Neoplasia Flashcards
what is neoplasia
new uncontrolled growth of cells that is not under physiologic control
what is neoplasm
abnormal tissue mass that results in mitosis of cells more than usual, or that they should die but don’t
what is a tumour
a lump which may not be neoplastic
what is a granuloma
tiny cluster of white blood cells and other tissue that can be found in the lungs, head, skin & other body parts. not cancerous but a reaction to inflammation, irritation etc
what is cancer
malignancy
what is hyperplasia
increase in number of cells with normal cell morphology
what is dysplasia
pre cancerous state characterised by increased cell proliferation and highly abnormal cell appearance
what is metaplasia
conversion of one cell type to another including between tissue specific stem cells
describe the cellular process to cancer
normal —> hyperplasia –> dysplasia –> cancer
what is the diff between benign and malignant neoplasms
they are both tumours but malignant cells grow rapidly and uncontrollably. they can invade nearby tissues which benign do not
benign will also usually have capsules whereas malignant will have irregular surfaces
what is carcinogenesis
malignant conversion between benign hyperplastic cells to a malignant state
what is metastases
manifestation of further genetic and epigenetic changes
what is metastasis
spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body
what are systemic effects of neoplasia
cachexia
paraneoplastic syndromes
what is cachexia
- complex metabolic syndrome
- loss of muscle mass and or loss of fat mass
- associated with anorexia, inflammatory process, insulin resistance, protein takeover
- caused by cytokines
what is paraneoplastic syndrome
abnormal immune response to tumour with fever, skin, nervous dysfunction
what are the neoplasia classifications
ectoderm = tissues on external body surfaces
mesoderm = GIT, heart, skeletal muscle, bone
endoderm = internal body surfaces
what do benign tumour cells have in their suffix
-oma
lipoma, fibroma, papiloma
what is a sarcoma & what types of tissue do they arise from
often metastasis of the lung
spread by blood
come from haematopoietic tissue like leukaemia & lymphoma
come from connective tissue like cartilage, fat, muscle, bone
why is sarcoma common in growing infants and children
active mesenchymal tissues (cells that develop into connective tissue)
what is carcinoma
most common form of cancer that usually spreads via the lymphatic system
in what age group are carcinomas more comon
adults
what cells are carcinomas derived from
epithelial e.g. skin cancer or glandular epithelium e.g. breast, lung
what are some acquired capabilities of cancer
self sufficiency, insensitivity to growth, evasion of programmed cell death, limited replication potential, sustained angiogenesis, tissue invasion & metastasis
how do tumour cells survive
- changes in metabolic pathways to meet their increased metabolic requirements
- contain hypoxic cells
- tumour angiogenesis e.g. network of blood vessels to supply nutrients
what are some aetiologies
- genetic alterations
- carcinogens
- radiation
- synthetic hormones
- chronic inflammation
- substances
- hereditary (breast, bowel, stomach, prostate)
- suppressor genes
- oncogenes (gene mutations)
what are the most common cancers in men (1-3)
- prostate
- lung
- colon
what are the most common cancers in women (1-3)
- breast
- lung
- colon
what are the key features of tumour diagnosis
- type (benign/malignant)
- site (primary or not)
- mets
what factors affect therapy selection
- type of cancer
- specific features of cancer cells
- overall aggressiveness
- primary site
- potential for mets
- therapy hazards
- therapy success
- patients history
what cells need to be removed in order to eradicate a neoplasm
stem cells
what treatment options are available
surgery
radiation therapy to shrink tumours for resection
chemotherapy
immunotherapy
what are the risks of cancer surgery
- pain
- infection
- damage/ loss of organ function
- bleeding
- blood clots
- tumour fragments
how does radiation therapy kill cancer cells
apoptosis
cell response is highly oxygen dependent
what is the purpose of radiation therapy
- cure
- control
- help other treatments
- just relieve symptoms
what is brachytherapy
radiation inside the body
what is chemotherapy
drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill or slow hyperplasia
aims to remove a large proportion of cells so the body’s natural immunity can handle the tumour
what are the benefits of using chemo with other treatments
- shrink tumour
- destroy cells
- help other treatments work better
- kill cells that have returned or spread
what are acute chemo side effects
everything & constipation, easy bruising, bleeding, pain
what are long lasting chemo side effects
- damage to lung tissue
- heart problems
- infertility
- kidney problems
- nerve damage
- risk of second cancer
what is immunotherapy
stimulation of the immune system to find and destroy cancer cells via substances made in the body or a laboratory to help the body
what is tumour staging
size & spread
what is tumour grading
appearance of cancer cells under a microscope
how are staging & grading imaged
CT, PET-CT & MRI
what is the number staging system
0 = in situ
1 = small no spread
2 = grown but not spread
3 = larger, some spread to surrounding tissues or lymphs
4 = spread to at least one other body organ e.g. metastasis or secondary
TNM
T = tumour
TX = cant be measured
T0 = main tumour can’t be found
N = lymph
N0 = no cancer in nearby lymphs
M = metastasis
M1 = spread to other parts
what are the cancer grades
1 = resemble normal cells, no rapid growth
2 = don’t look normal, growing faster than normal
3 = abnormal cells are growing faster than normal = poorly differentiated
4 = most abnormal looking cancer cells = undifferentiated
