Oncology Flashcards
Hypertrophy
Increase in the number of organelles and subsequently the size of cells
Hyperplasia
Increase in the number of cells in an organ or tissue
What cells can undergo hyperplasia
Cells capable of synthesizing DNA. Therefore, heart, skeletal muscle and nerve almost pure hypertrophy under stress or hormone stimulation
Four types of hyperplasia
Physiologic
Hormonal (estrogen on endometrium)
Compensatory (liver after partial lobectomy)
Pathologic
Define pathologic hyperplasia
Increase in cell number in response to external stimulus. Growth stops when stimulus abates (different to neoplasia) However, fertile ground for cancerous proliferation eg. Cervical cancer/endometrial
Define choristoma
Excess of tissue in an abnormal location
Define hamartoma
Benign disorganized tissue that grows at the same rate of surrounding tissue that is composed of tissue usually found at that site.
Define metaplasia
A reversible change in which one adult cell type is replaced by another
Define dysplasia
Disorderly but non-neoplastic tissue growth.
Often seen as precursor to carcinoma (‘in situ’)
Dysplasia characterized by..
Ploemorphism
Hyperchromatism
Loss of normal orientation
Define neoplasia
Abnormal growth of tissue that is virtually autonomous and exceeds that of surrounding tissue. Growth persists after cessation of stimuli.
Two broad categories of neoplasia
Benign
Malignant
Two broad categories of malignancy
Carcinoma
Sarcoma
Factors used to differentiate beni and malignant tumours.
Differentiation/ anaplasia
Rate of growth
Local invasion
Metastasis
Cytologic features that characterize anaplastic tumours
Nuclear and cellular pleomorphism Hyperchromatism Nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio approaches 1:1 Abundant mitoses Tumour giant cells Disarray of tissue architecture
Three routes of distant spread by tumours
Into body cavities eg. Transperitoneal
Invasion of lymphatics
Haematogenous
Most likely route of spread of carcinomas
Lymphatic
Most likely route of spread of sarcomas
Blood
Two causes of LN enlargement in metastatic carcinoma
Proliferation of carcinoma cells
Reactive hyperplasia in response to Ags
Six hallmarks of cancer
Limitless replicative potential Self sufficiency in growth signals Insensitivity to anti growth signals Evades apoptosis Sustained angiogenesis Tissue invasion and metastisis