cancerr Flashcards
what is a tumor
Any kind of mass forming lesion.
causes
eoplastic, hamartomatous or inflammatory
what are neoplasm
The autonomous growth of tissue which have escaped normal constraints on cell proliferation.
2 forms of neoplasm
benign (remain localised) or
malignant (invade locally and/or spread to distant sites).
which sort are cancer
Cancers are malignant neoplasms.
processs as to which neoplasm spread
metastasis
difference betwene the malignant and beningn neoplasm strcture
b clear demarcation - can move around - not attached to the skin
m invades the local tissue - fixed
do malignant tumors always casuse death
no rarely do, and some benign tumors kill usully due to location in vital structure e.g. brain
what are Hamartomas
what abnormalities do they display
These are localised benign overgrowths of one of more mature cell types e.g. in the lung.
They represent architectural but not cytological abnormalities e.g. their arrangement
For example: lung hamartomas are composed of cartilage and bronchial tissue.
Heterotopias
These are normal tissue being found in parts of the body where they are not normally present.
For example: pancreas in the wall of the large intestine.
what is primary descrition of a neoplasm bsaed on
cell origin
what is secondary desciption based on
benign or malignant.
example usinh cartliage
chondro meaning cartliage
suffix of oma means benign
suffix of carcoma means malignant soft tissue yumor
what are Teratomas
These are tumours derived from germ cells and can contain tissue derive from all three for 3 germ cell layers.
They may contain mature and / or immature tissue and even cancers.
what are the 3 germ layers
ectoderm
mesoderm
endoderm
exception to to the suffix “oma”
Malignant) Lymphoma
(Malignant) Melanoma
Hepatoma (better called liver cell cancer)
Teratoma (not all, see above()
What are the differences between benign and malignant tumours?
Invasion
Metastasis
Differentiation
Growth pattern
Define invasion
This means direct extension into the adjacent connective tissue and /or other structures e.g. blood vessels. This is what distinguishes dysplasia/carcinoma in situ from cancer.
what is dysplasia
show genetic and cytological features of cancer changes in DNA abnormal nuclear : cytoplasmic increase mitosis but don't invade
what is carcinoma in situ
most severe form of dysplasia
not invading
Metastasis
This means spread via blood vessels etc (see below) to other parts of the body.
NB: All malignant tumours have the capacity to metastasise although they may be diagnosed before they have done so
diffrentiation
This means how much do the cells of the tumour resemble the cells of the tissue it is derived from.
features of tumor cells
Tumour cells tend to have larger nuclei (and hence a higher nuclear-cytoplasmic ratio) and more mitoses than the normal tissue they are derived from.
They may have abnormal mitoses (e.g. tripolar) and marked nuclear pleomorphism (variability in nuclear size and shape).
growth pattern
This means how much does the architecture of the tumour resembles the architecture of the tissue it is derived from.
Tumours have less well defined architecture than the tissue they are derived from.
the more it looks normal the better it is
what are the 4 methods of tumour/neoplasms spreading
Direct extension. Haematogenous. Lymphatic Transcoelomic Perineural (doctors can also spread the cancer by dropping bits of cancer during surgery whilst removing the cancer)
Direct extension.
This is associated with a stromal response to the tumour.
what do the response consist of
This includes fibroblastic proliferation (“ a desmoplastic response”), vascular proliferation (angiogenesis) and an immune response.
what is the method of Haematogenous
and why the blood vessel
This is via blood vessels.
The blood vessels usually invaded are the venules and capillaries because they have thinner walls.
where to most sacromas metastasise first
via blood vessel
Lymphatic
This is via lymphatics to lymph nodes and beyond.
what is the pattern dictated by
The pattern of spread is dictated by the normal lymphatic drainage of the organ in question.
where to most epithelial cells metastasise first
via the lymphatics.
Transcoelomic
This is via seeding of body cavities.
most common areas of the cavities
he pleural cavities (for intrathoracic cancers) and the peritoneal cavities (for intra-abdominal cancers)
why does the tumour spread easily once. it reaches the peritoneal cavity
low resistance area
moist
constantly moving
Perineural
This is via nerves.
what are the 3 ways to assess tumour spread
- Clinically
- Radiologically
- Pathologically
patholy is the definitve way of staging cancers, how they spread
how to describe tumour spread
TNM system
what is it
T = Tumour: the tumour size or extent of local invasion N = Nodes: number of lymph nodes involved M = Metastases: presence of distant metastases
what is grade
how differentiated is the tumour
worst the grade worst the prognosis
what is stage
how far as the tumour spread
worse the stage worst the prognosis
what is the most important
stage
