Tumour Pathology 1

Question 1

What is a tumour (aka neoplasm)?

Answer 1

Abnormal growing mass of tissue.

Growth is uncoordinated with that of surrounding normal tissue.

Question 2

What are the two groups of tumours?

Answer 2

Benign

Malignant (cancer)

Question 3

What is the fundamental property of cancer?

Answer 3

its ability to invade into adjacent tissue and to metastasise and grow at other sites in the body.

Question 4

What are the causes of cancer?

Answer 4

Genetic - oncogenes etc.

Environmental - smoking, alcohol diet, exercise…

Question 5

What are the most common types of cancer in men/woman and overall?

Answer 5

Men - Prostate
Female - Breast
Overall - Breast

Question 6

Why is classifying tumours important?

Answer 6

Important for understanding tumour behaviour.

Important for prognosis and selection of therapy.

Question 7

What is the classification of tumours based on?

Answer 7

Tissue of origin and whether it is benign or malignant.

Question 8

What are the nomenclatures of epithelial tumours?

Answer 8

Glandular, Benign - adenoma
Glandular, Malignant - adeno-carcinoma
Squamous, Benign - squamous papilloma
Squamous, malignant - squamous carcinoma

Question 9

What are the nomenclatures of connective tissue tumours (bone, fat, fibrous tissue)?

Answer 9

Bone, benign - osteoma
Bone, malignant - osteo-sacroma
Fat, benign - lipoma
Fat, malignant - lipo-sacroma 
Fibrous tissue, benign - fibroma 
Fibrous tissue, malignant - fibro-sacroma

Question 10

What are the nomenclatures of blood cell tumours?

Answer 10

No benign tumours of blood cells.

White blood cells, malignant - leukaemia

Question 11

What are the nomenclatures of lymphoid tumours?

Answer 11

No benign tumours of lymphoid tissue.

Lymphoid tissue, malignant - lymphoma

Question 12

What is a tumour of the CNS called?

Answer 12

Astrocytoma

Question 13

What is a tumour of the PNS called?

Answer 13

Schwannoma

Question 14

What are tumours in the germ cells called? And what are they composed of?

Answer 14

Teratomas

Composed of various tissues

Question 15

Why are nerve system tumours not classed as benign/malignant?

Answer 15

They can’t be classed as benign because it inhibits function and it can’t be classed as malignant as it doesn’t metastasise.

Question 16

Which teratomas are normally benign and which are malignant?

Answer 16

Ovarian teratomas are usually benign

testicular teratomas are usually malignant

Question 17

Describe the features all benign tumours.

Answer 17

Non-invasive growth pattern 
Usually encapsulated
No evidence of invasion 
No metastases
Cells similar to normal 
Cells well differentiated
Function similar to normal tissue
Rarely cause death

Question 18

Describe the features all malignant tumours.

Answer 18

Invasive growth pattern 
No capsule or capsule breached by tumour
Metastases
Cells abnormal
Cells poorly differentiated
Loss of normal function
Frequently cause death