S11 Neoplasms Of The Reproductive Tract Flashcards
What are the main sites of gynaecological tumours?
Vulva (outside vagina) Cervix Endometrium Myometrium Ovary
What type of tumour affects the vulva, and what causes this?
Usually squamous cell carcinoma
Around 30% related to HPV 16
Around 70% unrelated to HPV, often occur in longstanding inflammatory and hyperplastic conditions of the vulva e.g. lichen sclerosis
Around what age do vuvlar cancers occur?
Oven 60’s
What are some risk factors of cancer of the vulva?
Frequent sex, many partners, multiple births, smoking
What is vulvar intraepithelial neoplasia?
Atypical squamous cells within epidermis, in situ precursor of vulvar squamous cc.
Polyploid appearance
What is the treatment of vulvar cancers?
Usually need vulva and lymph nodes removed.
Otherwise can spread to inguinal, iliac and para-aortic LN’s. Then to lung and liver
Describe the cervical canal and the metaplasia which occurs in cervical cancer
In the cervical canal, we have the endocervix (glandular epithelia) and ectocervix (squamous. Epithelia).
The transformation zone is the most common site for cervical cancers.
Here we get metaplasia of glandular to squamous epithelia.
What are the causes of CIN or cervical carcinoma?
HPV 16 in 60% of cases and HPV 18 in 10% of cases.
Infect immature metaplastic squamous cells in the transformation zone.
How do viral proteins E6 and E7 causes cervical carcinoma?
Viral proteins E6 and E7 interfere with tumour suppressor proteins (e.g. p53) and cause inability to repair damaged DNA and increased cell proliferation
What are the risk factors for cervical carcinoma?
Frequent sex, many partners, multiple births, smoking
How do we screen for cervical cancers?
Precursors and low stage cancers detected by Papanicolaou (Pap) test
Cells are scraped off from transformation zone, stained with Papanicolaou stain and examined microscopically.
Abnormal test has dyskaryosis (abnormal nuclei), increased nuclear:cytoplasmic ratio, pleomorphism
What is cervical intraepithelial neoplasia?
Dysplasia of squamous cells in the cervical epithelium induced by HPV
What are the different stages of CIN?
CIN I: most regress spontaneously, only a small percentage progress to-
CIN II: proportion of which progress to-
CIN III: carcinoma in situ (not breached BM), 10% progress to invasive carcinoma.
What is the treatment for CIN?
CIN I: treat with follow up or cytology
CIN II and III: superficial excision (cone, large loop excision of the transformation zone)
Around what ages does invasive cervical carcinoma occurs and what type of cancer is it?
45 years
80% are squamous cell carcinomas, 15% adenocarcinomas (also caused by HPV)
How does CIN appear on histology?
Large nuclei
Hyperchromatic
Describe the spread of invasive cervical cancers
Local: bladder, ureters, rectum, vagina
LNs: pelvic, para-aortic