Tumours 1 Flashcards
What is a tumour?
- abnormal cell growth/ mass of tissue
- uncoordinated growth (tumour grows on its own)
- autonomous (controls itself)
- irreversible growth/ change
What two types of tumours are there?
- benign
- malignant
What is malignancy?
Spreading of tumour to other body sites (invading and colonising other sites)
What are the main factors which can lead to cancer?
Genetic and environmental factors (diet, exercise, smoking, drinking, diabetes, obesity and many more!)
Why is classification of tumours important?
- for understanding tumour behaviour
- for determining prognosis (outcome)
- selecting the right treatment/ therapy
What is classification of tumours dependent on?
- tissue of its origin
- tumour type (malignant or benign)
What are the two broad types of epithelium?
- glandular (found near organs and grands)
2. squamous (found in mouth, skin, oesophagus)
what is the suffix for the benign tumour of the epithelial tissue?
“-OMA”- (e.g. adenoma for glandular or squamous papilloma for squamous)
What is the suffix for the malignant tumour of the epithelial tissue?
CARCINOMA (E.g. adeno-carcinoma for glandular or squamous carcinoma for squamous)
What is the suffix for the benign tumour of the connective tissue? (e.g. bone, fat or fibrous tissue)
“-OMA” (e.g. osteoma for bones)
What is the suffix for the malignant tumour of the connective tissue?
SARCOMA (e.g. osteosarcoma)
What is the malignant tumour of the white blood cells called? (there is no benign tumours)
Leukaemia
What is the malignant tumour of the lymphoid tissue called? (there is no benign tumour)
lymphoma
Concepts benign and malignant don’t apply to which tissue?
Neural tissue (there are different concepts surrounding it)
What is the tumour of the CNS called?
astrocytoma
What is the tumour of the PNS called?
schwannoma
What are the the tumours of the germ cells (ovaries/testes) called?
Teratomas (which are composed of various tissues)
What type of tumours are present in ovaries and testes?
Ovaries have usually benign teratomas
Testes have usually malignant teratomas
What are the 4 main features of benign and malignant tumours? (GPIP)
- growth pattern (how they develop)
- presence of capsule
- invasion
- presence of metastasis
What are some of the other features which are observed in benign and malignant tumours? (DAB F)
- differentiation
- Appearance of tumour cells
- Behaviour
- Function
What are the main features of BENIGN tumours? (6)
- non-invasive growth pattern
- usually encapsulated
- no metastasis
- cells similar to normal
- benign tumours are “well differentiated”
- rarely cause death
What are the main features of MALIGNANT tumours? (6)
- invasive growth pattern
- no capsule or capsule is breached by tumour cells (sometimes malignant tumours develop from benign)
- often evidence of metastasis (spread)
- cells look abnormal compared to adjacent tissue
- cancer cells are “poorly differentiated”
- frequently cause death
