Neoplasia 1

Question 0

What is a malignant neoplasm?

Answer 0

• An abnormal growth of cells that persists after the initial stimulus has been removed and invades surrounding tissue with potential to spread to distant sites

Question 1

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 1

• An abnormal growth of cells that persists after the initial stimulus is removed

Question 2

What is dysplasia?

Answer 2

• Pre-neoplastic growth which is reversible

- Can lead to neoplasm which is irreversible

Question 3

What are the two different types of malignant neoplasms (cancerous)?

Answer 3

• Primary: original site

- Secondary: metastasis

Question 4

What is the difference in behaviour of benign and malignant neoplasms?

Answer 4

• Benign: remain confined to site of origin and don’t metastases
• Malignant: have potential to metastases

Question 5

What does a benign neoplasm look like to the naked eye?

Answer 5

• Has pushing outer margin as grows confined in a local area

Question 6

What does a malignant neoplasm look like to the naked eye?

Answer 6

• Irregular outer margin and shape

- May show areas of necrosis and ulceration

Question 7

Histologically what do malignant and benign neoplasms look like?

Answer 7

• Benign: well differentiated (closely resembles the parent tissue)
• Malignant: ranges from well to poorly differentiated

Question 8

What is the term given to cells with no resemblance to any tissue?

Answer 8

• Anaplastic

Question 9

What differences are seen in the individual cells with worsening differentiation?

Answer 9

• Cells have increasing nuclear size -> nuclear hyperchromasia
• More mitotic figures
• Increased variation in size and shape of cell and nucleus

Question 10

What is hyperchromasia?

Answer 10

• Increased nuclear to cytoplasm ratio

Question 11

What is pleomorphism?

Answer 11

• Increased variation in size and shape of cell and nucleus

Question 12

Potential cancers are given a grade what does a higher grade mean?

Answer 12

• More poorly differentiated -> poorer outcome

Question 13

Put these in order of most severe and say why:

• Dysplasia
• Carcinoma in situ
• Invasive carcinoma

Answer 13

• Invasive carcinoma: irreversible and has penetrated the basal membrane
• Carcinoma in situ: irreversible but hasn’t penetrated basal membrane
• Dysplasia: reversible

Question 14

Are most cancers due to genetic disposition or environmental factors?

Answer 14

• Environmental factors

Question 15

What two things are needed for the expansion of a mutant population of cells?

Answer 15

• Initiators: mutagenic agents

- Promoters: cell proliferation

Question 16

Give some examples for initiators.

Answer 16

• Chemicals
• Infections
• Radiation

Question 17

Why does germ line mutations increase the risk of neoplasm?

Answer 17

• Mutations already present so only one more is needed

- Normally need two

Question 18

How do we know that cancer is monoclonal?

Answer 18

• Enzyme G6PD
• Early in embryogenesis one allele is randomly inactivated this is called lyonisation.
• In neoplasia the mutated cells are all either maternal/paternal hence they’re monoclonal

Question 19

Which are the two types of cell that need to be genetically affected for the two hit theory to be activated?

Answer 19

• Proto-oncogenes -> oncogenes

- Tumour suppressor genes -> inactivated

Question 20

What is taken into account when naming a neoplasm?

Answer 20

• Site of origin
• Benign/malignant
• Type of tissue the tumour forms
• +/- gross morphology

Question 21

If a neoplasm is benign what is it’s suffix?

Answer 21

• -oma

Question 22

If a neoplasm is malignant what does it end in and if it’s epithelial what does it end in?

Answer 22

• -carcinoma

- -stroma

Question 23

What are epithelial neoplasms also known as and what are the other types?

Answer 23

• Polyps
• Stratified squamous - squamous papilloma (finger-like projections)
• Transitional cell papilloma e.g. Bladder mucosa
• Glandular - adenoma e.g. Adenomatous

Question 24

What is the name of a benign neoplasm in the following:

• smooth muscle
• fibrous tissue
• bone
• cartilage
• fat
• nerve & nerve sheath
• glial cells

Answer 24

• Smooth muscle: Leiomyoma
• Fibrous tissue: Fibroma
• Bone: Osteoma
• Cartilage: Chondroma
• Fat: Lipoma
• Nerve: Neuroma
• Nerve sheath: neurofibroma
• Glial: Glioma

Question 25

What is the name of a malignant neoplasm in the following:

• smooth muscle
• bone
• fibrous tissue
• cartilage
• fat
• glial

Answer 25

• Smooth muscle: leiomyosarcoma
• Bone: osteosarcoma
• Fibrous tissue: fibrosarcoma
• Cartilage: chondrosarcoma
• Fat: liposarcoma
• Glial: malignant glioma

Question 26

Lymphoid and haematopoietic neoplasms are all regarded as what?

Answer 26

• Malignant

Question 27

Where is the most common site for lymphoid neoplasm?

Answer 27

• Lymph nodes

Question 28

Haematopoietic neoplasms can lead to what?

Answer 28

• Acute and chronic leukaemia

Question 29

What is the main type of germ cell neoplasm in the testis?

Answer 29

• Malignant teratoma

Question 30

What is the germ cell neoplasm in the ovaries known as?

Answer 30

• Benign teratoma: dermoid cyst

Question 31

What are the main neuroendocrine tumours?

Answer 31

• Carcinoid tumours-various organs
• Phaeochromocytoma-adrenal
• Small cell carcinoma of bronchus