Hallmark of Cancer

Question 1

what is a choristoma?

Answer 1

ectopic rest of normal tissue

Question 2

Benign Differentiation and Anaplasia of Parenchymal cells characteristics

Answer 2

1. Well differentiated
   - resembles normal tissue
   - cell uniformity
   - normal chromatin/nuclei
   - relatively rare, normal mitosis
2. Preservation of overall tissue architecture, polarity
3. Slow growing
4. Non-invasive ; capsule – they do expand = fibrous capsule around tumor because they push normal tissue to the side
5. non-metastatic

Question 3

Malignant differentiation of anaplasia of parenchymal cells

Answer 3

1. Well-, Poorly-, or Un-differentiated
   - loss of cell uniformity (pleomorphic exceptions occur)
   - Increased nuclear size ( increased Nuclear: cytoplasm ration)
   - increased chromatin
   - abnormal mitosis
   - tumor giant cells
   - tumor necrosis
2. Loss of tissue architecture/polarity
3. More rapid growth ( frequent mitosis/abnormal mitosis)
4. Local invasion
5. Local and or distant metastases

Question 4

Metastasis: pathway of spread

Answer 4

1. seeding of body cavities
   - ovarian cancer = spread to peritoneal cavity/line outside of intestine
2. Lymphatic spread
   - breast cancer spreads to regional lymph nodes
3. Hematogenous spread
   - sarcomas and carcinomas: targets are liver, lungs, brain
   - renal cell carcinoma = venous invasion ( travels up IVC)

Question 5

Genetic lesions common to cancer?

Answer 5

Point mutations: activating/ inactivating

Karyotypic changes: changes in chromosomes
- balanced translocations, gene amplification, deletions

MicroRNAs

Epigenetic Modifications