Tumour Pathology

Question 1

What is a neoplasm?

Answer 1

An abnormal growing mass of tissue (a tumour) which is not caused by external factors

Question 2

Describe the control of growth of neoplastic tumours

Answer 2

Continues after the removal of any stimulus which may have caused the tumour - autonomous growth

Question 3

What are the types of tumour?

Answer 3

Benign
Malignant - cancer

Question 4

What does metastasise mean?

Answer 4

The ability of a cancer to spread - cancers invade adjacent tissue and grow at other sites within the body

Question 5

What are two factors important in causation of cancers?

Answer 5

Environmental - diet, alcohol, obesity, smoking, exercise
Genetic - chances increase with age

Question 6

What are the common types of cancer for men?

Answer 6

Prostate, lung, colon, bladder, lymph node

Question 7

What are the common types of cancer for women?

Answer 7

Breast, lung, colon, uterus, ovary

Question 8

What are the common types of cancer for both sexes?

Answer 8

Breast, lung, prostate, colon, melanoma

Question 9

What are the cancers with the highest survival rate?

Answer 9

Melanoma, breast, uterus

Question 10

What are the cancers with the lowest survival rate?

Answer 10

Lung, ovary

Question 11

Why is it important to classify tumours?

Answer 11

Understanding tumour behaviour
Understanding prognosis and selected therapy

Question 12

What are the aspects we classify tumours on?

Answer 12

Tissue of origin (epithelium, connective tissue,blood, lymphoid tissue, neural tissue, germ cells ….)
Benign vs Malignant

Question 13

What are the two types of epithelium that can host cancer?

Answer 13

Glandular and squamous

Question 14

What is the name for a benign and malignant glandular epithelium tumour?

Answer 14

Benign - Adenoma
Malignant - Adeno-Carcinoma

Question 15

What is the name for a benign and malignant squamous epithelium tumour?

Answer 15

Benign - Squamous Papilloma
Malignant - Squamous Carcinoma

Question 16

What are the names given to benign tumours for the connective tissues (Bone, Fat, Fibrous tissue)

Answer 16

Bone - Osteoma
Fat - Lipoma
Fibrous tissue 0 Fibroma

Question 17

What are the names given to malignant tumours for the connective tissues (Bone, Fat, Fibrous tissue)

Answer 17

Bone - Osteo-sarcoma
Fat - Liposarcoma
Fibrous tissue - Fibro-sarcoma

Question 18

What is the name given to cancer of the white blood cells? There are no know benign tumours for white blood cells?

Answer 18

Leukaemia

Question 19

What is the name given to cancer of the lymphoid tissue? There are no know benign tumours for lymphoid tissue

Answer 19

Lynphoma

Question 20

What are tumours of the Central nervous system called?

Answer 20

Astrocytoma - concepts of benign and malignant tumours don’t exist in the CNS - there is a limited space that tumours don’t escape out of

Question 21

What are tumours of the peripheral nervous system called?

Answer 21

Schwannoma

Question 22

Where do Germ cell tumours develop?

Answer 22

Ovary or Testis

Question 23

What is the name given to germ cell tumours?

Answer 23

Teratomas

Question 24

Are ovarian teratomas benign or malignant usually?

Answer 24

Benign

Question 25

Are testicular teratomas benign or malignant usually?

Answer 25

Malignant

Question 26

What are the features of benign and malignant tumours?

Answer 26

Growth pattern, presence of capsule (ring of connective tissue round the outside of a tumour), invasion, presence of metasteses (malignant if spread exists)
Differentiation, appearance of cells, function, behaviour

Question 27

What are the features of benign tumours

Answer 27

Non-invasive growth pattern, usually encapsulates, no evidence of invasion, no metastases
Cells look similar to normal, well-differentiated
Function similar to normal tissue (if normal function os similar)
Rarely causes death

Question 28

What are the features of malignant tumours?

Answer 28

Invasive growth pattern
No capsule, breached by tumour cells
Cells look abnormal
Cancers are poorly differentiated
Loss of normal function
Often evidence of spread of cancer
Frequently cause death