Tumour Pathology Flashcards
What is a tumour?
An abnormal growing mass of tissue
What are the two types of tumour?
Benign and malignant
When do benign cancers cause problems?
When they appear near a vital organ
Name a glandular, benign epithelial tumour?
Adenoma
Name a malignant white blood cell tumour?
Leukaemia
Name a malignant lymphoid tissue tumour?
Lymphoma
When are onco-fetal proteins normally present?
During fetal development
Onco-fetal proteins can also be switched on when?
In tumours
What is CEA used as a biomarker for?
Colon cancer
What is Her2 used as a biomarker for?
Breast Cancer
WHat is alpha-fetoprotein used a biomarker for?
Teratoma of testis
Hepatocellular Carcinoma
What is tumour morphology?
What tumours look like microscopically
What do cancer cells show a variation in?
Size and shapes
What is tumour growth a balance between?
Cell growth and death
What is tumour angiogenesis?
New blood vessel formation by tumours
What do more blood vessels provide a route for?
Release of tumour cells into circulation
What is apoptosis?
Mechanims of programmed single cell death
What does apoptosis regulate?
Tumour growth
What is the major clinical problem of cancer?
Formation of metastatic tumouts?
What are metastatic tumours?
Secondary tumours
Where is a good environment for tumours to grow in terms of lymphatics?
The lymph node
What is the spread of tumour cells across body cavities called?
Trans-coelomic spread
What are the 5 common sites of metastasis?
Liver Lung Brain Bone Adrenal Gland
What are 4 uncommon sites of metastasis?
Spleen
Kidney
Skeletal muscle
Heart
Name the 2 local effects of benign tumours
Pressure and Obstruction
What is the local effect produced by growing structure of a tumour?
Pressure
What can bleeding from a malinant tumour lead to?
Anaemia
Haemorrhage
What are the 2 types of secretion of hormones from malignant tumours?
Normal
Abnormal
What is abnormal secretion of hormones in malignant tumours?
Hormone production on organs that don’t normally produce hormones
What can ADH secretion lead to being spotted?
Lung Cancer
Which syndromes cannot be explained by local or metastatic effects of tumours?
Paraneoplastic syndromes
What is neuropathy?
Abnormality of the nerve
What is myopathy?
Abnormalities of the muscle
What is dysplasia?
A pre-malignant change
Where is dysplasia identified?
Epithelium
What can dysplasia progress to?
Cancer
What does high grading dysplasia mean??
Very close to becoming a cancer
What is the difference between dysplastic and cancerous cells?
Dysplastic cells show no evidence of invasion
Give an example of a dysplasia identification test?
Cervical cancer screening
Where are dysplastic cells detected?
Squamous epithelium of cervix
What is mitosis a mechanism of?
Cellular respiration
What is the cell cycle defined as?
The time interval between mitotic divisions
What are the 3 steps involved in interphase?
G1
S
G2
Neurons and heart muscles are permanently in what stage?
G0 stage
During the G1 stage, what happens to the cell?
It increases in size
What occurs in stage S?
DNA replication
If the nutrient supply is inadequate, where is the cell cycle arrested?
G1
What does the G1 checkpoint ensure?
That everything is ready for DNA synthesis
What does the G2 checkpoint ensure?
Everything is ready to enter the M phase
Which molecule activates CDK?
Cyclin D
What is the active form of retinoblastoma?
Rb (hypophosphorylated)
If Rb is active, what does it inactive?
E2F
What is E2F a potent stimulator of?
Entry into the cell cycle
What inactivates Rb?
CDKs adding a phosphate
During CHEMICAL carcinogenesis, purine and pyrimidine bases are critically damaged by what?
Oxidising agents
Alkylating agents
DNA adducts are formed when DNA reacts with what?
Chemical carcinogens
During RADIATION carcinogenesis, purine and pyrimidine bases are targets for what?
Radiation damage
In what type of cells do p53 levels increase?
Damaged cells
