Other Neoplasia Info

Question 1

Slow-growing, Well-circumscribed, Mobile, Distinct tumors are characteristic of BENIGN or MALIGNANT tumors?

Answer 1

BENIGN

Question 2

Rapidly growing, infiltrative, poorly circumscribed, and fixed to surrounding tissue tumors are characteristic of BENIGN or MALIGNANT?

Answer 2

MALIGNANT

Question 3

Who makes the final diagnosis of a tumor being MALIGNANT or BENIGN?

Answer 3

**PATHOLOGIST - After a BIOPSY or EXCISION of the tumor
Because some benign tumors can grow in a malignant-like fashion and some malignant tumors can grow in a benign-like manner

Question 4

What is the ABSOLUTE DISTINGUISHING FEATURE that differentiates BENIGN tumor from MALIGNANT tumor?

Answer 4

BENIGN tumors do NOT metastasize = NO METASTATIC POTENTIAL

MALIGNANT tumors CAN metastasize = YES METASTATIC POTENTIAL

Question 5

What is the immunohistochemical marker of CARCINOMAS (Adenocarcinoma OR papillary carcinoma)?

Answer 5

+KERATIN = INTERMEDIATE FILAMENT of EPITHELIAL CELL-derived CARCINOMAS

Question 6

What is the immunohistochemical marker of SARCOMAS?

Answer 6

Osteosarcoma, Liposarcoma, Chondrosarcoma

+VIMENTIN = marker of MESENCHYMAL CELL-derived SARCOMAS

Question 7

What is the immunohistochemical marker of MYOMAS/RHABDOMYOSARCOMAS?

Answer 7

+ DESMIN = marker of MUSCLE-DERIVED myomas/rhabdomyosarcomas

Question 8

What is the immunohistochemical marker of PILOCYTIC ASTROCYTOMAS/ GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME?

Answer 8

+GFAP = IMF of glial cell-derived PILOCYTIC ASTROCYTOMAS/GLIOBLASTOMA MULTIFORME

Question 9

What is the marker THYROGLOBULIN specific for in screening for cancers?

Answer 9

THYROID FOLLICULAR CELLS

Question 10

What is the marker CHROMOGRANIN specific for in screening for cancers?

Answer 10

Neuroendocrine cells
BEST PROGNOSIS, WELL-DIFFERENTIATED = CARCINOID TUMOR
WORST PROGNOSIS, POORLY-DIFFERENTIATED = SMALL CELL LUNG CARCINOMA

Question 11

What is the marker S-100 specific for in screening for cancers?

Answer 11

S-100 = NCC-derived structures markers (melanocytes + schwann cells) + Langerhans/dendritic cells
MELANOMA
SCHWANNOMA
LANGERHANS CELL HISTIOCYTOSIS

Question 12

What is the SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR OF CANCER?

Answer 12

METASTASIS (M of TNM)

Question 13

What is the SECOND MOST IMPORTANT PROGNOSTIC FACTOR OF CANCER?

Answer 13

Spread to regional lymph nodes (N of TNM Staging)

Question 14

Is STAGING of cancer or GRADING of cancer more important for prognosis?

Answer 14

STAGING** - assesses size and spread of cancer

GRADING - assess differentiation (how much it resembles parent tissue by looking at NUCLEAR and ARCHITECTURAL features)

Question 15

In assessing T of TMN
Solid tumors (e.g. BREAST CARCINOMA): Is size or depth of invasion more important? 
Tubular tumors (e.g. BOWEL CARCINOMA): Is Size or detph of invasion more important?

Answer 15

T of TMN = depth and/or size of invasion
SOLID: SIZE is more important
TUBULAR: Depth of invasion is more important