Neoplasia

Question 1

neoplasia

Answer 1

“new growth”
Normal cells undergo irreversible changes and are no longer responsible to normal controls of growth

Question 2

neoplasm

Answer 2

(the growth) “tumor”
Can be malignant (cancer) or benign

Question 3

cancer

Answer 3

always denotes a malignant growth

Invades locally, spreads by metastasis

Question 4

malignant growth

Answer 4

grow in an uncontrolled way, where they invade nearby tissues and spread to other parts of the body through blood and lymph system

Question 5

benign growth

Answer 5

• do not invade surrounding tissue nor spread to new anatomic locations

Question 6

hyperplasia

Answer 6

increase in # of cells through mitotic division

Question 7

hypertrophy

Answer 7

individual cells increase in size through the addition of cytoplasm and organelles

Question 8

metaplasia

Answer 8

transformation of one differentiated cell type into another

Question 9

dysplasia

Answer 9

abnormal pattern of tissue growth (disorderly)

Question 10

apoptosis

Answer 10

• Normal programmed cell death
• Neoplastic cells can learn to evade apoptosis

Question 11

autophagy

Answer 11

Neoplastic cells can phagocytize its own organelles to survive in the face of nutrient deprivation

Question 12

latency

Answer 12

period of time before a tumor becomes clinically detectable (usually about 1 cm diameter)

Question 13

angiogenesis

Answer 13

• blood vessel formation
• growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to grow

Question 14

are preneoplastic changes gernerally reversible or irreversible?

Answer 14

reversible

Question 15

how do we generally name benign or malignant mesenchymal tumors?

Answer 15

Benign: adenoma, papilloma, polyp

Malignant: carcinoma, adenocarcinoma

Question 16

how do we generally name benign or malignant epithelial tumors (solid and glandular)?

Answer 16

benign = solid
malignant = glandular

Question 17

what is the general differences between benign and malignant tumors (differentiation, growth rate, local invasion, and metastasis).

Answer 17

benign:
- well-differentiated
- structure similar to tissue of organ
- little to no anaplasia
- slow growth
- little necrosis
- no invasion

malignant:
- poorly-differentiated
- tissue of organ sometimes unclear
- degrees of anaplasia
- rapid growth
- necrosis if poor blood supply
- local invasion

Question 18

what is the role of telomerase and p53 in tumor development

Answer 18

Telomerase, is present normally in embryonic cells that allow telomeres to be replicated or expanded

p53:
- “brakes” for mitosis; arrests cell cycle
- Activity of p53 is lost in some neoplasm

Question 19

what is the difference between initiators and promoters of neoplasia. Understand the table on slide 13 and be able to determine which patterns will develop neoplasia and which will not.

Answer 19

initiators: : an irreversible alteration of genetic material
- Caused by some chemical or physical carcinogen that damages DNA

promoters: the selective outgrowth of initiated cells to form a benign tumor
- Non-genetic, reversible
- Caused by promoters that drive proliferation

Question 20

what is the role that the immune system plays in tumor suppression

Answer 20

• Natural killer cells and macrophages can kill tumor cells (innate immune system)
• Cytotoxic T cells and B cells (antibodies) also play a role (adaptive immune system)

Question 21

three pathways of tumor metastasis

Answer 21

1. Lymphatic spread
   - Carcinomas and some sarcomas
2. Hematogenous spread
   - Generally, enter veins rather than arteries because the walls are thinner
   - Enters right heart, then passes through lungs
3. Transcoelomic spread
   - Tumors in body cavities

Question 22

metastasis

Answer 22

the development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site