One thought on “Q: Is the neoplastic tissue named after its originating cell type or the cell type it appears like?”
Excellent question.
Answer: Both and neither. In most instances the tumor is named after the cells it resembles the most.For example hepatocellular carcinoma is composed of cells that resemble normal liver cells.But there are many exceptions and it is doubtful that some of these similarities are accurate.For example a low a well differentiated brain tumor composed of cells resembling astrocytes is called astrocytoma.High grade malignancy is called glioblastoma.What is a glioblast? OGK (only God knows). A tumor of the testis is called seminoma.Does that mean it resembles SEMEN? (I doubt it!!) Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid has a fancy name even though it is derived from C cells and there is no medulla in the thyroid.
Synovial sarcoma does not originate from synovial cells and does not resemble normal cells lining the joint cavity.Uusually synovial sarcoma is not even related to the joint!!!
Before I confuse you completely it i still safe to assume that the tumor’s name reflects the cell type the tumor cells resemble to the most.Fibroma is composed of fibroblastast, lipoma of lipocytes(fat cells). All these tumors most likley originate from some connective tissue stem cells that differentiate into tumor cells resembling the cells they are named after.
Finally there are tumors that have eponymic names. These tumors are often of unknown origin. Ewing sarcoma does not originate from Ewing cell and does not resemble Ewing cell, since there is not such a cell!!
Excellent question.
Answer: Both and neither. In most instances the tumor is named after the cells it resembles the most.For example hepatocellular carcinoma is composed of cells that resemble normal liver cells.But there are many exceptions and it is doubtful that some of these similarities are accurate.For example a low a well differentiated brain tumor composed of cells resembling astrocytes is called astrocytoma.High grade malignancy is called glioblastoma.What is a glioblast? OGK (only God knows). A tumor of the testis is called seminoma.Does that mean it resembles SEMEN? (I doubt it!!) Medullary carcinoma of the thyroid has a fancy name even though it is derived from C cells and there is no medulla in the thyroid.
Synovial sarcoma does not originate from synovial cells and does not resemble normal cells lining the joint cavity.Uusually synovial sarcoma is not even related to the joint!!!
Before I confuse you completely it i still safe to assume that the tumor’s name reflects the cell type the tumor cells resemble to the most.Fibroma is composed of fibroblastast, lipoma of lipocytes(fat cells). All these tumors most likley originate from some connective tissue stem cells that differentiate into tumor cells resembling the cells they are named after.
Finally there are tumors that have eponymic names. These tumors are often of unknown origin. Ewing sarcoma does not originate from Ewing cell and does not resemble Ewing cell, since there is not such a cell!!