Neoplasia — MCQs

A previously healthy 27-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 3-week history of anxiety, diarrhea, and a 4.1-kg (9-lb) weight loss. On questioning, he also reports that he noticed a painless mass on his left testicle 2 weeks ago. His pulse is 110/min and irregular and blood pressure is 150/70 mm Hg. Examination shows diaphoresis and a fine tremor of the outstretched fingers. Testicular examination shows a 3-cm, firm, nontender mass on the left scrotum that does not transilluminate. This patient's underlying condition is most likely to be associated with which of the following findings?

A 6-year-old boy is brought to the physician because of worsening headaches and a rash for 2 weeks. His mother reports that the rash started on his abdomen and diffusely spread to other areas. Over the past 2 months, he has had recurrent episodes of otitis media. Examination shows a diffuse, erythematous, papular rash involving the groin, abdomen, chest, and back. His cervical lymph nodes are palpable bilaterally. An x-ray of the skull shows well-defined lytic lesions of the left occipital bone and the mastoid bone. Electron microscopy of a biopsy of the patient's posterior cervical lymph nodes shows polygonal cells with organelles shaped like tennis rackets. The cells stain positive for S-100. Clonal proliferation of which of the following types of cells is most likely seen on microscopy?

A 67-year-old woman comes to the physician because of a 3-week history of fatigue and worsening back and abdominal pain. During this period, she has also had excessive night sweats and a 4.6-kg (10-lb) weight loss. She has had swelling of the neck for 3 days. She does not smoke or drink alcohol. Vital signs are within normal limits. Physical examination shows a 4-cm, supraclavicular, nontender, enlarged and fixed lymph node. The spleen is palpated 2 cm below the left costal margin. Laboratory studies show: Hemoglobin 10.4 g/dL Mean corpuscular volume 87 μm3 Leukocyte count 5,200/mm3 Platelet count 190,000/mm3 Serum Lactate dehydrogenase 310 U/L A CT scan of the thorax and abdomen shows massively enlarged paraaortic, axillary, mediastinal, and cervical lymph nodes. Histopathologic examination of an excised cervical lymph node shows lymphocytes with a high proliferative index that stain positive for CD20. Which of the following is the most likely diagnosis?

A 71-year-old woman comes to the physician with a 2-month history of fatigue, anorexia, abdominal swelling, shortness of breath, and a 5-kg (11-lb) weight loss. She appears chronically ill. Examination shows jaundice, bilateral temporalis muscle wasting, hepatosplenomegaly, and tense ascites. Ultrasonography of the abdomen shows multiple hepatic masses and enlargement of the portal vein. Which of the following is the most likely cause of these masses?

A 55-year-old woman comes to the physician with concerns about swelling and pain in her right breast. Physical examination shows erythema and prominent pitting of the hair follicles overlying the upper and lower outer quadrants of the right breast. There are no nipple changes or discharge. A core needle biopsy shows invasive carcinoma of the breast. Which of the following is the most likely explanation for this patient's skin findings?

A 25-year-old man presents with a mass on his neck. He says that he first noticed the mass a few weeks ago while taking a shower. Since then, the mass has not increased in size. He denies any pain or difficulty in swallowing. Past medical history is unremarkable. Family history is significant for his father who had his thyroid removed when he was around his age but doesn’t know why. Review of systems is significant for occasional episodes of anxiety that include a pounding headache, racing heart, and sweating. His vital signs include: pulse 88/min, blood pressure 133/87 mm Hg, temperature 37.2°C (99.0°F), and respiratory rate 14/min. He is 183 cm (6 ft 2 in) tall with long extremities. On physical examination, the patient appears cachectic. There is a palpable 4 cm x 4 cm nodule present on the left lobe of the thyroid. Which of the following is the most likely thyroid pathology in this patient?

A 65-year-old African-American man presents to your office with dysphagia. He reports that he has found it progressively more difficult to swallow food over the past year. At the time of presentation, he is able to eat only soup. Social history is significant for asbestos exposure, multiple daily drinks of hard alcohol, and a 70 pack-year smoking history. What would you most expect to see on an esophageal biopsy of this patient?

An 8-year-old girl is brought to the clinic by her parents for fever and easy bruising. Her parents report that the child has been bruising easily ever since an upper respiratory infection 3 months ago. For example, a bump into the table resulted in a large bruise on the side of her hip for a week. Three days ago, her mother noticed that the child felt warm and subsequently measured a temperature of 101.8°F (38.8°C) that did not respond to acetaminophen. The patient denies any chills, cough, rhinorrhea, pharyngitis, sick contacts, headache, or urinary symptoms. A physical examination demonstrates a nontender, firm, and rubbery node along her left neck and splenomegaly. Laboratory findings are shown below: Leukocyte count and differential: Leukocyte count: 19,000/mm³ Neutrophils: 39% Bands: 12% Eosinophils: 2% Basophils: 0.5% Lymphocytes: 40% Monocytes: 6.5% Hemoglobin: 9.7 g/dL Platelet count: 100,000/mm³ Mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration: 30% Mean corpuscular volume: 76 μm³ Reticulocyte count: 0.7% What cytogenetic abnormality would be most likely in this patient?

A 19-year-old man comes to the physician because of a 2-day history of blood-speckled stools and a protruding rectal mass. He has no abdominal pain, altered bowel habits, or fever. His mother has inflammatory bowel disease. His vital signs are within normal limits. Examination shows multiple, small, hyperpigmented maculae on the lips, buccal mucosa, palms, and soles. The abdomen is soft with no organomegaly. Rectal examination shows a 4-cm pedunculated polyp with superficial excoriations on the mucosa. A colonoscopy shows 14 polyps. A biopsy shows hamartomatous mucosal polyps. This patient's diagnosis is most likely?

A 42-year-old woman is seen by her primary care physician for her annual checkup. She has no current concerns and says that she has been healthy over the last year except for a bout of the flu in December. She has no significant past medical history and is not currently taking any medications. She has smoked 1 pack per day since she was 21 and drinks socially with her friends. Her family history is significant for prostate cancer in her dad when he was 51 years of age and ovarian cancer in her paternal aunt when she was 41 years of age. Physical exam reveals a firm, immobile, painless lump in the upper outer quadrant of her left breast as well as 2 smaller nodules in the lower quadrants of her right breast. Biopsy of these lesions shows small, atypical, glandular, duct-like cells with stellate morphology. Which of the following pathways is most likely abnormal in this patient?