adapt but are still dangerous
How are neuroectodermal tumours classified
Grade 1. 2 and 3 (no benign, pre malignant, malignant)
How do neuroectodermal tumours spread
No metastases lymphatic or otherwise
What are the main sites of metastasis of bladder cancer
Bone, liver, lung
What are the main sites of metastasis of breast cancer
Bone, brain, liver lung
What are the main sites of metastasis of colon cancers
Liver, lung, peritoneum
What are the main sites of metastasis of kidney cancers
Adrenal gland, bone, brain, liver, lung
What are the main sites of metastasis of lung cancer
Adrenal gland, bone, brain, liver, other lung
What are the main sites of metastasis of melanomas
Bone, brain, liver, lung, skin, muscle
What are the main sites of metastasis of ovary cancer
Liver, lung, peritoneum
What are the main sites of metastasis of pancreatic cancer
Liver, lung, peritoneum
What are the main sites of metastasis of prostate cancer
Adrenal gland, bone, liver lung (and generally anywhere)
What are the main sites of metastasis of rectal cancer
Liver, lung, peritoneum
What are the main sites of metastasis of stomach cancer
Liver, lung, peritoneum
What are the main sites of metastasis of thyroid cancer
Bone, liver, lung
