Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Y2 MECHANISMS OF DISEASE > Characteristics of Tumours > Flashcards

Characteristics of Tumours Flashcards

1
Q

What is the definition of tumour?

A

a swelling or mass of any kind

(it is not specific to cancer or neoplastic processes - the swelling in inflammation is referred to as ‘tumour’)

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

What is the definition of neoplasia?

A

new, uncontrolled growth of cells that is not under physiological control

it can be benign or malignant

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

What is the definition of cancer?

A

a generic term for a large group of diseases characterised by the growth of abnormal cells beyond their usual boundaries that can then invade** adjoining parts of the body and/or **spread to other organs

this is a malignant neoplasia

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

What are the 8 hallmarks of cancer?

A
  1. sustaining proliferative signalling
  2. evading growth suppressors
  3. avoiding immune destruction
  4. enabling replicative immortality
  5. activating invasion and metastasis
  6. inducing angiogenesis
  7. resisting cell death
  8. deregulating cellular energetics
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How are cancer cells able to replicate infinitely without dying?

A

Normal cells have telomeres

The length of the telomere determines how many times the cell can divide before it dies

Cancer cells keep their telomeres long forever so that they can continue dividing

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

What is meant by ‘inducing angiogenesis’?

A

cancer cells can form new blood vessels so that they have a constant supply of oxygen and nutrients

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

What is meant by ‘deregulating cellular energetics’?

A

cancer cells are able to switch around metabolism in the body to maximise the amount of energy they receive compared to waht is available

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

What are the 2 reasons why mutations that lead to cancefr may occur?

A
  1. environmental factors can cause mutations
  2. inherited genetic mutations
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

How does a mutation turn a cell cancerous?

A

each mutation helps the cell to acquire one of the hallmarks of cancer

the mutations accumulate until the cell becomes malignant

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

What are 3 common mutated genes involved in cancer syndromes?

A

p53, BRCA1 and retinoblastoma

these are tumour suppressor genes

a mutation in any of these genes can contribute to cancer

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

What is the definition of embryological histogenesis?

A

the formation of differentiated tissues from undifferentiated endoderm, ectoderm and mesoderm cells

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

What types of cell are typically formed from endoderm?

A
  1. lung cells (alveolar cells)
  2. thyroid cells
  3. digestive cells (pancreatic cells)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What types of cell are typically formed from mesoderm?

A
  1. cardiac muscle cells
  2. skeletal muscle cells
  3. tubule cells of the kidney
  4. red blood cells
  5. smooth muscle cells in the gut
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What types of cells are typically formed from ectoderm?

A
  1. skin cells of epidermis
  2. neurone on brain
  3. pigment cells
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is meant by tumour histogenesis?

A

tumours are named according to the tissues from which they arise

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

Where do carcinomas, sarcomas and melanomas arise from?

A

carcinoma:

arises from epithelial lining of the digestive tract

sarcoma:

arises from smooth muscle cells

melanoma:

arises from pigment cells

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

What is the definition of ‘differentiation’?

A

the extent to which a neoplasm resembles its tissue of origin

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

In terms of differentiation, what are the 3 ways in which a neoplasm could be described?

A

well-differentiated:

neoplasm closely resembles tissue of origin

moderately-differentiated:

neoplasm shows some resemblance to tissue of origin

poorly-differentiated:

neoplasm does NOT resemble tissue of origin

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

How well differentiated are the following images?

What is significant about a well-differentiated tumour?

A

the more well-differentiated tumour makes a lot of keratin

well-differentiated tumours tend to be less aggressive

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

What is the definition of anaplasia?

A

a neoplasm that is poorly differentiated and highly pleomorphic

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

What is meant by pleomorphic?

What is significant about an anaplastic tumour?

A

pleomorphic describes variation in cell size and shape

an anaplastic tumour is very aggressive and spreads rapidly

there are no clues as to which tissue it has come from as it is so poorly differentiated

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

What is one of the most common anaplastic tumours?

What is the main risk associated with this?

A

anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

it compresses the airway and leads to problems with breathing

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

What type of tumour is this?

A

anaplastic

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

What cancers in the UK have the highest female incidence?

A

breast, lung and bowel

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

What types of skin cancers are shown?

A

basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas are non-melanoma skin cancers

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

Why are non-melanoma skin cancers excluded from cancer statistics even though they are common?

A

they represent <1% of cancer deaths

even though they are very common, very rarely does anyone die from them

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

What cancers had the highest female mortality in the UK?

A

lung, breast and bowel

lung cancers cause more deaths as they tend to be more aggressive and have a poorer prognosis

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

Which cancers have the highest male incidence in the UK?

A
  1. prostate
  2. lung
  3. bowel
29
Q

What cancers have the highest male mortality in the UK?

A

lung, prostate and bowel

30
Q

Why is liver cancer the most common cancer in parts of Africa?

A

due to an increased incidence of hepatitis virus

aflatoxins made by a fungus can invade crops, reach the liver and contribute to cancer

31
Q

Why is Kaposi sarcoma the most common cancer in some parts of africa?

A

due to an increased incidence in HIV

32
Q

Why is lip/oral cancer the most common cancer in parts of Asia?

A

due to chewing tobacco and the betel nut, which contains carcinogens

33
Q

Why is cervical cancer the most common cancer amongst females in some countries?

A

this is associated with an increased incidence of HIV

HIV lowers the immune system, meaning that the body is less able to clear the HPV virus

Being unable to clear the virus increases risk of developing cervical cancer

34
Q

What are the top 5 cancers in women with the highest mortality?

How is this measured?

A
  1. pancreas
  2. liver
  3. mesothelioma
  4. lung
  5. oesophagus

it is measured as predicted five year survival rate (%) for women diagnosed today

35
Q

What are the top 5 cancers in men with the highest % mortality?

A
  1. pancreas
  2. mesothelioma
  3. lung
  4. liver
  5. oesophagus
36
Q

How do benign and malignant tumours vary in their ability to invade?

A

benign:
neoplasm does NOT invade surrounding tissues

malignant:

neoplasm DOES invade surrounding tissues

37
Q

How do benign and maligant tumours vary in their ability to metastasise?

A

benign:

do not metastasise

malignant:

not all malignant tumours metastasise, but they all have the capacity to

they metastasise by 3 methods:

  1. lymphatic
  2. haematogenous
  3. direct seeding
38
Q

How do malignant tumours metastasise lymphatically?

A

they invade into the lymphatic vessels which drain into the lymph nodes

39
Q

How do malignant tumours metastasise by haematogenous means?

A

this is spreading via the blood

the next capillary bed through which blood flows is where the tumour will spread to

40
Q

How do malignant tumours metastasise through direct seeding?

A

this occurs when the tumour grows beyond the boundaries of the organ it is in and into a body cavity

41
Q

How do the rates of growth differ in benign and maligant tumours?

A

benign:

slow rate of growth

malignant:

fast rate of growth as cell division exceeds cell death

42
Q

How does the extent of differentiation vary in benign and malignant tumours?

A

benign:

usually well differentiated

malignant:

can be anything from well to moderate to poorly differentiated or anaplastic

43
Q

How does the prognosis of benign and malignant tumours vary?

A

benign:

these are rarely fatal unless in the intercranial cavity

the tumour may grow and compress the brain

malignant:

these are often fatal

44
Q

Why are some benign tumours removed and others are not?

A

some benign tumours can undergo changes and become malignant

tumours in different locations have different capacities at doing this

45
Q

What are the 3 categories of tumour complications?

A
  1. effects of the primary tumour
  2. effects of the distant metastases
  3. paraneoplastic syndromes
46
Q

What complication due to an effect of a primary tumour is shown here?

A

a tumour can invade into and replace normal tissues/organs

this leads to failure of that organ to function

the liver and bone marrow are most commonly implicated

47
Q

How can primary tumours cause complications through pressure?

Which area is particularly vulnerable to this?

A

pressure on normal tissues from the tumour can lead to a failure of that organ to function

this is usually within the intercranial cavity

pressure on the brain causes it to stop functioning

48
Q

How can an effect of the primary tumour affect local blood vessels?

A

the tumour can invade into blood vessels and cause bleeding

the tumour can put pressure on blood vessels and compress them, leading to ischaemia as any structure distal to the compression is not receiving oxygen

49
Q

How can an effect of a primary tumour involve nerves?

A

pressure or invasion into nerves leads to loss of nerve function and pain

50
Q

What happens if a primary tumour grows into a lumen?

A

this leads to obstruction

e.g. pancreatic cancers can block the bile duct, leading to the pateitn developing jaundice

51
Q

What is meant by a fumigating tumour?

A

a tumour that can ulcerate through the skin

this is prone to infection and bleeding

this is an effect of a primary tumour

52
Q

What is meant by ‘effects of distant metastases’?

A

when a cancer spreads to different parts of the body, forming new (secondary) tumours

53
Q

What types of tumour complications are caused by the effects of distant metastases?

A

all the same complications that can be caused by a primary tumour, but in the site at which the tumour has spread to

54
Q

What is meant by a paraneoplastic syndrome?

A

signs and symptoms that are NOT related to the local effects of the primary or metastatic tumours

55
Q

Why do paraneoplastic syndromes develop?

A

they develop as a result of either:

  1. proteins/hormones secreted by tumour cells
  2. immune cross reactivity between tumour cells and normal tissues
56
Q

What is cachexia?

What causes it?

A

cachexia is wasting away through loss of muscle and fat mass

this is due to a tumour changing the metabolism of the body so that the tumour cells consume all the energy available

this is a paraneoplastic syndrome

57
Q

How may Cushing’s syndrome develop as a paraneoplastic syndrome?

A

if a tumour secretes ACTH or cortisol

58
Q

What happens in Lambert Eaton Myasthenic Syndrome?

How is it an example of a paraneoplastic syndrome?

A
  1. proteins made by tumour cells are mutating and forming new proteins that the body does not recognise
  2. the abnormal protein may look like something in the CNS
  3. the body recognises the abnormal protein and makes antibodies against it
  4. as the protein looks similar, the body accidentally attacks the CNS and causes symptoms in the brain

This is immune cross-reactivity

59
Q

What is the definition of stroma?

A

cells that support the parenchyma

60
Q

What is the parenchyma?

A

ORGAN = PARENCHYMA + STROMA

cells that perform the actual function of an organ

e.g. pneumocytes in the lungs that perform gas exchange

61
Q

What is shown by the green lines?

A

parenchyma in the bowel

these cells are producing mucin and absorbing fluid from stool

62
Q

What is shown by the orange lines?

A

stroma

these are all the other cells in between the parenchyma

63
Q

What are the 3 main cell types contained within the stroma?

A

blood vessels:

these supply oxygen and nutrients

fibroblasts (& collagen they make):
these act as a support structure

immune cells:

these prevent infection and repair tissue damage

64
Q

What is shown by the blue line?

A

tumour

65
Q

What is shown by the orange line?

A

tumour stroma

this is also known as desmoplastic stroma

66
Q

What cells are found in tumour stroma?

A

tumour stroma is composed of the same cells as normal stroma, but the stromal cells have different fuctions

67
Q

What is the role of tumour stroma?

A

stromal cells help the cancer cell acheive the 8 hallmarks of cancer

they help the cell do everything it needs to become malignant

68
Q

What is meant by transcoelomic spread of tumour cells?

A

spread of tumour cells through the body wall into the abdominal and chest cavities

Y2 MECHANISMS OF DISEASE (36 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions