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ESA2 - Pathological Processes > Neoplasia > Flashcards

Neoplasia Flashcards

1
Q

What is a neoplasm?

A

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

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2
Q

What is the full definition of a malignant neoplasm?

A

An abnormal growth of cells that persists after the initial stimulus is removed AND invades surrounding tissue with potential to spread to distant sites

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3
Q

What is a tumour?

A

Any clinically detectable lump or swelling

A neoplasm is just one type of tumour

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4
Q

What is a cancer?

A

Any malignant neoplasm

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5
Q

What is a metastasis?

A

A malignant neoplasm that has spread from its original site to a new non-contiguous site

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6
Q

What is dysplasia?

A

A pre-neoplastic alteration in which cells show disordered tissue organisation - not neoplastic because the change is reversible

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7
Q

What is the difference between a benign and malignant neoplasm?

A

Benign neoplasms remain confined to their site of origin and do not produce metastases

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8
Q

How do benign and malignant neoplasms appear differently?

A

Benign tumours grow in a confined local area so have a pushing outer margin

Malignant tumours have an irregular outer margin and shape and may show areas of necrosis and ulceration

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9
Q

What is meant by the varying degrees of differentiation shown by neoplasms under the microscope?

A

A benign neoplasm has cells that closely resemble the parent tissue - well differentiated

Malignant neoplasms can range from well to poorly differentiated

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10
Q

What are cells with no resemblance to any tissue called?

A

Anaplastic

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11
Q

What is seen with worsening differentiation?

A

Individual cells have increasing nuclear size and nuclear to cytoplasmic ration

Hyperchromasia (increased nuclear staining)

More mitotic figures

Increasing variation in size and shape of cells and nuclei (pleomorphism)

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12
Q

What is used by clinicians to indicate differentiation?

A

Grade (high grade = poorly differentiated)

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13
Q

What is neoplasia caused by?

A

Accumulated mutations in somatic cells

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14
Q

What do the actions of initiators and promoters result in?

A

An expanded, monoclonal population of mutant cells

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15
Q

What is the process in which a neoplasm emerges from the monoclonal population of cells called?

A

Progression

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16
Q

How can a collection of cells be monoclonal?

A

If they all originated from a single founding cell

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17
Q

How do we know neoplasms are monoclonal?

A

Evidence from the study of the X linked gene for G6PD in tumour tissue from women

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18
Q

On what basis are neoplasms named?

A

Site of origin
Benign or malignant
Type f tissue the tumour forms
Gross morphology

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19
Q

What suffix do benign neoplasms end in?

A

-oma

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20
Q

What suffix do malignant neoplasms end in?

A

Carcinoma if epithelial

-sarcoma if stromal

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21
Q

What does it mean when a carcinoma is in-situ?

A

No invasion through epithelial basement membrane

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22
Q

What does it mean when a carcinoma is invasive?

A

Penetrated through basement membrane

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23
Q

What is leukaemia?

A

Malignant neoplasm of blood-forming cells arising in bone marrow

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24
Q

What are lymphomas?

A

Malignant neoplasms of lymphocytes

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25
What is myeloma?
Malignant neoplasm of plasma cells
26
What do germ cell neoplasms arise from?
Pluripotent cells, mainly in testis or ovary
27
What do neuroendocrine tumours arise from?
Cells distributed throughout the body
28
When are some neoplasms called -blastomas?
Mainly in children, formed from immature precursor cells
29
What are some benign epithelial neoplasms?
Squamous papilloma, transitional cell papilloma, adenoma (eg adenomatous polyp of colon)
30
What is an adenoma?
Benign tumour of epithelial tissue with glandular origin
31
What are some malignant epithelial neoplasms?
Squamous cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, basal cell carcinoma
32
What is a benign neoplasm in smooth muscle called?
Leiomyoma
33
What is a benign neoplasm in fibrous tissue called?
Fibroma
34
What is a benign neoplasm in bone called?
Osteoma
35
What is a benign neoplasm in fat called?
Lipoma
36
What is a benign neoplasm in a nerve called?
Neuroma
37
What is a benign neoplasm in a nerve sheath called?
Neurofibroma
38
What is a benign neoplasm in glial cells called?
Glioma
39
What is a malignant neoplasm in smooth muscle called?
Leiomyosarcoma
40
What is a malignant neoplasm in bone called?
Osteosarcoma
41
What is a malignant neoplasm in fibrous tissue called?
Fibrosarcoma
42
What is a malignant neoplasm in cartilage called?
Chondrosarcoma
43
What is a malignant neoplasm in fat called?
Liposarcoma
44
What is a malignant neoplasm in glial cells called?
Malignant glioma
45
What is a teratoma?
A teratoma is a tumor with tissue or organ components resembling normal derivatives of more than one germ layer
46
What is a benign teratoma of the ovary called?
Dermoid cyst
47
What is tumour burden?
Refers to the number of cancer cells, the size of a tumourr, or the amount of cancer in the body.
48
What things lead to a greatly increased tumour burden?
The ability of malignant cells to invade and spread to distant sites
49
What must malignant cells do to get from a primary site to a secondary site?
1) Grow and invade at the primary site 2) Enter a transport system and lodge at a secondary site 3) Grow at the secondary site to form a new tumour (colonisation)
50
What does invasion into surrounding tissue by carcinoma cells require?
Altered adhesion, stromal proteolysis and motility
51
What is epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)?
The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion, and gain migratory and invasive properties to become mesenchymal stem cells
52
What does altered adhesion between malignant cells involve?
Reduction in E-cadherin expression
53
What does altered adhesion between malignant cells and stromal proteins involve?
Changes in integrin expression
54
What do the cells require to be able to degrade the basement membrane and stroma
Altered expression of proteases, notably maxtrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
55
What does altered motility of the malignant cells involve?
Changes in the actin cytoskeleton
56
What are the three routes by which the malignant cells can reach distant sites?
1) Blood vessels via capillaries and venules 2) Lymphatic vessels 3) Fluid in body cavities, which is known as transcoelomic spread
57
What is cancer dormancy?
Dormancy is a stage in cancer progression where the cells cease dividing but survive in a quiescent state while waiting for appropriate environmental conditions to begin proliferation again
58
What does the site of a secondary neoplasm depend on?
1) Regional drainage of blood, lymph or coelomic fluid | 2) The seed and soil phenomenon
59
What do carcinomas typically spread to first?
Lymph nodes
60
What are common sites of blood borne metastasis?
Lung, bone, liver and brain
61
Which neoplasms most frequently spread to bone?
Breast, bronchus, kidney, thyroid and prostate
62
How do sarcomas tend to spread?
Via blood stream
63
What is an example of a neoplasm that metastasise early in their course?
Small cell bronchial carcinoma
64
What is an example of a neoplasm that almost never metastasises?
Basal cell carcinoma of the skin
65
What is the likelihood of metastasis related to?
Size of primary neoplasm
66
What are some local effects of neoplasms?
1) Direct invasion and destruction of normal tissue 2) Ulceration at surface leading to bleeding 3) Compression of adjacent structures 4) Blocking tubes and orifices
67
What are some systemic effects of neoplasms?
Reduced appetite and weight loss (cachexia), malaise, immunosuppression, thrombosis

ESA2 - Pathological Processes (9 decks)

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