Tumour Pathology 1

Question 1

What is a tumour (or neoplasm)?

Answer 1

• an abnormal growing mass of tissue
• its growth is uncoordinated as it continues after the removal of any stimulus
• it is an irreversible change

Question 2

What are the two types of tumour?

Answer 2

• benign

- malignant (=cancer)

Question 3

What is cancer?

Answer 3

• a tumour which has the ability to metastasise (spread) and move to other areas of the body

Question 4

What is the major cause of death in the UK?

Answer 4

• cancer (breast, lung, prostate)

Question 5

What are the three commonest type of cancer for males?

Answer 5

• prostate
• lung
• colon

Question 6

What are the three commonest type of cancer for females?

Answer 6

• breast
• lung
• colon

Question 7

Which cancer has the highest survival rate?

Answer 7

• melanoma (90%)

Question 8

How do you class tumours?

Answer 8

• based on tissue of origin (epithelium, connective tissue, blood cells, lymphoid tissue, neural tissue, germ cells)
• benign/malignant

Question 9

What do you call a tumour on the CNS?

Answer 9

• astrocytoma

Question 10

What do you call a tumour on the PNS?

Answer 10

• schwannoma

Question 11

What do you call a germ cell tumour?

Answer 11

• teratoma

Question 12

Characteristics of teratoma

Answer 12

• composed of various tissues
• develop in ovary/testis
• ovarian teratomas usually benign
• testicular teratomas usually malignant

Question 13

What differentiates a benign and a malignant tumour?

Answer 13

• malignant are invasive, metastasise, poorly differentiated, loss of normal function and cause death
• benign are capsulated, none invasive, well-differentiated and function in a similar way to normal tissue