Tumour Pathology Flashcards
What is a tumour?
An abnormal growing mass of tissue
Describe the growth of a tumour
Uncoordinated with that of surrounding normal tissues
Growth continues after the removal of any stimulus which may have caused the tumour
An irreversible change
What is an alternative term for tumour?
A neoplasm
What are the two types of tumours?
Benign - noncancerous
Malignant - cancerous
What does metastasise mean?
The ability of cancer to spread - cancers invade adjacent tissue and grow at other sites within the body
Define cancer
A malignant growth resulting in uncontrolled division of cells
What are the general features of cancer?
The major cause of death in the UK
Incidence of specific types of cancer increasing (males>female)
Genetic and environmental factors are important in the causation
Multistep process
What are the most common types of cancer in men?
- Prostate
- Lung
- Colon
- Kidney
- Melanoma (skin)
What are the most common types of cancer in women?
- Breast
- Lung
- Colon
- Uterus
- Melanoma (skin)
What are the most common types of cancer overall?
- Prostate
- Breast
- Lung
- Colon
- Melanoma
What are the five-year survival rates of the most common cancers?
Melanoma - 90%
Breast - 85%
Prostate - 85%
Uterus - 80%
Kidney - 60%
Colon - 60%
Lung - 10%
How are tumours classified?
- Based on the tissue of origin
- Benign vs malignant
What are examples of tissues from which tumours can arise?
Epithelium
Connective
Blood cells
Lymphoid tissues
Melanocytes
Neural tissue
Germ cells (ovary/testis)
What is the nomenclature of epithelial tissues?
Glandular
Benign: Adenoma
Malignant” Adeno-carcinoma
Squamous
Benign: Squamous papiloma
Malignant: Squamous carincoma
What are the names given to benign tumours that arise from connective tissues?
Bone - Osteoma
Fat - Lipoma
Fibrous tissue - Fibroma
What are the names given to malignant tumours for the connective tissues
Bone - Osteosarcoma
Fat - Liposarcoma
Fibrous tissue - Fibrosarcoma
What is the (malignant) tumour of the white blood cells called?
Leukaemia
No known benign tumours
Are there any tumours of the red blood cells?
No
What is the name given to (malignant) tumours of the lymphoid tissue?
Lymphoma
No known benign tumours
What names are given to tumours that arise from melanocytes?
Benign: Naevus
Malignant: Melanoma
What are tumours of the central nervous system called?
Astrocytoma
What are tumours of the peripheral nervous system called?
Schwannoma
What are germ cell tumours collectively known as?
Teratomas
Key points of the germ cell tumours
A tumour composed of different tissues
Develop in either the ovary or testis
Ovarian teratomas are usually benign
Testicular teratomas are usually malignant
What are features of benign tumours?
Non-invasive growth pattern
Usually encapsulated (contained)
No evidence of invasion
No metastases (does not spread)
Cells are similar to normal, healthy cells
Well-differentiated (look similar to nearby tissue)
Function similar to normal tissue
Rarely cause death
Features of Malignant Tumours
Invasive growth pattern
No capsule or the capsule is breached by tumour cells
Abnormal cells
Poorly differentiated
Loss of normal function
Frequently cause death
What are tumour suppressor genes?
A tumour suppressor gene (TSG), or anti-oncogene, is a gene that regulates a cell during cell division and replication.
They inhibit cell proliferation and tumor development.
What is an oncogene?
A gene which in certain circumstances can transform a cell into a tumour cell.
What are the properties of cancer cells?
Loss of tumour suppressor genes
Gain of function of oncogenes
Altered cellular function
Abnormal morphology
Cells capable of independent growth
Presence of tumour biomarkers
What are examples of tumour suppressor genes?
Adenomatous polyposis (APC) - involved in colon cancer
Retinoblastoma (Rb) - involved in tumours of the retina of the eye
BRCA1 - involved in breast cancer
What are examples of oncogenes?
B-raf
Cyclin D1
ErbB2
c-Myc
K-ras
N-ras
What is B-raf associated with?
A range of tumours including melanoma
What is Cyclin D1 associated with?
Lymphoma
What is ErbB2 associated with?
Several types of tumours
What is c-Myc associated with?
Lymphoma
What are K-ras and N-ras associated with?
Several types of tumours but most notably colorectal cancer
What is a tumour biomarker?
Tumour-related proteins
What are the different categories of tumour biomarkers?
Onco-fetal proteins
Oncogenes
Growth factors and receptors
Immune checkpoint inhibitors
Describe the cellular function of cancer cells
Loss of cell-to-cell adhesion
Altered cell-to-matrix adhesion
Production of tumour related proteins aka biomarkers
What is the clinical usage of tumour biomarkers?
Screening
Diagnosis
Prognostic - identifying patients with a specific outcome
Predictive - identifying patients who will respond to a particular therapy
What is the biomarker for Teratoma of testis and hepatocellular carcinoma?
Alpha-fetoprotein
Where does hepatocellular carcinoma arise from?
Liver cancer arises from cells of the liver
What is the biomarker for colorectal cancer?
Carcino-embryonic antigen
What is the biomarker for Breast cancer?
Oestrogen receptor
What is the biomarker for Prostate cancer?
Prostate specific antigen
What are the predictive tumour biomarkers for colorectal cancer?
K-ras, an oncogene
What are the predictive tumour biomarkers for lung cancer?
EGFR - epidermal growth factor receptor
PD-L1 - an immune checkpoint
What are the predictive tumour biomarkers for breast cancer and gastric cancer?
Her2
What are the predictive tumour biomarkers for melanoma?
Braf
What is the variation in size and shape of cancer cells referred to as?
Pleomorphism
Is mitosis present in cancer cells?
Yes however it is abnormal
What is tumor growth?
A balance between cell growth and cell death
What two processes are vital in tumour growth?
Angiogenesis
Apoptosis
What is angiogenesis?
Angiogenesis is the formation of new blood vessels by tumors which is required to sustain tumor growth.
The more blood vessels in a tumour, the poorer the prognosis
What does angiogenesis provide a route to?
Release of tumour cells
What is apoptosis?
Mechanism of programmed and controlled single cell death.
It is an active cell process that regulates tumour growth and is involved in response to chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
How can the spread of cancer be divided up?
Invasion
Metastasis
What is a major clinical problem of cancer?
Formation of metastatic (secondary) tumours
Prognosis depends on extent of cancer spread
What are the characterizations of invasion and metastasis?
- Multi-step process
- Increased matrix degradation by proteolytic enzymes
- Altered cell-to-cell and cell-to-matrix adhesion
What are the modes of cancer spread?
Local - spread to adjacent anatomical structures. Invasion.
Lymphatic
Blood
Trans-coelomic - a special type of local spread. Spread between body cavities ie the pleural cavity
Steps in tumour invasion
Malignant tumout
Invasion into connective tissue
Invasion into lymph/blood vessles
Steps of tumor metastasis via lymphatics
Adherence of tumor cells to lymph vessels
Invasion from lymphatics
Invasion into the lymph node
Formation of metastasis in lymph node
Clinical evidence of metastasis
Steps of tumor metastasis via blood
Adherence of tumour cells to blood vessels
Invasion from blood vessels
Invasion into tissue
Formation of metastasis
Clinical evidence of metastasis
What type of tumors show trans-coelomic spread?
Tumours of lung, stomach, colon and ovary
What are the common sites of metastasis?
Liver, lung, brain, bone (axial skeleton), adrenal gland, omentum/peritoneum
What are the uncommon sites of metastasis?
Spleen, kidney, skeletal muscles, heart
Relates to blood flow and the environmental factors of each organ
Where do breast, prostate, and colorectal cancer often metastasize to?
Breast - bone
Prostate - bone
Colorectal - liver
Ovary - omentum/peritoneum
Local effects of benign tumors
Pressure
Obstruction - especially if the tumor is in a hollow structure such as the intestine
Local effects of malignant tumours
Pressure
obstruction
Tissue destruction - ulceration/infection
Bleeding, if tumour erodes into blood vessels- anemia, haemorrhage
Pain - pressure on nerves, perineural infiltration (area surrounding the nerves), bone pain from pathological fractures
Effects of treatment
What is perineural infiltration?
The process of neoplastic invasion of nerves and is an under-recognized route of metastatic spread.
What are systemic effects of a malignant tumour?
Unplanned weight loss may amount to cancer cachexia if weight loss is significant and sustained
Secretion of hormones - can be either normal or abnormal. Can also promote weightloss.
Paraneoplastic syndromes - a group of uncommon disorders that develop in some people who have cancer
Effects of treatment
What is normal hormone production by tumors?
Hormones are produced by tumors of the endocrine organ but there is abnormal control of hormone production/secretion
Secreted either at an inappropriate time or in response to an inappropriate stimulus or in an appropriate amount.
What is abnormal hormone production by tumors?
Produced by tumour from an organ that does not normally produce hormones
What is an abnormal hormone secretion caused by lung cancer tumours?
ACTH
ADH
What are paraneoplastic syndromes?
Cannot be explained by local or metastatic effects of tumors eg neuropathy, myopathy
Why is it important to detect cancer at an early stage?
Reduce/prevent morbidity and moratlity