Which of the following statement is Correct about malignant tumor?

KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018

Pathology & Genetics

Easy

Appeared in: KPSC Staff Nurse - 2018

Explanation

The defining characteristic of a malignant tumor is its ability to invade and destroy surrounding tissues.
This invasiveness allows cancer cells to breach anatomical barriers, such as basement membranes, and infiltrate adjacent organs.
Unlike benign tumors that grow by expansion and are often encapsulated, malignant tumors have irregular, crab-like extensions into neighboring tissues.
This property, along with metastasis, is the most reliable feature distinguishing malignant from benign neoplasms.

Option A: This statement is the opposite of what occurs. Malignant tumors are characterized by uncontrolled, rapid, and continuous cell division. They do not stop dividing prematurely; instead, they evade the normal signals that control cell growth and death.
Option C: This statement describes a benign tumor. Benign tumors are typically encapsulated and remain localized to their site of origin, growing by expansion without invading surrounding tissues.
Option D: While it is true that malignant tumors have defective cell communication (e.g., loss of contact inhibition), this is a cellular mechanism contributing to their behavior. The statement about invading surrounding tissues is a more direct, defining, and clinically significant characteristic of malignancy.

Clinical Relevance

Nursing practice connection: This is primarily an exam-oriented knowledge point with limited direct bedside application, so retain Characteristics of Malignant Tumors as background academic context rather than a clinical decision trigger.
Understanding that malignant tumors invade locally is critical for nurses. It explains why symptoms like pain, bleeding, or organ dysfunction occur as the tumor presses on or destroys nearby structures.
Nurses must monitor patients for signs of both local invasion (e.g., a palpable mass becoming fixed to underlying tissue) and distant metastasis (e.g., new onset of bone pain, cough, or jaundice).
This knowledge is fundamental to patient education about cancer staging, treatment goals (curative vs. palliative), and the rationale for surgical margins (removing a border of healthy tissue around a tumor).

How to Approach the Question

First, identify the core subject of the question: the characteristics of a 'malignant tumor'.
The question asks for the 'Correct' statement. This means you need to evaluate each option for its factual accuracy regarding malignancy.
Recall the fundamental differences between benign and malignant tumors. The key distinctions are often referred to as the 'hallmarks of cancer'.
Analyze each option: 'stops dividing' (incorrect, they have uncontrolled growth), 'invades' (correct, a key hallmark), 'remains localized' (incorrect, describes benign), 'defective communication' (true, but is it the best description?).
Compare the correct statements. While defective communication is a feature, invasion is the most defining and clinically significant characteristic listed that separates malignant from benign growths. Select the most complete and defining answer.

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