FoM:L6 - Neoplasia (how tumours behave)

Question 1

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 1

• abnormal mass of tissue
• growth exceeds and is uncoordinated with that of normal tissue
• purposeless

Question 2

Outline the key differences between benign and malignant tumours

Answer 2

benign
- localised
- dont spread
- expand
- slower
malignant
- infiltrate tissues
- spread/metastasise
- faster

Question 3

What 2 terms mean tumours are always malignant?

Answer 3

• lymphoma
• melanoma

Question 4

What is Dysplasia?

Answer 4

abnormal cells being present in tissue

Question 5

What is metastasis?

Answer 5

• shifting of disease from one place to another
• deposits of cancer away from primary tumour site

Question 6

What is tumour grade?

Answer 6

extent to which tumour cells resemble organ cells
1 - well differentiated
2 - moderately //
3 - poorly //

Question 7

What is tumour stage?

Answer 7

anatomical extent of tumour
size, number, metastasis

Question 8

What are paraneoplastic syndromes?

Answer 8

• Clinical effects of malignant diseases not directly related to the local mass
• Commonest cause is secretion of functional hormones or peptides from the tumour

Question 9

What is hypercalcaemia?

Answer 9

• PT related protein secreted from tumour cells
• activates PTH receptors

Question 10

What are the general principles of carcinomas?

Answer 10

• tend to resemble cells in tissues they arise from
• can arise or develop from dysplasia
• metastases

Question 11

What are the general effects of carcinomas?

Answer 11

• localised: pressure, infiltration, invasion
• systemic: paraneoplastic syndromes, metastatic deposits