Pathology of Neoplasia

Question 1

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 1

This is an abnormal mass of tissue, the growth of which exceeds and is uncoordinated with that of the normal tissues and persists in the same excessive manner after cessation of the stimuli which evoked the change

Question 2

What is the general suffix for benign tumours?

Answer 2

-oma

Question 3

What is mesenchymal tissue?

Answer 3

A loosely organized, mainly mesodermal embryonic tissue which develops into connective and skeletal tissues, including blood and lymph

Question 4

What is a chondroma?

Answer 4

Benign cartilaginous tumour

Question 5

What is a fibroma?

Answer 5

Benign fibrous tumour

Question 6

What is an osteoma?

Answer 6

Benign bone tumour

Question 7

Give three examples of benign mesenchymal tumours

Answer 7

Chrondroma, fibroma and osteoma

Question 8

Name four examples of benign epithelial tumours

Answer 8

Adenoma, papilloma, papillary cystadenoma and polyp

Question 9

What is an adenoma?

Answer 9

A benign tumour forming glands

Question 10

What is a papilloma?

Answer 10

This is a benign tumour which is an epithelial tumour with finger-like projections

Question 11

What is a papillary cyst adenoma?

Answer 11

This is a benign papillary and cystic tumour that forms glands

Question 12

Wha is a polyp?

Answer 12

This is a benign epithelial tumour that projects ABOVE the mucosal surface

Question 13

What is the general name for a malignant mesenchymal tumour?

Answer 13

Sarcoma

Question 14

What is a carcinoma?

Answer 14

A malignant epithelial tumour

Question 15

What is a sarcoma?

Answer 15

A malignant mesenchymal tumour

Question 16

What is an adenocarcinoma?

Answer 16

A malignant gland-forming tumour

Question 17

What is a squamous cell carcinoma?

Answer 17

A malignant tumour with squamous cell differentiation

Question 18

What is a hepatoma?

Answer 18

A malignant liver tumour

Question 19

What is a melanoma?

Answer 19

A malignant skin tumour

Question 20

Why is a seminoma?

Answer 20

A malignant testicular tumour

Question 21

What is a lymphoma?

Answer 21

Malignant tumour of lymphocytes

Question 22

What is anaplasia?

Answer 22

Where cells have poor cellular differentiation, they have lost the morphological characteristics of mature cells

Question 23

What is pleomorphism?

Answer 23

Where there is variability in the size and shape of cells and/or their nuclei

Question 24

What are the characteristics of anaplasia?

Answer 24

Pleomorphism (variation in size/shape of cells and/or their nuclei), abnormal nuclear morphology (hyperchromasia, high nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio, chromatin clumping and prominent nucleoli), increased mitotic rate and loss of cellular polarity

Question 25

What is dysplasia?

Answer 25

The presence of cells of an abnormal type within a tissue (abnormal growth of cells), and this MAY give rise to the development of cancer

Question 26

What is paraneoplastic syndrome?

Answer 26

These are a group of rare disorders that are triggered by an altered immune response to neoplasms

Question 27

What is the cause of paraneoplastic syndrome?

Answer 27

This is where the immune system responds abnormally to a neoplasm by cross-reacting antibodies, production of physiologically active factor, interference with normal metabolic pathways etc.