deck 7 Flashcards
when looking under the microscope and seeing cellular variability, necrosis, destructive invasion, and desmoplasia, what pathological process is going on?
Malignant neoplasia formation
what is desmoplasia?
The growth of fibrous or connective tissue
T/F desmoplasia often causes puckering of tissue inward such as in the lung?
TRUE
What does it mean when you see persistent ulcerations of a cervical growth?
It means that it is malignant.
If you have desmoplasia of the bowel, what will it look/feel like?
Fibrous and rock hard
Malignant neoplasms have 4 generalizations which are?
1) variable differentiation
2) Variable growth rate
3) Destructive invasion4) capable of metastasis
what is anaplasia?
lack of differentiation
what is hyperchromasia?
dark nucleus (usually because of high mitotic activity)
what is pleomorphism?
cells of variable shape and size
With malignancy do you expect to see a high or low nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio?
High
You have a sample of tissue and you see that it has a keratin pearl. What type of cancer is it, and is it well differentiated?
Squamous cell carcinoma Since you can see keratin, it is still well differentiated.
You find a tissue that is clearly cancerous, and the cells are anaplastic. How can you tell which type of cells they are?
Mainly by immunohistochemistry. The main point here is that you cannot tell by looking at them because they no longer resemble the patent tissue type.
T/F By just looking at a tissue specifically at the cell nuclei, you can tell that something is cancerous?
True, but you have to be really good. There are other clues like invasiveness and pleomorphism that can help us decide.
T/F If you see a bunch of cells undergoing mitosis at the same time it means that it is cancer?
False, you have to further analyze the tissue. Many tissue types divide frequently.
You can often see desmosomes that persist between epithelial cells of cancers. What are these called when you see them in a cancerous setting?
Inter cellular bridges.
Carcinomas come from?
epithelial origin
Sarcomas come from?
mesenchymal origin
Leukemias come from?
Blood origin
Lymphomas come from?
Lymph nodes
Is it better to have differentiated or anaplastic cells within a tumor?
Differentiated. Those cells that are anaplastic are generally the more invasive type cell. They have more of the stem cell activity.
What does tumor mean?
swelling but current use implies neoplasia
what is a mass?
space occupying lesion.
What is cancer?
all types of malignant neoplasms.
T/F Gout causes tumors to form in the joints?
True. These are considered mass swellings full of crystals.
Prostate cancer often spreads by?
perineural invasion (nerve sheath)
kidney and colon cancer often spread by?
Hematogeneous spread (blood)
colon and breast cancer often spread by?
lyphatic spread
lung and ovary cancer often spread by?
seeding within body cavities.
If you see a lymph node containing a metastatic carcinoma that is shiny, what should you think?
Mucin involvement
What do you frequently see when you have obstruction of a lymph node due to a neoplasm?
lymphedema
What characteristics (what will the liver look like) will a metastatic carcinoma of the liver have?
Yellow/green spots (because of the backup of bile)Pink/red spots (because of hemorrhage and necrosis of the tumor)
T/F Prostate cancer frequently metastasizes to the spine?
TRUE
What is perineural invasion?
A carcinoma invasion of the outer sheath of a nerve cell
What is carninoma in situ?
a proliferation of epithelial cells with cellular morphology of malignancy, but still confined within the basement membrane of the epithelium.
Is carcinoma in situ cancer?
No. It is a pre-invasive process with NO risk of metastasis.
If there is no difference is cell morphology and type from the basement membrane all the way up to the most superficial layer and there is no invasion of the basement membrane what is this called?
Carcinoma in situ
T/F Carcinoma in situ is the same as high grade dysplasia?
Yes, kind of. Once the dysplasia gets severe enough it is often termed carcinoma in situ. Some pathologists consider this the same thing.
Why does pancreatic cancer only have about a 5% 5 year survival rate?
It is because once they present with the problem it is late in the game. The cancer is already a stage 3 or beyond.
Which is the most important predictor of cancer behavior; stage or grade?
Stage
What are the 3 major characteristics to determine stage?
1) T (tumor size)
2) N (node involvement)
3) M (metastasis)
What is Cachexia?
total body wasting
What are 5 etiologies for malignant cancer?
1) Genetic factors2) Physical factors3) Chemical agents4) Microbial agents5) Iatrogenic (an illness caused by medical treatment)
What is Xeroderma pigmentosum?
an autosomal recessive genetic mutation that causes excessive mutations to occur because the cells do not have the correct enzyme to repair DNA after damage from UV light.
BRCA gene puts you at higher risk for?
Carcinoma of the breast and ovaries.
Uranium and radon gas frequently cause cancer where?
lungs
UV light frequently causes which 3 types of skin cancer?
Squamous and basal cell carcinomasMalignant melanoma.
Asbestos causes?
mesothelioma
Arsenic causes?
skin cancer
Aniline dye causes?
bladder cancer
High estrogen levels often cause which types of cancer? (2x)
Endometrial, and breast
Ebstein barr virus frequently causes which types of cancer? (2x)
Burkitts lymphomaNasopharyngeal carcinoma
H. Pylori can cause which type of cancer? (1x)
Gastric lympohomas
HPV can cause which types of cancer? (2x)
Cervical and oropharyngeal carcinomas.
Hepatitis B and C can frequently cause which type of cancer?
Hepatocellular carcinomas
Infection by hepatitis B and CAflotixinHeriditary hemochromotosisAlpha A1 antitrypsin deficiencyThese all can cause what?
Hepatocellular carcinoma
