Neoplasia Flashcards

1
Q

What is a neoplasm?

A

An abnormal growth of cells that persists after the initial stimulus is removed

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is the full definition of a malignant neoplasm?

A

An abnormal growth of cells that persists after the initial stimulus is removed AND invades surrounding tissue with potential to spread to distant sites

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is a tumour?

A

Any clinically detectable lump or swelling

A neoplasm is just one type of tumour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is a cancer?

A

Any malignant neoplasm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What is a metastasis?

A

A malignant neoplasm that has spread from its original site to a new non-contiguous site

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is dysplasia?

A

A pre-neoplastic alteration in which cells show disordered tissue organisation - not neoplastic because the change is reversible

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the difference between a benign and malignant neoplasm?

A

Benign neoplasms remain confined to their site of origin and do not produce metastases

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How do benign and malignant neoplasms appear differently?

A

Benign tumours grow in a confined local area so have a pushing outer margin

Malignant tumours have an irregular outer margin and shape and may show areas of necrosis and ulceration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is meant by the varying degrees of differentiation shown by neoplasms under the microscope?

A

A benign neoplasm has cells that closely resemble the parent tissue - well differentiated

Malignant neoplasms can range from well to poorly differentiated

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are cells with no resemblance to any tissue called?

A

Anaplastic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is seen with worsening differentiation?

A

Individual cells have increasing nuclear size and nuclear to cytoplasmic ration

Hyperchromasia (increased nuclear staining)

More mitotic figures

Increasing variation in size and shape of cells and nuclei (pleomorphism)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is used by clinicians to indicate differentiation?

A

Grade (high grade = poorly differentiated)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is neoplasia caused by?

A

Accumulated mutations in somatic cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What do the actions of initiators and promoters result in?

A

An expanded, monoclonal population of mutant cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the process in which a neoplasm emerges from the monoclonal population of cells called?

A

Progression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How can a collection of cells be monoclonal?

A

If they all originated from a single founding cell

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How do we know neoplasms are monoclonal?

A

Evidence from the study of the X linked gene for G6PD in tumour tissue from women

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

On what basis are neoplasms named?

A

Site of origin
Benign or malignant
Type f tissue the tumour forms
Gross morphology

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What suffix do benign neoplasms end in?

A

-oma

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What suffix do malignant neoplasms end in?

A

Carcinoma if epithelial

-sarcoma if stromal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What does it mean when a carcinoma is in-situ?

A

No invasion through epithelial basement membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What does it mean when a carcinoma is invasive?

A

Penetrated through basement membrane

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is leukaemia?

A

Malignant neoplasm of blood-forming cells arising in bone marrow

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What are lymphomas?

A

Malignant neoplasms of lymphocytes

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is myeloma?

A

Malignant neoplasm of plasma cells

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What do germ cell neoplasms arise from?

A

Pluripotent cells, mainly in testis or ovary

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What do neuroendocrine tumours arise from?

A

Cells distributed throughout the body

28
Q

When are some neoplasms called -blastomas?

A

Mainly in children, formed from immature precursor cells

29
Q

What are some benign epithelial neoplasms?

A

Squamous papilloma, transitional cell papilloma, adenoma (eg adenomatous polyp of colon)

30
Q

What is an adenoma?

A

Benign tumour of epithelial tissue with glandular origin

31
Q

What are some malignant epithelial neoplasms?

A

Squamous cell carcinoma, transitional cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, basal cell carcinoma

32
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in smooth muscle called?

A

Leiomyoma

33
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in fibrous tissue called?

A

Fibroma

34
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in bone called?

A

Osteoma

35
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in fat called?

A

Lipoma

36
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in a nerve called?

A

Neuroma

37
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in a nerve sheath called?

A

Neurofibroma

38
Q

What is a benign neoplasm in glial cells called?

A

Glioma

39
Q

What is a malignant neoplasm in smooth muscle called?

A

Leiomyosarcoma

40
Q

What is a malignant neoplasm in bone called?

A

Osteosarcoma

41
Q

What is a malignant neoplasm in fibrous tissue called?

A

Fibrosarcoma

42
Q

What is a malignant neoplasm in cartilage called?

A

Chondrosarcoma

43
Q

What is a malignant neoplasm in fat called?

A

Liposarcoma

44
Q

What is a malignant neoplasm in glial cells called?

A

Malignant glioma

45
Q

What is a teratoma?

A

A teratoma is a tumor with tissue or organ components resembling normal derivatives of more than one germ layer

46
Q

What is a benign teratoma of the ovary called?

A

Dermoid cyst

47
Q

What is tumour burden?

A

Refers to the number of cancer cells, the size of a tumourr, or the amount of cancer in the body.

48
Q

What things lead to a greatly increased tumour burden?

A

The ability of malignant cells to invade and spread to distant sites

49
Q

What must malignant cells do to get from a primary site to a secondary site?

A

1) Grow and invade at the primary site
2) Enter a transport system and lodge at a secondary site
3) Grow at the secondary site to form a new tumour (colonisation)

50
Q

What does invasion into surrounding tissue by carcinoma cells require?

A

Altered adhesion, stromal proteolysis and motility

51
Q

What is epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT)?

A

The epithelial–mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a process by which epithelial cells lose their cell polarity and cell-cell adhesion, and gain migratory and invasive properties to become mesenchymal stem cells

52
Q

What does altered adhesion between malignant cells involve?

A

Reduction in E-cadherin expression

53
Q

What does altered adhesion between malignant cells and stromal proteins involve?

A

Changes in integrin expression

54
Q

What do the cells require to be able to degrade the basement membrane and stroma

A

Altered expression of proteases, notably maxtrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)

55
Q

What does altered motility of the malignant cells involve?

A

Changes in the actin cytoskeleton

56
Q

What are the three routes by which the malignant cells can reach distant sites?

A

1) Blood vessels via capillaries and venules
2) Lymphatic vessels
3) Fluid in body cavities, which is known as transcoelomic spread

57
Q

What is cancer dormancy?

A

Dormancy is a stage in cancer progression where the cells cease dividing but survive in a quiescent state while waiting for appropriate environmental conditions to begin proliferation again

58
Q

What does the site of a secondary neoplasm depend on?

A

1) Regional drainage of blood, lymph or coelomic fluid

2) The seed and soil phenomenon

59
Q

What do carcinomas typically spread to first?

A

Lymph nodes

60
Q

What are common sites of blood borne metastasis?

A

Lung, bone, liver and brain

61
Q

Which neoplasms most frequently spread to bone?

A

Breast, bronchus, kidney, thyroid and prostate

62
Q

How do sarcomas tend to spread?

A

Via blood stream

63
Q

What is an example of a neoplasm that metastasise early in their course?

A

Small cell bronchial carcinoma

64
Q

What is an example of a neoplasm that almost never metastasises?

A

Basal cell carcinoma of the skin

65
Q

What is the likelihood of metastasis related to?

A

Size of primary neoplasm

66
Q

What are some local effects of neoplasms?

A

1) Direct invasion and destruction of normal tissue
2) Ulceration at surface leading to bleeding
3) Compression of adjacent structures
4) Blocking tubes and orifices

67
Q

What are some systemic effects of neoplasms?

A

Reduced appetite and weight loss (cachexia), malaise, immunosuppression, thrombosis