Tumour Pathology 3 Flashcards
What are the local effects of benign tumours? (2)
Pressure
Obstruction
What are the local effects of malignant tumours? (7)
Pressure e.g. due to invasion
Obstruction
Tissue destruction e.g. ulcers (causes loss of function)
Destruction of capillaries and major blood vessels = anaemia or haemorrhage
Pain – pressure on nerves due to cancer spreading into nerves (perinueral infiltration), bone fractures
Effects of treatment e.g. side effects
What are the systemic effects malignant tumours (4)
Secretion of hormones:
Normal secretion – produced by tumours in organs that normally secrete hormone but the secretion rate is affected
Abnormal (inappropriate) secretion – produced by tumour from an organ that does not normally produce hormone e.g. lung cancer produces ADH and ACTH
Weight loss
Paraneoplastic syndrome:
Signs and symptoms in body that cannot be explained by metastatic effects of tumours e.g. myopathy, neuropathy
Why is important to detect cancer at an early stage?
- reduce or prevent morbidity/mortality
- detected at pre-invasive stage – when tumour is in dysplastic state
What is the dysplastic state?
This is when tumour is benign but have potential to develop into cancerous malignant tumours (known as pre-malignancy)
Important property that differentiates dysplasia from malignant cancers is that they are not invasive
Dysplasia found in epithelium of organs
What are the features of dysplasia? (4)
No invasion
High grade dysplasia – greater risk of developing into cancer
Low grade dysplasia – lower risk of developing into cancer
Disorganisation of cell – increased nuclear size, increased mitosis, abnormal mitoses
What does early detection of cancer require?
Effective test that has to be specific and acceptable
How do you know tumour if tumour is metastatic?
Cell in metastatic site appear the same as the ones where tumour first began
