Cancer Pathology Flashcards
Are benign tumours cancer
No
Are malignant tumours cancer
Yes
What controls whether a tumour is benign or malignant
Number and type of mutation
How do begins tumours grow
Expansion
How do malignant tumours grow
Expansion and infiltration
Which type of tumour can metastasise
Malignant
What type of cancer is curable by surgery
Benign
Why are benign tumours usually oval or spherical but malignant tumours are usually irregular
Benign are usually encapsulated
Malignant are non encapsulated
Which type of tumour grows faster
Malignant
How well differentiated are benign and malignant tumour cells
Benign well differentiated
Malignant poorly differentiated
Do malignant or benign tumours have a higher mitotic rate
Malignant
Visual characteristics of malignant melanoma
Asymmetrical
Uneven borders
2+ colours
Larger than 1/4 inch
6 stages of tumour development
Oncogene activation
Hyperplasia
Dysplasia
In situ cancer
Invasive cancer
Metastasis
Histological characteristics of cancer
High nuclear:cytoplasmic ration
Prominent nucleoli
Absent basal cell layer
Hyperchromasia
Disorganised cytoarchitecture
What causes ischemic necrosis in tumours
Insufficient nutrient and oxygen supply
Histological appearance of a well differentiated neoplasm
Resembles mature cells of tissue of origin
Histological appearance of poorly differentiated neoplasms
Primitive cells w little differentiation
Are how well differentiated are benign and malignant tumours
Benign - well
Malignant - poorly
What is cancer grading based on
Degree of anaplasia
Rate of growth
Cancer grades and their meaning
Grade I - <25% anaplastic
Grade II - 25-50% anaplastic
Grade III - 50-75% anaplastic
Grade IV - >75% anaplastic
GX - grade can’t be assessed
What type of cancer is graded using the Gleason score
Prostate
What is cancer stages based on
Tumour size
Growth extent/spread
What is assessed using TNM staging
T - tumour - size and spread
N - nodes - 0= none 3=many
M - metastasis - 0=no 1=yes
What is a major histological characteristic of grade 1 invasive lobular carcinoma in the breast
Invasive cells in single file lines or single cells
Abnormal cancer cell morphology
Hyperchromasia
Chromatin clumping in nucleus
Prominent nucleoli
Little cytoplasm
Incr nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio
Frequent mitosis
What causes Hyperchromasia
Fast DNA synthesis
Types of abnormal mitotic figure
Tripolar
Quadripolar
Multipolar spindles
Why are increased number of mitotic figures seen in cancerous tissue
High proliferation rate
Histological Characteristics of anaplastic tissue
Varied cell shape and size
Cellular pleomorphism
Nuclear pleomorphism
Hyperchromatic nuclei
Tumour giant cells
Types of tumour dissemination
Haematogenous
Lymphatic
Process of metastasis
Vascularisation -> cells detach -> BM degradation -> intravasion into vessels -> circulation -> extravasion into tissues -> secondary tumour formation
How do cells enter and leave blood and lymphatic vessels
Enter by intravasion
Leave by extravasion
Disruption to function of which proteins enhances tumour migration
Integrins
What do tumour cells interact with in the bloodstream to increase survival
Activated olatelets
What are the 3 stages of metastases formation of tumour cells once in a secondary tissue
Pre metastatic niche
Micrometastasis
Metastatic colonization
Why is E cadherin downregulated in metastatic breast cancer
Decreases adherence to ECM allowing metastasis
Why is BRCA downregulated in metastatic breast cancer
Prevent DNA repair
Why is VEGF upregulated in metastatic breast cancer
Increase angiogenesis to supply tumour
Most common metastases site for breast cancer
Axillary lymph nodes
Sentinel node biopsy
Radioactive tracer and blue dye administered near tumour site, uptake of tracer and dye in lymph node analysed to assess whether cancer present
What are the 3 factors in histological tumour classification
Differentiation state - epithelial, non epithelial, mixed
Embryonic origin - ectoderm endoderm mesoderm
Biological behaviour - benign malignant
How are benign tumours named
Cell origin + morphological character + oma
What are benign tumours of fat, fibrous/connective, bone and cartilage called
Fat - lipoma
Fibrous/connective - Fibroma
Bone - osteoma
Cartilage - chondroma
What are the origin cells of adenomas and papillomas
Adenoma - glandular epithelium
Papilloma - stratified squamous epithelium
How are malignant tumours names
Origin cell + morphological character + sarcoma/carcinoma
Malignant tumours of Which cell types are termed carcinomas and sarcomas
Carcinoma - epithelial
Sarcoma - mesenchymal
Malignant tumours ending in oma
Lymphoma, myeloma
Glioma, Neuroblastoma
Blastoma
Hepatoma
Melanoma
Seminomas
Is leukaemia malignant or benign
Malignant
What tissue do blastomas form from
Embryonic tissue
Teratoma
Tumour comprised of cells from more than 1 germ layer
What type of cell do teratomas form from
Totipotent stem cells
