Leukaemia workshop

Question 1

what is leukaemia

Answer 1

cancer of white blood cells- begins in the bone marrow

Question 2

what is lymphoma

Answer 2

cancer of the lymph nodes

Question 3

what is myelodysplasia

Answer 3

disease characterized by poor production of blood cells by the bone marrow - can occur in leukaemias if the neoplastic cells are taking up too much room

Question 4

what do you tend to see with acute leukaemia

Answer 4

large number of immature (undifferentiated) leukocytes- can’t tell what they are
aggressive and rapid disease

Question 5

describe chronic leukaemia

Answer 5

malignant proliferation of mature myeloid or lymphoid cells
slow progression and less aggressive in comparison to acute disease

Question 6

what do you tend to see with chronic leukaemia

Answer 6

large numbers of mature (differentiated) cells - can tell what they are

Question 7

does cytopenia occur in acute leukaemia

Answer 7

yes
- is a reduced count of blood cells manifesting as anemia, neutropenia, and/or thrombocytopenia

Question 8

does cytopenia occur in chronic leukaemia

Answer 8

no

Question 9

what are the first cells to disappear after marrow disruption

Answer 9

neutrophils (hours)

Question 10

what are the two types of acute leukaemia

Answer 10

acute lymphoid leukaemia (ALL)
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)

Question 11

is ALL or AML more common

Answer 11

AML- Acute myeloid leukaemia

Question 12

how can we tell the difference between lymphoma and lymphoid leukaemia

Answer 12

lymphoma has small number of blast cells in marrow, a low circulating blast count, mild/absent cytopenia and a massive lymphadenopathy (swelling of lymph nodes?)

Question 13

how can we analyse what type of cancerous cell we have

Answer 13

using lab antibodies against cell surface markers - CD antigens, immuno-cytology/histology or immuno-labelled flow cytometry

Question 14

what disease causes enlargement of lymphoid organs

Answer 14

leukaemic phase of lymphoma

Question 15

List 4 things that can cause lymphadenopathy

Answer 15

reactive hyperplasia
lymphadenitis
metastatic neoplasia
lymphoma

Question 16

what does lymphoma look like on cytology

Answer 16

increased large immature lymphocytes

Question 17

Describe reactive hyperplasia of lymph nodes

Answer 17

lymph nodes are reacting to an antigen and have begun to produce new lymphocytes

Question 18

what does reactive hyperplasia of the lymph node look like on cytology

Answer 18

indistinguishable from normal lymph nodes, mainly small cells, occasional big (immature) cells

Question 19

what does lymphadenitis look like on cytology

Answer 19

increased neutrophils, eosinophils or macrophages

Question 20

what does metastatic neoplasia look like on cytology

Answer 20

carcinoma cells, increased mast cells, melanoma cells

Question 21

what does lymphoma look like on cytology

Answer 21

increased large immature lymphocytes