Pathology of cancer
Week 1
Neuplasm = abnormal and extensive autonomous growth of
tissue
- Derived from cells with a capacity to proliferate
- Stimuli responsible for uncontrolled proliferation may
not be identifiable
- Involvement of genes regulating cell growth, death or
repair
- Involvement of epigenetic factors
- May express varying degress of differentiation
Benign vs malignant tumors
- No invasion in adjacent tissue - Ability to invade in adjacent tissue
- No metastases - Ability to metastasize
Characteristics of benign tumors
- Usually well differentiated; resemble tissue of origin
- No infiltration in surrounding tissue, no metastases
- Disappear after resection
- No fatal outcome
o Anatomical position
o Excess hormone production
Characteristics of malignant tumors
- Do not resemble tissue of origin – cellular atypia
- Invasive growth
- Metastases
- Can regrow after resection
- Fatal outcome (without treatment)
Histologic diagnosis of malignancy
High degree of cellular atypia (anaplasia)
1. Variation in size and shape of cells an cell nuclei (pleomorphism)
2. Enlarged and hyperchromatic nuclei (clumped chromatin, prominent nucleoli)
3. Atypical mitosis
4. Bizarre cells (giant cells)
,High mitotic acitivity
Disorganized growth pattern (and often compromised blood supply)
Invasion into surrounding tissue
Metastases
Colon tumors – different degrees of differentiation
Tumor morphology
All tumors (benign and malignant) have 2 basic components:
1. Parenchyma (transformed or neuplastic cells)
a. Determines the behaviour of the tumor
2. Host derived non-neoplastic stroma (connective tissue, blood vessels and inflammatory cells)
a. Crucial to the growth of the neoplasm
CAF = cancer associated
fibroblast
MSC = mesenchymal stem cell
Cancer nomenclature – names of cancer
Location where the cancer originated (e.g. breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer)
- Even when metastasized to other parts of the body the cancer will keep its name
, Histological tissue type affected
- Epithelial origin
o Derived from ectoderm: epidermis, glands on skin
o Derived from endoderm: epithelial lining digestive tract, incl liver parenchyma,
epithelial lining respiratory tract, lungs, epithelium of bladder and urethra, glands
- Mesenchymal origin (embryonic connective tissue)
o Derived from mesoderm: muscle, bone, fat, cartilage
Some exceptions:
Leukemias: malignant neoplasm of hematopoietic cells (lymphoid or myeloid)
Lymphoma: malignant neuplasm of lymphoid cells/tissues
Glioma: Malignant tumor derived from non-neural supporting brain tissue
Melanoma: malignant tumor of the skin (melanocytes)
Tissue Benign Malignant
Connective tissue Fibroma fibrosarcoma
Adipose tissue Lipoma Liposarcoma
Bone Osteoma osteosarcoma
Cartilage Chondroma chondrosarcoma
Skeletal muscle Rhabdomyoma rhabdomyosarcoma
Squamous cell-epithelium Papilloma Squamous cell carcinoma
Smooth muscle Leiomyoma leiomyosarcoma
90% of human cancers are carcinomas, give 2 possible reasons:
Carcinoma heeft veel contact met de buitendwereld (UV en andere dingen) waardoor het sneller
malignent wordt
➔ Is ook veel differentiatie en dus meer kans op een fout
Angiogenesis is important for tumor growth
Week 1
Neuplasm = abnormal and extensive autonomous growth of
tissue
- Derived from cells with a capacity to proliferate
- Stimuli responsible for uncontrolled proliferation may
not be identifiable
- Involvement of genes regulating cell growth, death or
repair
- Involvement of epigenetic factors
- May express varying degress of differentiation
Benign vs malignant tumors
- No invasion in adjacent tissue - Ability to invade in adjacent tissue
- No metastases - Ability to metastasize
Characteristics of benign tumors
- Usually well differentiated; resemble tissue of origin
- No infiltration in surrounding tissue, no metastases
- Disappear after resection
- No fatal outcome
o Anatomical position
o Excess hormone production
Characteristics of malignant tumors
- Do not resemble tissue of origin – cellular atypia
- Invasive growth
- Metastases
- Can regrow after resection
- Fatal outcome (without treatment)
Histologic diagnosis of malignancy
High degree of cellular atypia (anaplasia)
1. Variation in size and shape of cells an cell nuclei (pleomorphism)
2. Enlarged and hyperchromatic nuclei (clumped chromatin, prominent nucleoli)
3. Atypical mitosis
4. Bizarre cells (giant cells)
,High mitotic acitivity
Disorganized growth pattern (and often compromised blood supply)
Invasion into surrounding tissue
Metastases
Colon tumors – different degrees of differentiation
Tumor morphology
All tumors (benign and malignant) have 2 basic components:
1. Parenchyma (transformed or neuplastic cells)
a. Determines the behaviour of the tumor
2. Host derived non-neoplastic stroma (connective tissue, blood vessels and inflammatory cells)
a. Crucial to the growth of the neoplasm
CAF = cancer associated
fibroblast
MSC = mesenchymal stem cell
Cancer nomenclature – names of cancer
Location where the cancer originated (e.g. breast cancer, lung cancer, skin cancer)
- Even when metastasized to other parts of the body the cancer will keep its name
, Histological tissue type affected
- Epithelial origin
o Derived from ectoderm: epidermis, glands on skin
o Derived from endoderm: epithelial lining digestive tract, incl liver parenchyma,
epithelial lining respiratory tract, lungs, epithelium of bladder and urethra, glands
- Mesenchymal origin (embryonic connective tissue)
o Derived from mesoderm: muscle, bone, fat, cartilage
Some exceptions:
Leukemias: malignant neoplasm of hematopoietic cells (lymphoid or myeloid)
Lymphoma: malignant neuplasm of lymphoid cells/tissues
Glioma: Malignant tumor derived from non-neural supporting brain tissue
Melanoma: malignant tumor of the skin (melanocytes)
Tissue Benign Malignant
Connective tissue Fibroma fibrosarcoma
Adipose tissue Lipoma Liposarcoma
Bone Osteoma osteosarcoma
Cartilage Chondroma chondrosarcoma
Skeletal muscle Rhabdomyoma rhabdomyosarcoma
Squamous cell-epithelium Papilloma Squamous cell carcinoma
Smooth muscle Leiomyoma leiomyosarcoma
90% of human cancers are carcinomas, give 2 possible reasons:
Carcinoma heeft veel contact met de buitendwereld (UV en andere dingen) waardoor het sneller
malignent wordt
➔ Is ook veel differentiatie en dus meer kans op een fout
Angiogenesis is important for tumor growth
