Pathology Workshop-Barksy Flashcards
How is a screening mammogram different from a regular or diagnostic mammogram?
screening mammogram has a lower dose of radiation
they are both X-rays
What is ki67?
a proliferation receptor
What do EGFR & Her-2-neu have in common?
they are both in the HER family of oncogenic receptors
Does smoking cause breast cancer?
no, probably not.
What is the usu cause of breast cancer tumors? Chemical carcinogens Viruses Radiation Heredity Unknown
Unknown
unless she has BRCA 1 or 2. Would need to be mutated in both alleles.
Which comes first:
DCIS or
Infiltrating Ductal Carcinoma?
DCIS precedes infiltrating ductal carcinoma.
What is ductal carcinoma? Is it in blood vessels?
it is a carcinoma that is contained in the ductal system
no–not in blood vessels, b/c the blood vessels are always on the stromal side
How is it that some of the cells in a duct can be in the DCIS stage & some next to it are in infiltrating ductal carcinoma?
they all came from the 1 ancestral cell.
they are in different stages b/c of tumor heterogeneity.
What is the original cell that gives rise to DCIS?
it is a cancer of the ductal system
comes from an epithelial stem cell
DCIS threatens what?
LIFE
BREAST
only breast, not life.
You may lose your breast, but it won’t metastasize b/c the b.v. & lymphatics are on the other side of the duct, the stromal side.
Is it better to catch a patient at the DCIS only stage? Or is it better to catch it when part of the breast is DCIS & part is infiltrating?
Def better to catch it at the DCIS only stage.
B/c you can surgically excise & have no chance of metastasis.
If you see micro calcifications in mammographic screening…what are you suspicious of?
DCIS!
Is the cause of invasion genetic or epigenetic, the thing that causes DCIS to become invasive breast cancer?
cause unknown
thought that it could be a random breakdown of the myoepithelium of the basement membrane of the breast ducts.
If the sentinel lymph node is negative for cancer…what is the chance of metastasis?
next to nothing!
B/c the cancer will go first the sentinel lymph node.
if negative, don’t need to dissect the lymph nodes in the axilla..avoid lymph drainage blockage in arm.
**but if pos, need to check lymph nodes in axilla.
Does the presence of breast cancer in the lymph node change the stage & worsen the prognosis?
TNM grading will go from N0-N1
it does worsen the prognosis
