Lecture 27 - Introduction to Tumour Growth

Question 1

Cell differentiation involves?

Answer 1

Inactivation of proliferation genes, activation of specific function genes

Question 2

Reductions in tissue mass?

Answer 2

agenesis, hypoplasia (congenital), atrophy (acquired)

Question 3

Hypertrophy and hyperplasia?

Answer 3

growth; increased no. cells

Question 4

Causes of hyperplasia?

Answer 4

functional (physiological), endocrine stimulation, chronic irritation

Question 5

Effects of hyperplasia?

Answer 5

increased function (endocrine), risk of malignancy

Question 6

Metaplasia?

Answer 6

change from one mature tissue time to another due to environmental change - typically adjacent cell, sometimes premalignant

Question 7

Dysplasia?

Answer 7

histological abnormality, partial malignant transformation, graded (extreme being carcinoma)

Question 8

Reactive atypia?

Answer 8

non-premalignant, regeneration of cells due to injury leads to suspicious microscopic nuclear changes

Question 9

Reactive atypia becoming malignant?

Answer 9

if chronic, proliferation ‘promoter’ effect, causing an increased risk of cancer

Question 10

non-invasive carcinoma?

Answer 10

carcinoma in situ

Question 11

Benign/Malignant Neoplasms?

Answer 11

dont/do metastasize, cells are/aren’t differentiated, expansile/infiltrative growth, rarely/are fatal if untreated

Question 12

Tumour cell invasion?

Answer 12

angogenesis to support itself, immune response triggered, desmoplasia (generation of fibrous tissue)

Question 13

Tumour stroma?

Answer 13

everything in the tumour except the tumour cells: fibroblasts, matrix, collagen, blood vessels, inflammatory cells

Question 14

Hypoxic tumour cells

Answer 14

viable tumour cells surrounding vessel take oxygen supply, some cells become necrotic but in between are hypoxic cells that are resistant to chemo and radiation therapy

Question 15

Pathological diagnosis process?

Answer 15

is it neoplastic rather than inflammatory, hyperplastic and non-neoplastic cyst, if so is it malignant or benign, if malignant stage, type and grade?

Question 16

Microscopic diagnosis of malignancy - architecture?

Answer 16

disorganised, invasion of normal tissue

Question 17

Microscopic diagnosis of malignancy - cytology?

Answer 17

increase nuclear staining and size, variation in nuclar shape, mitoses, decreased cell cohesion