Cancer nomenclature terms

Question 1

-genesis

Answer 1

creation or origin

Question 2

-genic

Answer 2

creating or giving rise to

Question 3

-plasia

Answer 3

growth or development

Question 4

-trophy

Answer 4

growth response

Question 5

a-

Answer 5

without

Question 6

meta-

Answer 6

other

Question 7

hyper-

Answer 7

increased

Question 8

hypo-

Answer 8

decreased

Question 9

ana-

Answer 9

against or contrary to

Question 10

neo-

Answer 10

new

Question 11

eu-

Answer 11

good or normal; ordered

Question 12

dys-

Answer 12

abnormal or bad; disordered

Question 13

-megaly

megalo-

Answer 13

very big; enlarged

Question 14

Agenesis

Answer 14

absence of organ due to non-appearance of its primordial in embryo as consequence of imperfect development

Question 15

Aplasia

Answer 15

lack of development; usually implies precursor was present in embryo

Question 16

Atresia

Answer 16

congenital absence or closure of normal body opening or tumbler structure or physiological degenerative change

Question 17

atrophy

Answer 17

decrease in size or amount after normal size has been achieved; can be bc lack of nutrition, poor blood supply, denervation, disuse, pressure, lack hormonal stimulation or presence of hormonal suppression

Question 18

hypoplasia

Answer 18

incomplete or subnormal growth; implies that normal size has not been achieved

Question 19

hypertorphy

Answer 19

increase in size
microscopically: increase in cell size (cells lost potential to divide bc damage or terminal differentiation but can enlarge bc increased synthesis of internal organelles or accumulation of secretory products)
Grossly- increase in size of structure; can be bc increased cell number and/ or size (often used for increased size of organ composed of terminally differentiated cells like the heart)

Question 20

Hyperplasia

Answer 20

increased growth bc cell division
Microscopically- increase in cell numbers or number of structures
Grossly- increase in size of organ made up of cells capable of division

Question 21

Dysplasia

Answer 21

abnormal growth; usually disorder in pattern of growth or abnormal appearance of individual cells; often used to describe developmental malformations or failure in progression of normal postnatal growth; can be used to describe disorderly growth patterns of cells in mature tissues
- may be precancerous but doesn’t have to be

Question 22

Metaplasia

Answer 22

“other growth” change of one mature cell type to another that is abnormal for that tissue but yet is fully differentiated and normal tissue (not dysplastic)

Question 23

Neoplasia

Answer 23

“New growth”; growth of cells that is progressive and autonomous and not responsive to normal regulators of growth

Question 24

Neoplasm

Answer 24

Abnormal mass or tissue the growth of which exceeds and is uncoordinated with that of normal tissues and which persists in same excessive manner after cessation of the stimuli which evoked the change

Question 25

Anaplasia

Answer 25

poor growth or development; tendency toward undifferentiated or primitive cell type (usually used to describe rapidly growing cancer cells and implies poor prognosis)

Question 26

Oncology

Answer 26

study of neoplasia

Question 27

oncogenic

Answer 27

causing cancer

Question 28

tumor

Answer 28

literally a mass or swelling; cardinal sign inflammation; by common use it is a neoplasm

Question 29

benign

Answer 29

favorable; good natured; not malignant

Question 30

Malignant

Answer 30

life threatening, evil

Question 31

cancer

Answer 31

any malignant neoplasm

Question 32

carcinogenesis

Answer 32

sequence of events leading to development of cancer

Question 33

carcinogenic

Answer 33

causing cancer= oncogenic (which technically includes both benign and malignant neoplasms)

Question 34

Metastasis

Answer 34

presence of a disease process (usually cancer) at site distant from site of origin; can be used to describe dissemination of inflammatory process but rarely is

Question 35

involution

Answer 35

rolling or turning inwards; progressive degeneration, aging or cyclic change

Question 36

Abiotrophy

Answer 36

progressive loss of vitality of tissues or organs leading to loss of fx; especially applied to degenerative hereditary dx of late onset; pt of organ achieved full size and then regressed (must be distinguished from hypoplasia and atrophy)

Question 37

Recrudescence

Answer 37

Recurrence after temporary decline or abatement

Question 38

Euplasia

Answer 38

normal growth, size, and order

Question 39

Hamartoma

Answer 39

Benign congenital tumor-like nodule composed of overgrowth (hyperplasia) of mature cells and/ or tissues normally present in affected part, but often with one element predominating

Question 40

choristoma

Answer 40

benign congenital tumor-like nodule composed of ectopic cells or tissues

Question 41

autocrine

Answer 41

self-regulating or stimulating or characterized by secreting a product that acts back on cell that secreted it

Question 42

paracrine

Answer 42

secreting a product that acts locally on adjacent cells

Question 43

endocrine

Answer 43

secreting into blood a product that has specific effect on distant organ tissue (ex pituitary hormones)

Question 44

Exocrine

Answer 44

secreting into a lumen or duct a product that has an effect at another site (ex pancreatic zymogen)