ONCOLOGY

Oncology is the study of tumours. A tumour is an abnormal swelling, which consists of dividing cells that appear to be out of control. There are two types of tumours:

(i) A benign tumour is one that does not infiltrate or metastasise and is unlikely to recur once removed. Benign tumours are usually surrounded by a fibrous capsule and are described as encapsulated. These tumours are usually insitu, meaning they are restricted to the area they started growing and do not invade neighbouring tissue and they do not threaten life.

(ii) A malignant tumour is invasive and destroys the tissues it invades. It can spread to neighbouring tissues and to more distant sites through the blood and the lymphatic systems. If a tumour spreads it is said to be metastatic and the spread to other tissues is called metastasis (plural metastases) or secondaries. The original tumour site is called the primary tumour. Malignant tumours are also referred to as cancers or carcinomas.

Term or word part / Combining form / Meaning
Carcin / Carcin/o / Malignant tumour/cancer
Hist / Hist/o / Tissue
Onc / Onc/o / Tumour / mass
Papill / Papill/o / Nipple-like / optic disc
Sarc / Sarc/o / Fleshy growth / fleshy connective tissue
Sarcoma / Sarcomat/o / Sarcoma, malignant tumour
-cele / Hernia / swelling / protrusion
-oma / Tumour
-plasia / Condition of growth/formation (increase in number of cells)
Epithelial tissue / Outer layer of skin and lines hollow organs, except blood and lymph vessels

The process of tumour formation is also known as neoplasia. The suffix –oma used by itself in combination with a tissue type, indicates a benign tumour eg, osteoma – benign bone tumour. Malignant tumours are also designated by –oma but they are usually preceded by the word malignant.

Treatment for tumours is either by one or all of the following:

1.  Surgery where the tumour and affected tissues are removed

2.  Chemotherapy is the treatment of disease using chemicals. Drugs are given to try to shrink or destroy the tumour. Side effects of chemotherapy may include nausea and alopecia or hair loss.

3.  Radiotherapy is the treatment of disease using ionising radiation. If the tumour tissue is radiosensitive it will be reduced or destroyed by the radiation. If it is radioresistant it will not be affected by the radiation. If a tumour is destroyed by radiotherapy it is said to be radio curable.

Activity 1

Build words which mean

1.  Formation of a tumour

2.  Person who specialises in the study and treatment of tumours

Write the meaning of:

3.  carcinogenic

4.  chondrosarcoma

5.  meningeal sarcoma

6.  haemangiosarcoma

Abbreviations

BCC / Basal cell carcinoma
Bx / Biopsy
Ca / Cancer / carcinoma
CIS / Carcinoma in situ
FS / Frozen section
KS / Kaposi's sarcoma (found in terminal stages of diseases such as AIDS)
N / Nodes
N1, N2, N3, N4 / Defines the number of lymph nodes that have been invaded.
Eg. N1 = tumour has spread to one lymph node draining the area.
M / Metastases
M1, M2, M3, M4 / Indicates presence or absence of metastases and the degree and extent.
SCC / Squamous cell carcinoma
SM / Simple mastectomy
T / Tumour
T0 / No evidence of primary tumour
TIS / Tumour in situ
T1, T2, T3, T4 / Categorizes the primary tumour and its size. Eg t2 = primary tumour is large and has spread to deeper structures.

Neoplasms (new growths) malignant and benign:

Basal cell carcinoma
(bcc) / Commonest form of skin cancer, internal layer of skin, malignant. Slow growing
Malignant melanoma
(mm) / Highly malignant tumour usually occurring in skin, but also found in the eye and mucous membranes
Myeloma / Malignant disease of the bone marrow
Naevus / Birthmark, mole etc. (benign)
Neoplasm / Any new or abnormal growth, benign or malignant
Neoplasm - benign / Not invasive or metastatic
Neoplasm - invasive / Infiltrates and destroys surrounding tissue
Neoplasm - metastatic / Capable of secondary growth distant from primary tumour
Papilloma / Benign nipple like growth on the skin
Poly- / Many / much
Sarcoma / Cancer of the connective tissue, bone fat, muscle, blood and cartilage
Squamous cell carcinoma (scc) - / Malignant tumour, upper layer of skin
Staging / The extent of malignant disease defined by categories.
Staging defines the size of tumour, its growth and progression at any one point

Conditions and Terms:

Anaplasia / Loss of normal cell characteristics (usually tumour)
Benign tumour / Noninvasive tumour, not life threatening
Cachexia / Is term used to describe someone in the late stages of chronic disease especially cancer. The patient is weak, very thin, the eyes are sunken, the skin yellowish and pale. A progressive state of malnutrition: emaciation
Cancer / Malignant tumour, carcinoma, sarcoma
Carcinogen / Is a substance that stimulates the formation of a malignant tumour.
Carcinoma / Is a malignant tumour of epithelial origin.
Carcinoma in situ (CIS) / Carcinoma that has not spread from its original anatomical location, primary site
Encapsulated / Enclosed in a capsule or sheath
Erythroplasia / Red patches that may signal a malignant change in mucous membrane
Extracapsular / Outside of the capsule
Fungating tumours / Grow rapidly and produce fungus-like growths. These often occur in the late stages of malignant tumours.
Hodgkin's disease / Malignant disease of lymphatic tissues
Leukoplakia / White patches that may signal a malignant change in mucous membrane
Malignant tumour / Invasive tumour, life threatening
Metastasis (metastases - plural) / Secondary site, the distant spread of malignant tumours via the blood or lymphatic system or across body cavities (spread of original tumour)
Papillary / Nipple like or wart like projection of cells
Polyp / A tumour of the mucous membrane. Polyps are usually pre-malignant that is, they are likely to become malignant if left to grow.
Primary tumour / Original tumour
Remission / Subsidence of symptoms of a disease for a long time
Sarcoma / Is a malignant tumour of the connective tissue cells that can affect lymph nodes, skin, liver, spleen, heart, lungs, muscle or bones.

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