Epithelial malignant tumours

Workshop 9
 Carcinomas
• They are malignant tumors derived from epithelial tissues.
• Histogenetic classification: two major categories:
 Epidermoid carcinoma with origin in:
 Epidermis
 Epidermoid mucosa
 Epidermoid metaplasia
 Adenocarcinoma with origin in the glandular epithelia of cavitary
organs and endocrine and exocrine parenchymas
• After degree of differentiation of the tumoral cells there are four
main types:
 Differentiated
 Moderate differentiated
 Poor differentiated
 Undifferentiated / anaplastic
 Anaplasia = total loss of differentiation
 Microscopy
• The morphology of cancerous cells
• Squamocellular or epidermoid carcinoma
• Basocellular carcinoma
• Differentiated adenocarcinoma of colon
• Metastasis of adenocarcinoma in lymph
node.
The morphology of cancerous cells

Cellular and nuclear abnormalities:

• Cellular and nuclear pleomorphism
• Various cellular and nuclear size
• The change of nucleo/cytoplasmic ratio (1/4
1/1)
• Nuclear hypercromasia
• Single or multiple nucleoli
• Atypical mitoses
 Keratinized
epidermoid
carcinoma – skin

• Is a malignant
tumor with
origin in
epidermis
• The tumor cells
destroy the
basal membrane
and infiltrate the
connective
tissue of the
dermis
Keratinized epidermoid
carcinoma – skin

• Islands of polygonal
atypical cells, that
resemble the stratum
spinosum of the
epidermis, are
separated by a
reduced connective
stroma
• By differentiation the
tumoral cells fill with
keratin disposed as
concentric lamellae
(keratin pearls)
Basocellular
carcinoma

•Is a particular form of

cutaneous carcinoma
• Origin: basal layer of
epidermis and
appendageal glands
• The tumor destroys
the basal membrane
and infiltrate the
connective tissue of
dermis
Basocellular
carcinoma
• The tumour is composed
by tumoral islands
separated by a reduced
stroma
•The tumoral islands are
composed from tumoral
cells
resembling with basal layer
cells having a characteristic
disposition:
 in palisade at the
periphery
 disordered appearance
in the center of the
tumoral islands
The tumor doesn’t
metastasize and is
radiosensitive
 Well differentiated
adenocarcinoma of colon

• The tumor origin

is in the glandular
epithelium of the
colon.
• The tumor
penetrates the
muscularis
mucosae and
infiltrates the
submucosa and
muscular layer.
 Well differentiated
adenocarcinoma of colon

• The tumor is
composed from:
 Tubular elements
separated by a
reduced stroma.
 The tumoral
glands are lined
by an atypical
epithelium
disposed on one
or multiple layers
with an irregular
lumen.
 Lymph node metastasis of
adenocarcinoma
• The tumoral cells,
reaching to the
lymph node by
lymphatic way,
colonize the
subcapsular sinus
and than invade
the entire lymph
node, where they
form tumoral
glands limited by
an atypical
epithelium.