Neoplastic progression

Question 1

Hallmarks of cancer

Answer 1

-evasion of apoptosis
-growth signal self-sufficiency
-anti-growth signal
insensitivity
-sustained angiogenesis
-limitless replicative potential
-tissue invasion
-metastasis

Question 2

Normal cells

Answer 2

Normal cells with basal–>apical differentiation

Question 3

Dysplasia

Answer 3

Abnormal proliferation of cells with loss of size, shape, and orientation.

Compare vs hyperplasia
(cells  in number).

Question 4

Carcinoma in situ/preinvasive

Answer 4

Neoplastic cells have not invaded the intact basement membrane.

INC nuclear/cytoplasmic (N/C) ratio and clumped chromatin

Neoplastic cells encompass entire thickness.

Question 5

Invasive carcinoma

Answer 5

Cells have *invaded basement membrane using *collagenases and hydrolases (metalloproteinases)

Cell-cell contacts lost by inactivation of *E-cadherin

Question 6

Metastasis

Answer 6

Spread to distant organ

“Seed and soil” theory of metastasis:

• Seed = tumor embolus.
• Soil = target organ is often the first-encountered capillary bed (eg, liver, lungs, bone, brain, etc).