Quiz 3 Flashcards
What are the four general steps of tumor progression?
What is the common initial site of spread for a carcinoma?
regional lymphatics, to the regional lymph nodes
Hematogenous spread is more characteristic of what type of cancer?
sarcomas (some carcinomas also)
Which 4 carcinomas prefer hematogenous spread?
What type of metastisis is characteristic of ovarian carcinoma?
seeding of the body cavities “omental caking”
What is required for a dx of cancer?
biopsy or excision
Do benign or malignant tumors have a low nuclear to cytoplasmic ratio?
benign tumors
Do benign tumors ever metastasize?
Benign tumors never metastasize
What test is preferred to characterize malignant tumors that are difficult to classify on histology?
Immunohistochemistry
What are serum tumor markers?
Proteins released by tumors
What are three uses of measuring serum tumor markers?
-Screening (still requires tissue biopsy/excision for dx
-Monitoring reponse to treatment
-Monitoring recurrence
What is staging of cancer based on?
Size and spread
What is the key prognostic factor of cancer?
staging (NOT grade)
What does the TNM staging acronym stand for?
T- tumor size or DOI
N- spread to regional lympoh nodes (2nd most important)
M- metastasis (most important)
Define neoplasia:
uncontrolled autonomous growth of cells
Define anaplasia:
loss of differentiation
Define pleomorphism:
cells that look different from each other
What is the most common primary bone tumor?
Osteosarcoma
What is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in children?
Rhabdomyosarcoma
What are the two major groups of lung cancer?
Small cell (SCLC)
Non-small cell (NSCLC)
What is the difference between a neoplasm and a tumor?
a neoplasm is a new growth, and a tumor is a mass
What are the two histological components of a tumor?
parenchyma (malignant cells) and stroma (CT between cells)
How is a carcinoma defined?
A cancer arising from epithelial tissue
How is a sarcoma defined?
A cancer arising from solid tissue