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32 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
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Tumor |
Non-specific swelling |
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Neoplasm |
New growth -can be benign or malignant, malignant neoplasm = cancer |
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Concept: Clonality |
The concept that all neoplasms are derived from one cell -traced back to a single cell, h/w proliferation = slightly different with each division making it hard to treat for all cancer cells |
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Concept: Cancer is a molecular disease |
-caused by damage in dividing cells, can be inherited or acquired |
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Concept: Cancer as a mini evolution |
Each successive division of a cancerous cell results in more damage to the DNA -able to defeat human defense mechanism at each step |
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Cancer is the second leading cause of death in _________ ? |
Men > 40 years of age |
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Benign tumors |
-grow slowly -don't usually reach a large size -resemble organ of origin -do not spread to distant sites -usually do not kill |
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Malignant tumors |
-grow rapidly -may not resemble organ of origin -can spread to distant sites (distant metastasis) |
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What are defining features of cancer ulcers? |
1. non-healing 2. thick everted edges |
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As a new cancer is developing, it is ________ a. painless b.painful |
a. painless - as it grows h/w, it can rupture blood vessels = bleeding, develop pain in later stages |
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Paraneoplastic syndromes
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-systemic feature relatively specific to a neoplasm -ectopic hormone secretion by the tumor cells or an unknown mechanism -may be first sign of malignancy i.e finger clubbing --> lung cancer |
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What are some systemic features of cancer? |
-fever -anorexia -weight loss -night sweats |
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What are the 7 warning signs that a patient might have a neoplasm? |
C: change in bowel or bladder |
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Tumor Nomenclature |
1. Cell of origin 2. Benign vs malignant -benign are designated suffix "-oma' without sarc- or carc- -malignant: carcinomas, sarcomas, blastomas 3. Naked eye/microscopic acppearance |
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What are the differences between a benign and malignant tumor? |
1. Benign tumors are well-differentiated (resemble cell of origin closely) 2. minimal anaplasia in both 3. Malignant tumors have a rapid rate of growth 4. Malignant tumors are also invasive 5. Benign tumors do not exhibit metastasis |
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1. What is a high grade tumor and is it bad? |
A high grade tumor is one that is poorly differentiated and is harder to treat |
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2. Anaplasia |
-abnormal features in nuclei --> malignant is much more varied ranging from normal to bizzare -clinical importance: assessing small samples to make a diagnosis |
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3. Rate of growth |
Malignant grows faster than benign (usually) -clinical importance: fast rate of growth = shorter length of illness , can also cause necrosis (outgrow blood supply), chemotherapy targets rapid dividing cells (side effects - hair loss, bone marrow) |
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4. Local invasion |
benign remain localized, malignant invade Benign: -grow by pushing -firm, smooth, mobile -often encapsulated, spherical shape Malignant : -grow by invasion -irregular shape, no capsule -hard and locked in fixed position (collagen) |
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5. Metastasis |
definitive evidence of malignancy |
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How can malignant cells spread? |
-local infiltration
-seeding of body cavities -lymphatic spread -Hematogenous spread -iatrogenic spread |
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Local infiltration |
Paget's disease (breast) -extension into adjacent normal tissue |
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Lymphatic spread |
-spread along existing lymphatics to lymph nodes -usually for carcinomas |
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Hematogenous spread |
-usually for sarcomas -invasion of veins |
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Iatrogenic spread |
-failure to remove all of the melanoma during surgery -avoid cutting melanoma, completely exicsed
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What are the most common sites of metastatic spread? |
-lymph nodes -lung -brain -liver -bone |
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Methods of early diagnosis screening for cancer |
PAP smear -dysplasia: altered architecture and cellular abnormalities -check thickness of epithelium Mammography Checking high-risk patients |
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Prognosis factors |
Stage: How far has the tumor traveled or spread in the body Size: less than 2 cm = good Performance: How well can they carry out their daily activities -determines how well a patient will do given the diagnosis |
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What is the most important feature for predicting patient outcome when diagnosed with cancer? |
Stage of cancer |
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Identify some forms of cancer treatment |
Surgery Radiation Chemotherapy |
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Carcinogenesis |
How environmental and hereditary factors play a role in causing genetic changes |
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Which is the fastest growing human tumor? |
Burkitt's Lymphoma (doubling time of 1 day) |
