Neoplasia Lec 1

Question 1

What are the characteristics of malignant tumors?

Answer 1

1. Large
2. Poorly demarcated
3. Rapidly growing with 4. hemorrhage and necrosis
4. Locally invasive
5. Metastatic
6. Poorly differentiated

Question 2

what are the characteristics of benign tumors

Answer 2

1. Small
2. Well demarcated
3. Slow growing
4. Non-invasive
5. Nonmetastatic
6. Well differentiated

Question 3

how do you name a benign tumor?

Answer 3

1. Adding suffix -oma to parenchymal tissue type
   –> Ex: adenoma, osteoma, hemangioma, leiomyoma, neuroma, glioma

Question 4

what is a carcinoma and examples of them

Answer 4

1. Malignant tumor of epithelial tissue origin
   –> Ex: adenocarcinoma

Question 5

what is a sarcoma and examples of them?

Answer 5

1. Malignant tumor of connective, muscle, endothelial tissues
   –> Ex: osteosarcoma, leiomyosarcoma, hemangiosarcoma

Question 6

what is leukemia

Answer 6

malignant tumor of blood cells

Question 7

what is a blastoma and examples of them

Answer 7

1. Malignant tumor of neural tissues
   –> Ex: neuroblastoma, glioblastoma

Question 8

what is grading a cancer mean?

Answer 8

1. Determined by examination of tumor cell morphology
2. Largely quantitative in nature
3. Based on differ state and number of mitoses of tumor

Question 9

what are the grades of cancers

Answer 9

Grade X, Grade I, Grade II, grade III, Grade IV

Question 10

what is a grade X

Answer 10

Cannot be assessed (undetermined)

Question 11

what is a Grade I

Answer 11

Well differentiated (low grade)

Question 12

what is a grade II

Answer 12

Moderately differentiated (intermediate)

Question 13

what is a grade III

Answer 13

Poorly differentiated (high grade)

Question 14

what is a grade IV

Answer 14

Undifferentiated (high grade)

Question 15

what does staging of cancers mean

Answer 15

1. Based on size of primary lesion (T), extent of spread to lymph nodes (N), and presence or absence of metastases (M)
2. Largely quantitative in nature
3. The TNM system (tumor, node,metastasis)

Question 16

what are the stages of tumors in TNM system?

Answer 16

T0, T1, T2,T3, T4

Question 17

what are the stages of nodes in the TNM system

Answer 17

N0, N1, N2, N3

Question 18

what are the stages of metastasis in the TNM system

Answer 18

M0, M1

Question 19

what are oncogenes

Answer 19

Genes that encode proteins that promote cancer

Question 20

what is some more information about oncogenes

Answer 20

1. Translocation that makes protein with new function
   –> BCR-ABL
2. Mutation that makes more active version of protein
   –> K-Ras
3. Gene duplication and overexpression of normal protein involved in cell growth
4. Dominant altercations and often single allele
5. Normal version is proto-oncogene
6. BCR-ABL results as chromosomal translocation
   –> Produces hyperactive kinase that drives proliferation in leukemia

Question 21

what are tumor suppressor genes

Answer 21

Genes that encode proteins that inhibit cancer

Question 22

what is some more information about tumor suppressor genes

Answer 22

1. Most recessive and need homozygous deletion/mutation on both alleles
   –> RBI
   –> TP53 (gene of p53)
2. Heterozygous mutations can be inherited and families can show inc. susceptibility
3. Non-carriers require mutation on both alleles to develop cancer
4. Carriers already have a recessive mutation on one; one more mutation on the other allele can cause cancer

Question 23

what does a loss of differentiation mean in cancer cells?

Answer 23

• Anaplasia
• Resemblance to undifferentiated or embryonic cells

Question 24

what does genetic instability mean in cancer cells

Answer 24

1. Aneuploidy - loss of gain of chromosomes
2. Point mutations
3. Microsatellite instability - short, repetitive sequences of DNA
4. Intrachromosomal instability - insertions, deletions, amd amplification of genes

Question 25

what do growth factor independence mean in cancer cells

Answer 25

Proliferation even in absence of growth factors

Question 26

what does loss of cell density dependent inhibition mean in cancer cells

Answer 26

1. Lack of contact inhibition 2. Necessary for invasion 3. Rampant growth without regard for adjacent tissue

Question 27

what does anchorage independence mean in cancer cells

Answer 27

1. Critical for metastasis 2. Cancer cells frequently remain viable and multiply without normal attachments to other cells and the extracellular matrix

Question 28

what does faulty cell to cell communication mean

Answer 28

Formation of intercellular connections and responsiveness to membrane derived signals are frequently interfered in cancer cells

Question 29

what does unlimited life span mean

Answer 29

Cancer cells divide unlimited number of times

Question 30

what does antigen expression mean in cancer cells

Answer 30

1. Cancer cells express many cell surface molecules or antigens that are immunologically identified as foreign (tumor antigens) 2. Ex: fetal protections that are nor expressed by comparable cells in adult 3. Tumor antigens may be clinically useful as cancer biomarkers

Question 31

what does abnormal production of proteins, hormones, etc. mean

Answer 31

1. Cancer cells secrete degradative enzymes that enable invasion and metastatic spread 2. Cancer cells may synthesize hormones that promote their own growth (ex: estrogen production by breast cancer) 3. cancer cells may produce and secret procoagulant substances that affect clotting mechanisms

Question 32

what does cytoskeletal changes mean in cancer cells

Answer 32

1. Changes in intermediate filament, actin filaments, and microtubules 2. Abnormal cell morphology 3. Facilitate invasion and metastasis