Disorders of Growth Flashcards
Define neoplasm
An abnormal mass of tissue
Define neoplasia
The process by which a neoplasm is formed
What is the difference between a benign tumour and a malignant tumour?
Benign tumour grows by expansion, displacing adjacent tissues.
Malignant tumour grows by infiltration of local tissues, and spreads to other parts of the body.
What are the 2 different types of spread of malignant tumours?
Local = direct invasion Distant = metastasis (secondary tumour)
What are the different routes of metastasis?
Lymphatics Blood - emboli filtered out by capillary beds Transcoelomic - peritoneal/pleural Epithelial-lined spaces- e.g lung cancer Within epithelium - e.g Paget's disease
What are the 4 types of benign epithelial tumours?
Adenoma
Papilloma
Cystadenoma
Polyp
What is a carcinoma?
A malignant tumour of epithelial tissue
What is a sarcoma?
A malignant tumour of stromal tissue
Benign tumours end in what?
-Oma
Malignant tumours end in what?
-Sarcoma
What is leukaemia?
Neoplastic proliferation of haemopoietic stem cells. Neoplastic cells spill over into the blood stream. Malignant.
What is lymphoma?
Malignant proliferation of cells of lymphoid tissue. 2 types:
Hodgkins Disease
Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
What is a teratoma?
Arises from totipotential cells, producing tissues representing all 3 germ layers: ovary, testes, midline.
What are the precursors of malignancy?
Chronic inflammation
Cirrhosis of the liver
Chronic ulcerative colitis
How is a tumour staged?
Using TNM:
Size of primary tumour, extent of lymph node disease, any blood-borne metastasis
What are the effects of benign tumours?
Mechanical pressure Obstruction Ulceration Infection Rupture of cystic neoplasm Hormone production
What are the effects of malignant tumours?
All the physical effects of benign tumours Tissue destruction Haemorrhage Secondary infection Cachexia - sever weight loss Pain Anaemia Paraneoplastic syndromes
What are paraneoplastic syndromes?
Ectopic hormone production caused by malignancy.
E.g Cushings syndrome, renal carcinoma can release erythropoetin. Peripheral neuropathy, thrombophlebitis migrans. Finger clubbing
