Test 2 - pathology Flashcards
Define grade and what it means to be low, intermediate, and high grade.
grade tells you how much the cancer looks like the original cell; differentiation
Low = resembles normal tissue (well differentiated)
intermediate = somewhat resembles normal tissue
High = does not resemble the normal tissue (poorly differentiated)
Is an in-situ carcinoma cancer?
No! To be cancer, it must invade the basement membrane
What is TNM staging?
Tumor, Node (lymph), Metastasis
What is an in-situ neoplasia?
Clonal overgowth of cells which have the potential to invade but have not yet done so
What is a carcinoma?
malignant neoplasm derived from epithelial cells
What should trigger you to think someone has a familial cancer syndrome?
Young age
rare/uncommon cancer
more than one type of cancer in one person
family history of rare/uncommon cancers
In Von Hippel Lindau disease, what chromosome is mutated? What does the vHL gene regulate?
chromosome 3
Hypoxia Inducible Factor
In Von Hippel Lindau disease, what do patients develop? Where?
Hemangioblastomas
Medulla, retina, and cerebellum
In Von Hippel Lindau disease, what are patients at increased risk for?
cysts in the pancreas, liver, and kidneys
bilateral renal carcinoma
pheochromocytoma
What is the major issue with retinoblastoma?
mutation in Rb allows for cell cycle to progress forward
How can retinoblastima be diagnosed with physical examination?
leukocoria
What is the major issue with lynch syndrome?
defective DNA mismatch repair gene
How is lynch syndrome inherited?
autosomal dominant
What are patients with lynch syndrome at high risk for developing (types of cancer)?
colon cancer
skin cancer
ovarian cancer
What is the major issue with Li Fraumeni?
Mutation in P53
How is Li Fraumeni inherited?
autosomal dominant
What types of cancer are patients with Li Fraumini at risk for?
Breast
Brain
Sarcomas
Leukemias
Adrenalcortical carcinoma
What type of cells make embryonic tumors?
blast cells
What do blastomas have a tendancy to do depending on its environment?
Blastomas like try and differentiate towards the surrounding cell types (they like to try and look like its surrounding tissue)
What is a neuroblastoma? What gene is typically mutated?
embryonic cancer of the adrenal glands
N-myc is typically mutated
Can you tell what type of cancer this is just by looking at it?
No! Although this is a neuroblastoma, all blastomas look the same under the microscope
What are the 3 main good prognostic features in neuroblastoma?
age < 1 year old
N-myc is not expressed/amplified
clinical stage 1, 2, 4s
What embryonic malignancy is this?
(normal image is on the right)
Wilm’s/nephroblastoma
This slide is triphasic. What is the embryonic maligancy?
Wilm’s tumor/nephroblastoma
The blast cells in the middle are trying to look like their surrounding
Is Wilm’s tumor associate with congenital malformations?
Yes
What is WAGR syndrome?
WAGR syndrome is a congenital malformation:
Wilm’s
Aniridia
Genital anomalies
Retardation
What is medulloblastoma?
embryonic malignancy that typically arises in the cerebellum
How does medulloblastoma spread?
Through the CSF
What is the term for this clinical finding? What embryonic malignancy causes this?
sunburst pattern
osteosarcoma
What is this cancer?
osteosarcoma
malignant osteoblasts lay down malignant osteoid
Where in the bone does osteosarcoma tyically present (epiphysis/metaphysis/diaphysis)
metaphysis
Are sunburst patterns seen here?
no
What is Ewing’s sarcoma mutation?
t(11;22) in primitive neural cells
What CD marker do Ewing’s sarcoma cells express?
CD99
Where do Ewing’s sarcoma tumors typically present? (epiphysis/metaphysis/diaphysis)
diaphysis
