Week 5 Flashcards
What is a Neoplasm?
A new growth of tissue
What is the definition of benign?
A tissue or neoplasm that will not grow or metastasize
- Typically wont result in death
What is the definition of malignant?
A neoplasm or tissue growth that will grow and potentially metastasize
- Might/Will result in death
What is the definition of metastasize?
The spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body.
What is a tumor?
A physical mass of cell
What is cancer?
A malignant neoplasm that can cause death
What is carcinoma?
- The most common type of cancer
- Starts in the epithelial tissue
What is Sarcoma?
A type of cancer that occurs in the bones, connective tissues, and muscle
In what bodily region do even benign tumors/neoplasms present a mortality risk?
CNS
If the tissue has a benign neoplasm, what suffix is added to the name?
-oma
If the tissue has a malignant neoplasm, what suffix is added to the name?
-sarcoma
When looking at cancer and its determinants, what are some factors to consider?
- It is primarily caused by damaged DNA
- Cancer/Neoplasms are living cells and need nutrients and a blood supply
- Cancer/Neoplasms take many years to grow and become detectable
- To go from benign to malignant is a slow process
- Malignant cells have a distinct appearance and behavior
- Malignant cells don’t metastasize (move) unless they invade lymphatic or blood vessel systems
- The immune system plays a huge role in preventing cancer.
What are the 3 most prevalent cancer types in males?
- Prostate
- Lung & Bronchus
- Colon & Rectum
What are the 3 most prevalent cancer types in females?
- Breast
- Lung & Bronchus
- Colon & Rectum
What cancer three types have the highest mortality rate in Males?
- Lung & Bronchus
- Prostate
- Colon & Rectum
What cancer three types have the highest mortality rate in Females?
- Lung and Bronchus
- Breast
- Colon & rectum
What are the causes of cancer?
- Sunlight (UV radiation)
- Inhalation carcinogens
- Liver carcinogens
- Excretory carcinogens
- HPV (Virus)
- Radiation
- Viruses
- Dietary carcinogens
- contact carcinogens
Big three (Viruses, Carcinogens, Radiation)
Which age group is at the highest risk for malignant cancer?
55-64 years of age
What are the warning signs for cancer?
CAUTION
- Change in bowel/bladder habits
- A sore that doesn’t heal
- Unusual bleeding or discharge
- Thickening or lump in the breast or elsewhere
- Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
- Obvious change in a wart or mole
- Nagging cough or hoarseness
*Unintended weight loss, unremitting pain, night sweats, neurological changes/seizures*
What is a polyp & Papilloma?
A growth from epithelial surfaces
What does atypia refer to in cancer?
An abnormality in the cells of a tissue
What is hyperchromatism?
The development of excess chromatin or of excessive nuclear staining especially as a part of a pathological process
What is cell dyslasia?
the presence of abnormal cells within a tissue or organ
What are some examples of premalignant dysplasia?
- HPV infection of cervix
- Barrett metaplasia(change in cell type) of the esophagus from acid reflux
- Polyps of the colon
What is the biology of neoplasm growth?
- The differentiation of tumor cells
- Clones of cells
- The speed of tumor growth
- The nourishment of tumors
- Tumor cell variation
Explain the difference between well and poorly differentiated neoplastic cells.
-
Well differentiated-
- Typically benign
- Slow Growing
- Unlikely to metastasize
-
Poorly differentiated-
- Typically malignant
- Grow rapidly
- Invade tissue & metastasize
What is the primary target of chemotherapy treatments?
Rapidly dividing cells
What is angiogenesis?
The formation of new blood vessels from pre-existing vessels
Beyond adequate blood nutrients, some tumors require what in order to support and promote growth?
Hormones
Are cancer cells hetero or homogeneous?
Heterogeneous
In what ways do neoplasms spread?
- Through invasiveness
- Metastasis
- Vascularly
- Lymphatically
- Seeding
What does seeding mean with respect to the spread of cancer cells?
This suggests that neoplasms can move to another area (usually organ) with favorable environments and “plant” themselves in that area
what is leukemia?
A cancer of blood forming tissues
What is cachexia?
Weakness and wasting of the body due to severe chronic illness.
What is paraneoplastic syndrome?
This is the result of an abnormal immune system response to a cancerous tumor usually marked by:
- Excess hormones of the native tissue
- Excess hormones unrelated to the native tissue
How are grades of cancer determined?
By evaluating the cancerous cells under a microscope