Medicus, Vol. 10 No. 2_Maligni tumori, 2001.
Review article
Histological Characteristics of Malignant Tumours
Mara Dominis
Abstract
Almost all cancers originate from the malignant
transformation of a single cell - clonal origin of tumours.
However, the inherent genetic instability of malignant phenotype
influenced also by micro- and macroenviromental factors,
leads to subpopulations of malignant cells with diverse
biological characteristics and variations in their metastatic
potential - tumour heterogenesity. The tumour heterogenesity
has led to the concept that at each point in metastatic
process only the most viable cells survive. Therefore, the
metastatic process can be considered as a competition in
which a population of cells within the primary malignant
tumor ultimately prevails as a metastasis. Simple morphological
classification is based upon resemblance to parent tissue.
Benign tumours in general resemble cytologically, histologically
and very frequently functionally the parent tissue.
Furthermore many begnin tumours are circumscribed by connective
tissue capsule, however some are not (i. e. Polyps,
hepatic adenoma, etc). Nevertheless, the definition of benign
tumours is based in their inability to invade adjacent tissue
and to metastasize.
Keywords
tumour; cell; histology; cytology; characteristics
Hrčak ID:
19344
URI
Publication date:
15.11.2001.
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