OC 1 - intro to benign and malginant disease

Question 1

In adult tissues, what is the size of the cell population determined by?

Answer 1

the rates of cell proliferation, differentiation, and death by apoptosis

Question 2

When is there tissue homeostasis?

Answer 2

when cell division and cell loss are balanced

Question 3

What can cell numbers be altered by?

Answer 3

• increased or decreased rates of stem cell input
• by cell death due to apoptosis
• by changes in the rate of proliferation or differentiation

Question 4

Control of the cell cycle is the key to…

Answer 4

regeneration of a cell population

Question 5

Control of the cell cycle is controlled by…

Answer 5

chemical factors in the micro-environment of the cell (stimulators and inhibitors)

Question 6

What can growth result from?

Answer 6

• shortening cell cycle time
• recruiting cells from resting or quiescent population

Question 7

What does quiescent mean?

Answer 7

In a period or state of inactivity or dormancy

Question 8

Are terminally differentiated cells capable of replicating?

Answer 8

no (e.g. myocytes)

Question 9

In the liver/kidney can differentiated cells proliferate?

Answer 9

they are normally quiescent but can proliferate when needed

Question 10

What is hypertrophy? Is it physiological or pathological?

Answer 10

an increase in cell size
physiological and pathological

e.g. muscle - skeletal, cardiac

Question 11

What is hyperplasia? Is it physiological or pathological?

Answer 11

an increase in cell number
physiological and pathological

e.g. hormonally sensitive organs - endometrium, breast, thyroid

Question 12

What is gingival hyperplasia, and what is it’s cause?

Answer 12

enlargement of gingival tissues

hyperplastic responses within epithelium and underlying connective tissue

various causes including certain drugs

Question 13

What is atrophy? Is it physiological or pathological?

Answer 13

reduction in cell size by loss of cell substance

physiological (thyroglossal duct) and pathological
- ageing, lack of use/stimulation, mechanical, functional

Question 14

What is hypoplasia? What is it’s cause?

Answer 14

reduced size of an organ that never fully developed to normal size

a developmental defect

Question 15

What is metaplasia? What is it’s cause?

Answer 15

reversible change in which one adult cell type is replaced by another adult cell type

can be part of an adaptive response to stress

reprogramming of stem cells

Question 16

What is Barrett’s oesophagus?

Answer 16

metaplasia from squamous epithelium to intestinal type epithelium (in the oesophagus)

Question 17

What are the different types of disorders of growth?

Answer 17

• hypertrophy
• hyperplasia
• atrophy
• hypoplasia
• metaplasia
• dysplasia
• neoplasia

Question 18

What disorders of growth are potentially reversible?

Answer 18

all except hypoplasia

Question 19

What is dysplasia?

Answer 19

“abnormal growth”

Question 20

What is neoplasia?

Answer 20

“new growth”

Question 21

What does neoplasia result from?

Answer 21

aberration of the normal mechanisms that control cell number i.e. cell production by cell division, cell loss by apoptosis

Question 22

What factors are used to classify tumours?

Answer 22

behaviour and histogenesis

Question 23

What are the behaviour types of tumours?

Answer 23

benign or malignant

Question 24

What does histogenetic classification of tumours mean?

Answer 24

tumours can be further classified according to the cell type they resemble, i.e. their differentiation

most tumours resemble to some extent the tissue from which they arise

Question 25

What is prognosis?

Answer 25

prediction of the probable course and outcome of disease

appropriate treatment and estimate survival

Question 26

What factors are considered when making a cancer prognosis?

Answer 26

• tumour type
• tumour grade (histology)
• tumour stage (histology, clinical)
• radiological
• other parameters (patient, tumour)

Question 27

What does tumour grading involve?

Answer 27

a histological assessment

how well differentiated the tumour cells are

well differentiated tumours tend to have a better prognosis

Question 28

What does tumour staging involved?

Answer 28

‘anatomical extent of disease’

clinical, radiological and pathological findings

major determinant or appropriate treatment and prognosis

Question 29

What are the components of TNM staging?

Answer 29

T - extent of primary tumour (greatest diameter of tumour, structures invaded, depth of invasion)
N - absence or presence and extent of regional lymph node metastasis
M - describes the absence or presence of distant metastasis

Question 30

What does tumour stage correlate with?

Answer 30

Tumour stage correlates well with outcome in most tumour types

In general, higher stage = poorer prognosis