CSIM 1.11: Colorectal Cancer Flashcards
What is an adenocarcinoma?
A cancer originating from glandular tissue
Why do cancerous cell nuclei stain darker?
They are undergoing replication and so hyperchromia is present
What are the stages of colorectal carcinomas?
Dukes Stages:
A: Surface epithelium invaded
B: Muscularis layer invaded
C: Underlying blood vessel invasion & lymph nodes
TNM Staging
What can be done to assess the presence of distant metastases?
CT scan
How does red meat and fatty diets cause colorectal cancer?
Makes stools soft, and they can adhere to the walls more, particularly around polyps. Microorganisms found in these produce lots of reactive oxygen species which damage surrounding tissue DNA
What is the APC gene?
Anti-tumour gene
Which cells should be looked at to determine if a polyp has become cancerous?
The cells at the tip of the polyp, as they were the first to differentiate, are the most differentiated and began the polyp by dividing.
What do microsatellite instabilities cause?
Sessile serrated adenomas
What environmental factors increase risk of colorectal cancer?
Low fibre (same reason as other two)
High fat
Red meat
