Neoplasia Flashcards
uncontrolled abnormal new growth of tissue
neoplasia
neoplasm is synonymous with
tumor
slow growing usually harmless non aggressive tumor
benign
neoplasm able to invade and spread
malignant
process of when cells are transformed into tumor cells
carcinogenesis
physical agents that cause carcinogenesis
carcinogens
cell is exposed to carcinogen and rapidly and irreversibly alters DNA
initiation
initiated cells are not yet cancerous it requires further mutations and subsequent proliferation which happens during
promotion
additional cellular mutations occur which lead to continued growth of the tumor and signs of clinical disease in the patient
progression
well-defined fibrous tissue layer that surrounds some tumors
capsule
capsules are formed by
pressure atrophy
tumors can give themselves nutrients by
creating blood vessels to maintain growth and reprogram the stroma’s activity to its own advantage
tumors are regulated by
host immune response, adequacy of blood supply, hormonal growth factor availability
body is unable to “turn off” division of tumor cells
unregulated proliferation
8 characteristics of cancer cells
- stimulate own growth
-insensitive to inhibitory signs
-evade their own cell death (apoptosis)
-multiply indefinitely
-grow blood vessels
-invade local and distant tissue
-follow abnormal metabolic pathways
-evade body’s immune defenses
normal cell structure
large cytoplasm, single nucleus, single nucleolus, fine chromatin
cancer cell structure
small cytoplasm, multiple nuclei, large nucleoli, course chromatin
process by which cancer cells spread from primary tumor to secondary locations such as lung, lymph nodes, or visceral sites
metastasis
pathways of metastasis
lymphatic, hematogenous, transplantation, direct seeding
benign tumors cannot spread BUT…
can impede on normal body functions ex. a tumor on the meninges can add pressure to brain and spinal cord
tumors are composed on 2 types of tissue
parenchyma and stroma
parenchyma
functional tissues of an organ, determines the behavior of a tumor, tumor is named based on this (-oma)
stroma
composed of the surrounding structures of lymph, blood vessels and connective tissue, provides nutrients to the tumor by way of blood supply, without this the tumor would die
arise from epithelial tissue (skin, mucous membranes, glandular organs)
carcinoma
arise from mesenchymal tissue (cartilage, connective tissue, bone)
sarcoma
-oma refers to
benign tumors
-sarcoma and -carcinoma refer to
malignant
many malignant tumors will form what
ulcers
low-grade tumors
well-differentiated, few mitotic figures, minimal invasion of surrounding tissue
high grade tumors
undifferentiated, numerous mitotic figures (rapid division), aggressive invasion of surrounding tissue
tumor staging
location and type, size and borders, involvement of regional lymph nodes, metastasis
TNM
extent of primary tumor, involvement of lymph nodes, extent of metastasis
physical evidence of CNS tumor
seizures, altered mentation
physical evidence of Bone tumor
limping, pain, pathologic fractures
physical evidence of eye tumor
buphthalmia, discharge, blepharospasm, blindness
physical evidence of urinary tumor
hematuria, stranguria, oliguria, anuria
syndrome characterized by muscle wasting and weight loss caused by cancer
cachexia
top 4 procedures to determine tumor stage
FNA, Bx, radiography, ultrasound
treating neoplasia through surgery
for localized neoplasia, wide surgical resection, may be curative or only palliative
treating neoplasia through radiation
causes cell death by destroying DNA, may be used alone or with other treatments, may be palliative or curative
treating neoplasia through chemo
treating cancer with chemical agents (PO, IM, IV), causes cell death by injuring DNA or cell membrane
complications of chemo
local tissue necrosis, hypersensitivity reactions, toxicities
