Tumours Pt 2 Flashcards
What are 5 differences between benign and malignant tumours?
Has capsule - has no capsule
Smooth - Stellate
non-invasive - invasive
Doesn’t metastasise - metastasises
Slow growing - fast growing
Define pleomorphic
All cancers have a different size and shape
Define highly mitotic
Cancer cells replicate very quickly
What gives cancer cells a disorganised structure? Exp. hyper-chromatin
They have an abnormal amount of chromosomes organised in a disordered fashion. Hyper-chromatin which makes the nucleus appear darker and means chromatin DNA is stacked above each other
What is senescence and telomeres?
Senescence - a cells ability to grow old and stop dividing. Telomeres give cell a certain no. that they can divide before losing ability. Cancer avoids these
Do cancer cells present antigens?
No - they don’t to prevent the cell from being destroyed by the immune system.
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What factor about cell positioning allows cancer cells to be able to metastasise?
They lose proteins on normal cell that cause cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, so can spread and metastasise
What is the process of angiogenesis?
Cancer can recruit proteins and molecules which cause blood vessels to be formed within a tumour. This requires a lot of energy
How does cancer adjust metabolism in out bodies?
Metabolism increases as cancer requires a lot of energy to grow, through anaerobic respiration as cancer is in a hypoxic environment. Leads to severe muscle and fat loss
Can cancer cells become mutated?
They can. This is useful because it gives it a greater chance of survival
Do cancer cells require cell signalling molecules to grow?
No - they can proliferate alone
What is metastasis?
Spread of malignant cancer
What are 4 types of cancer metastasis?
Lymphatic, vascular, local spread and trans-coleimic
What factor influences where the cancer cell travels to during metastasis? Give 5 examples
Highly vascularised areas.
Lung, liver, brain, bone, adrenal gland
What is the first step of cancer metastasis?
Cancer cell invades connective tissue and changed ECM. Then enters blood or lymphatic system
What is trans-coelomic spread?
its the route of cancer spread
Can be peritoneal, e.g. gastric, ovary, or pleural, in lungs
What are the local effects of brain cancer?
Confusion, coma, seizure
What is a local effect of cancer?
Effects to the body of a tumour impairing organ’s functions
What are local effects of cancer in the spine?
Paralysis or paraesthesia (tingling in nerves)
What are local effect of lung cancer?
Haemoptysis
What is a systemic effect of cancer?
Some cancers produce hormones which have effect on body
What are 2 examples of a systemic effect of cancer?
Cachexia - rapid muscle and fat loss due to change in metabolism
ADH production so we hold onto water in body
What is dysplasia?
Abnormal and disordered pre-cancer, but not uncontrolled
Neoplasia vs Dysplasia (3)
Neoplasia irreversible - dysplasia reversible
Neoplasia can be benign or malignant - dysplasia always benign
Neoplasia uncontrolled - dysplasia controlled
What is intra-epithelial neoplasia?
Not cancer as its abnormal cells growing within epithelium and hasn’t penetrated to connective tissue yet. May become cancer.
What is a precursor for cancer and why are they important?
Detecting abnormal growth or lumps before cancer forms - e.g. breast lump or cervical screening.
We can prevent cancer is we detect precursors
Do cancers always start as pre-cursors?
No. Some start as cancer immediately, and we can prevent pre-cursors if we detect them early enough
