NEOPLASIA

 I   Neoplasia

            A.  General description

            B.  Benign vs. Malignant

                        1.  growth rate and pattern

                                    a.  “contact inhibition”

                        2.  differentiation

                                    a.  anaplasia

                        3.  spread

                                    a.  encapsulated vs. metastases

                        4.  damage

                        5.  diagnosis complexity

            C.  Tumor behaviors

                        1.  growth rates

                                    a.  generation time vs doubling time

                        2.  invasion

                                    a.  factors

                                    b.  least resistance

                        3.  metastases  

                                    a.  primary and secondary sites

                                    b.  embolism

                                    c.  pathways

                                                1.  hematogenic

                                                2.  lymphatic

                                                3.  body cavities

                                                4.  iatrogenic metastasis

                        4.  secondary growth

                                    a.  sites

                                    b.  establishment

            D. Tumor effects

                        1.  products

                        2.  compression and obstruction

                        3.  infection

                        4.  anemia

                        5.  pain

                        6.  cachexia

                        7.  hormonal

                        8.  paraneoplastic syndromes

            E.  Tumor nomenclature

                        1.  benign tumors

                        2. malignant tumors

            F.  Oncogenesis

                        1.  oncogenes

                        2.  tumor suppressor genes

                        3.  cellular control

                        4.  environmental carcinogens

                                    a.  physical

                                    b.  viruses

                                    c.  chemicals    

                        5.  heredity   

    When you have finished studying this material, you should be able to:
                - define neoplasia, differentiation, “contact inhibition”, anaplasia,  metastases
                - distinguish between dysplasia and neoplasia
                - compare and contrast the growth pattern of a benign tumor to a malignant tumor
                - describe and compare cell differentiation in benign tumors with differentiation in malignant tumors

                - discuss some of the changes in cells which become anaplastic

                - contrast the spreading of benign vs malignant tumors

                - explain why the damage done by a benign tumor is likely to be less than the damage done by a malignant tumor

                -  explain why a tumor's generation time and doubling time are not the same thing

                -  discuss malignant cells use of enzymatic degradation

                -  define chemotaxin, autocrine motility factors

                -  list the types of chemotaxins which attract tumor cells

                -  identify vessels that are most easily breached by tumor cells and explain why

                -  explain why the lungs are common secondary sites for tumor growth   (name some of the vessels)

                -  explain why the liver is often a secondary site for tumor growth  (name some of the vessels)

                -  describe route metastases from primarylung tumors take and the most likely secondary sites for these tumor cells

                -  describe the structure and function of a lymph node

                -  explain why a lymph node can actually promote metastasis

                -  identify a sentinel lymph node and explain its significance in cancer treatment

                -  define iatrogenic metastasis, angiogenesis, VEGF

                -  state likely secondary sites for metastases from prostate, thyroid and kidney tumors

                -  describe the sequence of events that must occur for an embolus of tumor cells to establish a secondary site

                -  compare tumor products from benign tumors vs malignant tumors

                -  list three possible effects of tumors that compress surrounding tissues

                -  explain the connection between colorectal cancer and blood in the stool

                -  explain why infections are often seen when tumors are present

                -  discuss the connections between anemia and liver tumors

                -  discuss other ways tumor growth may cause anemia

                -  define cachexia, ectopic secretion, paraneoplastic syndrome

                -  contrast the naming of benign tumors and the naming of malignant  tumors

                -  compare and contrast between carcinoma, sarcoma, and leukemia

                -  define oncogenesis, oncogenes, proto-oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes

                -  explain the role of gene P53 and its protein product

                -  list the three normal cellular mechanisms used to keep cell division under control 

                -  discuss the development of cancer, initiation and promotion

                -  identify several tumors suspected to be caused by a virus

                -  explain why viruses are suspected carcinogens  

                -  give an example of a tumor resulting from a genetic defect             

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