Path - Neoplasia (Tumor basics) Flashcards
Pg. 229-231 in First Aid 2014 Sections include: -Neoplastic progression -P-glycoprotein - -plasia definitions -Tumor grade vs. stage -Tumor nomenclature -Tumor differences
What are 7 hallmarks of cancer?
Hallmarks of cancer - (1) evasion of apoptosis (2) growth signal self sufficiency (3) anti-growth signal insensitivity (4) sustained angiogenesis (5) limitless replicative potential (6) tissue invasion and (4) metastasis
What kind of differentiation is seen in normal cells (that is later loss in neoplastic progression)?
Normal cells with basal => apical differentiation
What are the 3 cellular phases/stages of neoplastic progression from normal cells?
Normal => (1) Hyperplasia (2) Carcinoma in situ/Preinvasive (3) Invasive carcinoma (with metastatic focus in blood or lymphatic vessel)
What occurs in hyperplasia?
Cells increase in number
What is dysplasia, and what losses define it?
Abnormal proliferation of cells with loss of size, shape, and orientation
What are 3 properties used to define the carcinoma in situ/preinvasive stage of neoplastic progression?
(1) Neoplastic cells have not invaded basement membrane (2) High nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and clumped chromatin (3) Neoplastic cells encompass entire thickness
What 2 properties define the invasive carcinoma stage of neoplastic progression?
(1) Cells have invaded basement membrane using collagenases and hydrolases (metalloproteinases) (2) Can metastasize if they reach a blood or lymphatic vessel
In what stage of neoplastic progression is the basement membrane invaded? What proteins are used for such invasion?
Invasive carcinoma; Cells have invaded basement membrane using collagenases and hydrolases (metalloproteinases)
What is metastasis?
Spread to distant organ
What must tumor cells that metastasize survive?
Must survive immune attack
What is the “seed and soil” theory of metastasis?
Seed = tumor embolus; Soil = target organ - liver, lungs, bone, brain, etc. (Per Firecracker: The “seed and soil” theory of metastasis attempts to explain why certain tumor types tend to metastasize to specific organs by stating that a tumor embolus, “the seed”, has a specific organ that it spreads to “the soil”, which stimulates its growth better than other organs.)
What is another name for P-glycoprotein?
Also known as multidrug resistance protein 1 (MDR1)
In general, what cells express P-glycoprotein, and what is its function? Give 2 examples of cells that express this.
Expressed by some cancer cells (e.g., colon, liver) to pump out toxins, including chemotherapeutic agents (one mechanism of decreased responsiveness or resistance to chemotherapy over time)
What is important to know about P-glycoprotein as it relates to chemotherapy?
Expressed by some cancer cells (e.g., colon, liver) to pump out toxins, including chemotherapeutic agents (one mechanism of decreased responsiveness or resistance to chemotherapy over time)
Define Hyperplasia.
Increase in number of cells
Define Metaplasia.
One adult cell type is replaced by another.
What are 2 causes of Metaplasia? Give an example of each.
Often secondary to irritation (e.g., Barrett esophagus) and/or environmental exposure (e.g., smoking-induced tracheal/bronchial squamous metaplasia)
Define Dysplasia.
Abnormal growth with loss of cellular orientation, shape, and size in comparison to normal tissue maturation