Pathological terms
- Atrophy
- Reduction in organ size due to a reduction in size of individual cells
- Occurs in immobility or nutritional deficiency
- Hyperplasia
- An increase in organ size due to cell proliferation
- Occurs with breast enlargement during pregancy
- Hypertrophy
- An increase in organ size due to increase in size of individual cells
- Occurs with ventricular hypertrophy due to aortic stenosis
- Metaplasia
- A change from one differentiated cell type to another
- Occurs with bronchial squamous metaplasia in response to smoking
- Barrett's oesophagus is also a metaplastic process
- Dysplasia
- Disordered cellular development
- Often pre-malignant
- Examples include cervical intra-epithelial neoplasia
Tumour markers
- The ideal tumour marker would
- Be present in the blood
- Be undetectable in health
- Be produced only by malignant tissue
- Be organ specific
- Would have circulating levels proportional to tumour mass
- The ideal does not exist
- Tumour markers can be used for
- Screening for primary disease
- Diagnosis of primary disease
- Monitoring response to treatment
- Establishing prognosis
- Detection of recurrence
Specific tumour markers
- CA-125 - ovary
- CEA - colon, pancreas, stomach
- PSA - prostate
- Alpha-fetoprotein - teratoma, hepatoma
- Beta-hCG - seminoma, choriocarcinoma
- CA19.9 - pancreas
- CA15.3 - breast
- CA 27.29 - breast
Bibliography
Labdenne P, Heikinheimo M. Clinical use of tumour markers in childhood malignancies. Ann
Med 2002; 34: 316-323.
Lamerz R. Role of tumour markers and cytogenetics. Ann Oncol 1999; 10 (Suppl 4):
S145-149
McDermott U, Longley D B, Johnston P G. Molecular and biochemical markers in colorectal
cancer. Ann Oncol 2002; 13 (Suppl4): S235-245.
Rhodes J M. Usefulness of novel tumour markers. Ann Oncol 1999; 10 (Suppl 4):
S118-121 |