Neoplasia: Learning Goals

Question 1

Define: Neoplasia

Answer 1

An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should.

Neoplasms may be benign (not cancer) or malignant (cancer).

Question 2

Define: tumour

Answer 2

“Swelling”. An abnormal mass of tissue that forms when cells grow and divide more than they should or do not die when they should.

Means neoplasia.

Question 3

Define: dysplasia

Answer 3

A term used to describe the presence of abnormal cells within a tissue or organ. Dysplasia is not cancer, but it may sometimes become cancer.

Question 4

Define: malignancy

Answer 4

A term for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and can invade nearby tissues. Malignant cells can also spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems.

Question 5

Define: in-situ

Answer 5

A condition in which abnormal cells that look like cancer cells under a microscope are found only in the place where they first formed and haven’t spread to nearby tissue.

Can still become spreadable.

Question 6

Define: metastasis

Answer 6

Cancer cells moving to another site. (ppt)

The spread of cancer cells from the place where they first formed to another part of the body.

In metastasis, cancer cells break away from the original (primary) tumor, travel through the blood or lymph system, and form a new tumor in other organs or tissues of the body.

Question 7

-sarc- meaning?

Answer 7

malignant and connective tissue (mesenchymal) cell of origin.

e.g. Fibrosarcoma, osteosarcoma.

Question 8

-carc- meaning?

Answer 8

malignant and epithelial cell of origin.

e.g. papillocarcinoma, cystadenocarcinoma (meaning cystic pattern)

Question 9

papill- meaning?

Answer 9

epithelial benign tumour: finger-like projections

Question 10

adeno- meaning?

Answer 10

Epithelial benign tumour: glandular

Question 11

cystadeno- meaning?

Answer 11

epithelial benign tumour: fluid-filled sac.

Question 12

-oma meaning?

Answer 12

A swelling or a tumour

Question 13

List the basic risk factors for the development of mutation & tumourgenesis.

Answer 13

Cells that are dividing have greatest chance of sustaining mutation

Epithelial cancers (carcinomas) increase in incidence with age. it takes many mutations to create a cancer cell, mutations are acquired over time.

Question 14

List the main differences between benign & malignant tumours. (4)

Answer 14

metastasis: none in benign, potentially in malignant.

benign is encapsulated, malignant infiltrative growth pattern

benign homogenous (uniformity of cells), malignant heterogeneous

benign well-differentiated, malignant either well-differentiated, poorly, or undifferentiated (anaplastic)

Question 15

List the 3 main routes of metastasis.

Answer 15

1. Blood (haematogenous)
2. Lymphatics (vessels & nodes)
3. Direct seeding (through/within body cavities)

Question 16

Understand the importance of early detection/the significance of metastatic disease.

Question 17

List 2 more differences between benign and malignant tumours

Answer 17

benign cytoplasmic ratio may be close to normal (1:4 or 1:6), malignant increased nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio (1:1).

benign slow growing with few mitotic figures, malignant fast growing, area of necrosis, many mitotic (dividing) cells.

Question 18

list common sites affected by metastasis

Answer 18

The most common sites for cancers to metastasize include the lungs, liver, bones and brain. Other places include the adrenal gland, lymph nodes, skin and other organs.

Sometimes, a metastasis will be found without a known primary cancer (point of origin).

Question 19

More than 90% of cancers are…

Answer 19

Carcinomas: cancers that form in epithelial tissues.

Question 20

autophagy is

Answer 20

self eating, causing cell shrinkage. response to reduced resources/removal of damaged organelles.

Question 21

with age, cells lose ability to undergo autophagy, so … occurs.

Answer 21

apoptosis

Question 22

carcinoma vs sarcoma?

Answer 22

A carcinoma forms in the skin or tissue cells that line the body’s internal organs, such as the kidneys and liver.

A sarcoma grows in the body’s connective tissue cells, which include fat, blood vessels, nerves, bones, muscles, deep skin tissues and cartilage.