Cancer

Terminology in Neoplasia

What is hypertrophy?

Increase in cell size, leading to an increase in tissue/organ size.

What is hyperplasia?

Increase in the number of cells in a tissue or organ.

What is aplasia?

Failure of an organ or tissue to develop, or loss of cell production.

Characteristics of Tumors

What is a benign tumor?

A noncancerous growth; localized, slow-growing, does not spread (non-invasive).

What is a malignant tumor?

A cancerous growth; invasive, can metastasize (spread to distant sites), often grows rapidly.

What is a carcinoma?

Malignant tumor arising from epithelial tissue (e.g., skin, lining of organs).

What is a sarcoma?

Malignant tumor arising from connective tissue (e.g., bone, muscle, fat, cartilage).

Epidemiology of Cancer

What are host factors in cancer epidemiology?

Genetic predisposition, age, sex, immune status, and inherited mutations.

What are environmental and lifestyle factors in cancer epidemiology?

Carcinogen exposure (tobacco, radiation, chemicals), diet, infections, alcohol, physical activity.

Etiology of Cancer

What is the etiology of most cancers?

Neoplastic transformation — a process where normal cells undergo genetic mutations that disrupt growth control, leading to uncontrolled proliferation.

What typically causes neoplastic transformation?

Mutations in oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, or DNA repair genes → abnormal cell growth and survival.