Tumours 3 Flashcards
What are the local effects of benign tumours? (2)
- Pressure (e.g. near a blood vessel can affect circulation)
- Obstruction (e.g. in urinary or respiratory tracts in hollow organs, tubes etc)
What are the local effects of malignant tumours? ( 6)
POT PEB
- pressure
- obstruction
- tissue destruction (ulceration and infection e.g.in GI tract)
- pain (pressure on nerves
- bleeding (anaemia, haemorrhage due to destruction of blood vessels)
- effects of treatment
What are some of the main systemic effects of malignant tumours? (4)
Not local effects but less self evident effects
- secretion of hormones (normal/abnormal)
- weight loss (cachexia)
- parenoplastic syndromes (series of symptoms as a response to neoplasm)
- effects of treatment
What is considered “normal” hormone production by tumours?
If a tumour is found in an endocrine organ, there is abnormal control of hormone production/secretion
What is considered “abnormal” hormone production by tumours ?
produced by tumour from an organ that does not normally produce the hormone
What abnormal hormones secretion is associated with lung cancer?
ACTH (anterior pituitary hormone) and ADH ( antidiuretic hormone)
What does ACTH regulate?
cortisol levels
What is a paraneoplastic syndromes?
- cannot be explained by local or metastatic effects of tumours
- immune mechanism or production of hormones/ growth factors (still unknown)
- various cancer symptoms presented which makes it difficult to diagnose
What is the pre-malignant stage of cancer called?
Dysplasia
What are the features of dysplasia?
- earliest stage of malignancy
- abnormal cell proliferation and cell epithelium abnormalities
- no invasion but can progress to cancer as soon as invasion happens
What are the 3 main features of dysplasia?
- disorganisation of cells:
- increased nuclear size
- increased mitosis
- abnormal mitosis - grading of dysplasia
- high grade
- low grade - no invasion
