Neoplasia

Question 1

what is neoplasia

Answer 1

new uncontrolled growth of cells that is not under physiologic control

Question 2

what is neoplasm

Answer 2

abnormal tissue mass that results in mitosis of cells more than usual, or that they should die but don’t

Question 3

what is a tumour

Answer 3

a lump which may not be neoplastic

Question 4

what is a granuloma

Answer 4

tiny cluster of white blood cells and other tissue that can be found in the lungs, head, skin & other body parts. not cancerous but a reaction to inflammation, irritation etc

Question 5

what is cancer

Answer 5

malignancy

Question 6

what is hyperplasia

Answer 6

increase in number of cells with normal cell morphology

Question 7

what is dysplasia

Answer 7

pre cancerous state characterised by increased cell proliferation and highly abnormal cell appearance

Question 8

what is metaplasia

Answer 8

conversion of one cell type to another including between tissue specific stem cells

Question 9

describe the cellular process to cancer

Answer 9

normal —> hyperplasia –> dysplasia –> cancer

Question 10

what is the diff between benign and malignant neoplasms

Answer 10

they are both tumours but malignant cells grow rapidly and uncontrollably. they can invade nearby tissues which benign do not

benign will also usually have capsules whereas malignant will have irregular surfaces

Question 11

what is carcinogenesis

Answer 11

malignant conversion between benign hyperplastic cells to a malignant state

Question 12

what is metastases

Answer 12

manifestation of further genetic and epigenetic changes

Question 13

what is metastasis

Answer 13

spread of cancer cells to other parts of the body

Question 14

what are systemic effects of neoplasia

Answer 14

cachexia
paraneoplastic syndromes

Question 15

what is cachexia

Answer 15

• complex metabolic syndrome
• loss of muscle mass and or loss of fat mass
• associated with anorexia, inflammatory process, insulin resistance, protein takeover
• caused by cytokines

Question 16

what is paraneoplastic syndrome

Answer 16

abnormal immune response to tumour with fever, skin, nervous dysfunction

Question 17

what are the neoplasia classifications

Answer 17

ectoderm = tissues on external body surfaces

mesoderm = GIT, heart, skeletal muscle, bone

endoderm = internal body surfaces

Question 18

what do benign tumour cells have in their suffix

Answer 18

-oma

lipoma, fibroma, papiloma

Question 19

what is a sarcoma & what types of tissue do they arise from

Answer 19

often metastasis of the lung

spread by blood

come from haematopoietic tissue like leukaemia & lymphoma

come from connective tissue like cartilage, fat, muscle, bone

Question 20

why is sarcoma common in growing infants and children

Answer 20

active mesenchymal tissues (cells that develop into connective tissue)

Question 21

what is carcinoma

Answer 21

most common form of cancer that usually spreads via the lymphatic system

Question 22

in what age group are carcinomas more comon

Answer 22

adults

Question 23

what cells are carcinomas derived from

Answer 23

epithelial e.g. skin cancer or glandular epithelium e.g. breast, lung

Question 24

what are some acquired capabilities of cancer

Answer 24

self sufficiency, insensitivity to growth, evasion of programmed cell death, limited replication potential, sustained angiogenesis, tissue invasion & metastasis

Question 25

how do tumour cells survive

Answer 25

- changes in metabolic pathways to meet their increased metabolic requirements - contain hypoxic cells - tumour angiogenesis e.g. network of blood vessels to supply nutrients

Question 26

what are some aetiologies

Answer 26

- genetic alterations - carcinogens - radiation - synthetic hormones - chronic inflammation - substances - hereditary (breast, bowel, stomach, prostate) - suppressor genes - oncogenes (gene mutations)

Question 27

what are the most common cancers in men (1-3)

Answer 27

1. prostate 2. lung 3. colon

Question 28

what are the most common cancers in women (1-3)

Answer 28

1. breast 2. lung 3. colon

Question 29

what are the key features of tumour diagnosis

Answer 29

- type (benign/malignant) - site (primary or not) - mets

Question 30

what factors affect therapy selection

Answer 30

- type of cancer - specific features of cancer cells - overall aggressiveness - primary site - potential for mets - therapy hazards - therapy success - patients history

Question 31

what cells need to be removed in order to eradicate a neoplasm

Answer 31

stem cells

Question 32

what treatment options are available

Answer 32

surgery radiation therapy to shrink tumours for resection chemotherapy immunotherapy

Question 33

what are the risks of cancer surgery

Answer 33

- pain - infection - damage/ loss of organ function - bleeding - blood clots - tumour fragments

Question 34

how does radiation therapy kill cancer cells

Answer 34

apoptosis cell response is highly oxygen dependent

Question 35

what is the purpose of radiation therapy

Answer 35

- cure - control - help other treatments - just relieve symptoms

Question 36

what is brachytherapy

Answer 36

radiation inside the body

Question 37

what is chemotherapy

Answer 37

drug treatment that uses powerful chemicals to kill or slow hyperplasia aims to remove a large proportion of cells so the body's natural immunity can handle the tumour

Question 38

what are the benefits of using chemo with other treatments

Answer 38

- shrink tumour - destroy cells - help other treatments work better - kill cells that have returned or spread

Question 39

what are acute chemo side effects

Answer 39

everything & constipation, easy bruising, bleeding, pain

Question 40

what are long lasting chemo side effects

Answer 40

- damage to lung tissue - heart problems - infertility - kidney problems - nerve damage - risk of second cancer

Question 41

what is immunotherapy

Answer 41

stimulation of the immune system to find and destroy cancer cells via substances made in the body or a laboratory to help the body

Question 42

what is tumour staging

Answer 42

size & spread

Question 43

what is tumour grading

Answer 43

appearance of cancer cells under a microscope

Question 44

how are staging & grading imaged

Answer 44

CT, PET-CT & MRI

Question 45

what is the number staging system

Answer 45

0 = in situ 1 = small no spread 2 = grown but not spread 3 = larger, some spread to surrounding tissues or lymphs 4 = spread to at least one other body organ e.g. metastasis or secondary

Question 46

TNM

Answer 46

T = tumour TX = cant be measured T0 = main tumour can't be found N = lymph N0 = no cancer in nearby lymphs M = metastasis M1 = spread to other parts

Question 47

what are the cancer grades

Answer 47

1 = resemble normal cells, no rapid growth 2 = don't look normal, growing faster than normal 3 = abnormal cells are growing faster than normal = poorly differentiated 4 = most abnormal looking cancer cells = undifferentiated