Sample to Report Flashcards
Define disease
Pathological condition of a body part, an organ or system characterised by an identifiable group of signs or symptoms
Define neoplasia
Abnormal growth, benign or malignant
Outline what benign means
Not harmful in effect
What does malignant mean
Harmful, very virulent or infectious
What is fat necrosis?
necrosis = action upon fat by digestive enzymes.
Lipase releases fatty acids from triglycerides, fatty acids complex with Ca = form soaps - appear as white chalky deposits
What is a metastasis?
development of secondary malignant growths at a distance from a primary site of cancer
What can histopathologists report regarding a cancer diagnosis?
type of cancer, grade, stage, margins, efficacy of treatment
When are Reed-Sternberg cell found?
different giant cells found with light microscopy in biopsies from individuals with Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Describe what adenocarcinoma is
a malignant tumour formed from glandular structures in epithelial tissue
What is Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
cancer of a part of the immune system called the lymph system
The first sign = enlarged lymph nodes
Can spread to nearby lymph nodes, lungs, liver, bone marrow
Name a tumour of melanin-forming cells
melanoma
How is a cancer staged?
T = tumour 0-4,
N = nodes 0-2,
M = metastases 0 1 X
What is a carcinoma?
cancer arising in the epithelial tissue of the skin or of the lining of the internal organs
Describe Mohs Surgery
most effective technique for removing basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma
thin layers of cancer-containing skin are progressively removed and examined until only cancer-free tissue remains
What receptors are looked for in breast cancer and their related treatment?
ER = receptors for the hormone oestrogen (tamoxifen)
Her2 = receptors for the protein HER2 (Herceptin)
What are the general stages of slide preparation?
Fixation of tissue, trimming, dehydration, embedding in cassette, blocking, microtomy, water bath, slide, mounting, stain, visualise
During fixation what chemical is used and why?
Formalin = stops autolysis, inactivates enzymes, stops bacterial growth, hardens tissue
What are tissue samples embedded in?
paraffin wax
What does blocking involve?
placing the tissue sample in a metal block, surrounded by set molten paraffin wax and cassette, metal block removed when set
How can cytokeratins be used in immunohistochemistry?
family of intracellular fibrous proteins in almost all epithelia
can be used for epithelial differentiation and show tissue-specific distribution = give info about primary site
What does molecular pathology explore?
Changes in DNA, RNA and proteins through sequencing
What happens when histopathology is time limited?
frozen sections using cryostat, morphology is not as good but results in 10 mins e.g. inter-operative samples
What information is included in a histology report?
clinical history, sample size, tissue type, grade, cell and receptor type, how sample was obtained, who has reported
