NBME PATHOLOGY FINAL EXAM TEST
BANK | NEWEST ACTUAL EXAM
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+ | 100%
PASS | 2025 UPDATE!
Exceptions to the rule of how carcinomas spread: - ✔✔✔ Correct
Answer > Renal cell carcinoma (spreads via invasion of renal vein)
hepatocellular carcinoma (invades hepatic vein), follicular carcinoma of
the thyroid, choriocarcinoma, which both spread hematogenously also.
A benign tumor of the epithelium is a: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
adenoma, papilloma
Necrosis: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > Exogenous injury causes
enzymatic degradation and protein denaturation of a cell. IC
components extravasate. **There's an inflammatory process unlike
apoptosis**
Coagulative necrosis occurs in the: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > Caused
by ischemia or infarction typically. heart, liver, kidney. Occurs in tissues
supplied by end arteries. High cytoplasmic binding of acidophilic dye.
Proteins denature first followed by enzymatic degradation.
,Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > brain,
bacterial abscess and pleural effusion. Occurs in CNS because of high
fat content there. Unlike coag necrosis, enzymatic degradation due to
release of lysosomal enzymes occurs first.
A malignant tumor of epithelium is: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
adenocarcinoma, papillary carcinoma
A benign tumor of the blood vessels: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
hemangioma
Basic characteristics of a benign tumor: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
well-differentiated, no necrosis, well demarcated, no metastases, low
mitotic activity
Basic characteristics of a malignant tumor: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
may be poorly differentiated, erratic growth, locally invasive / diffuse,
may metastasize, low apoptosis
What's the mechanism behind low apoptosis in malignancies? - ✔✔✔
Correct Answer > upregulation of telomerase prevents shortening of
the telomeres and thus cell death.
,Cachexia: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > weight loss, muscle atrophy and
fatigue that occur in the setting of chronic disease (AIDS, cancer, heart
failure, TB). Mediated by TNF-alpha (called cachectin) IFN-gamma and
IL-6.
DISEASE -- CANCER Associations: Acanthosis nigricans
(hyperpigmentation and epithelial thickening) - ✔✔✔ Correct
Answer > visceral malignany (esp stomach)
A malignant tumor of blood vessels: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
angiosarcoma
CEA: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen. Very
nonspecific but produced by 70% of colorectal and pancreatic cancers;
also produced by gastric, breast and medullary thyroid carcinomas
PSA: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > prostate-specific antigen. Used to
follow prostate adenocarcinoma. Can also be elevated in BPH (benign
prostatic hyperplasia) and prostatitis. Questionable risk / benefit for
screening.
S-100: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > neural crest origin, ie melanomas,
neural tumors, schwannomas, langerhan's cell histiocytosis.
, TRAP: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > Tatrate-resistant acid phosphatase.
Hairy cell leukemia--a B cell neoplasm.
A malignant tumor of blood: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > leukemia,
lymphoma
A benign tumor of smooth muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
Leiomyoma
A malignant tumor of smooth muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
leiomyosarcoma
A benign tumor of striated muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
rhabdomyoma
A malignant tumor of striated muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
rhabdomyosarcoma
A benign tumor of connective tissue: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
fibroma
A malignant tumor of connective tissue: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
fibrosarcoma
BANK | NEWEST ACTUAL EXAM
COMPREHENSIVE QUESTIONS AND
VERIFIED ANSWERS GRADED A+ | 100%
PASS | 2025 UPDATE!
Exceptions to the rule of how carcinomas spread: - ✔✔✔ Correct
Answer > Renal cell carcinoma (spreads via invasion of renal vein)
hepatocellular carcinoma (invades hepatic vein), follicular carcinoma of
the thyroid, choriocarcinoma, which both spread hematogenously also.
A benign tumor of the epithelium is a: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
adenoma, papilloma
Necrosis: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > Exogenous injury causes
enzymatic degradation and protein denaturation of a cell. IC
components extravasate. **There's an inflammatory process unlike
apoptosis**
Coagulative necrosis occurs in the: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > Caused
by ischemia or infarction typically. heart, liver, kidney. Occurs in tissues
supplied by end arteries. High cytoplasmic binding of acidophilic dye.
Proteins denature first followed by enzymatic degradation.
,Liquefactive necrosis occurs in the: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > brain,
bacterial abscess and pleural effusion. Occurs in CNS because of high
fat content there. Unlike coag necrosis, enzymatic degradation due to
release of lysosomal enzymes occurs first.
A malignant tumor of epithelium is: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
adenocarcinoma, papillary carcinoma
A benign tumor of the blood vessels: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
hemangioma
Basic characteristics of a benign tumor: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
well-differentiated, no necrosis, well demarcated, no metastases, low
mitotic activity
Basic characteristics of a malignant tumor: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
may be poorly differentiated, erratic growth, locally invasive / diffuse,
may metastasize, low apoptosis
What's the mechanism behind low apoptosis in malignancies? - ✔✔✔
Correct Answer > upregulation of telomerase prevents shortening of
the telomeres and thus cell death.
,Cachexia: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > weight loss, muscle atrophy and
fatigue that occur in the setting of chronic disease (AIDS, cancer, heart
failure, TB). Mediated by TNF-alpha (called cachectin) IFN-gamma and
IL-6.
DISEASE -- CANCER Associations: Acanthosis nigricans
(hyperpigmentation and epithelial thickening) - ✔✔✔ Correct
Answer > visceral malignany (esp stomach)
A malignant tumor of blood vessels: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
angiosarcoma
CEA: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > CarcinoEmbryonic Antigen. Very
nonspecific but produced by 70% of colorectal and pancreatic cancers;
also produced by gastric, breast and medullary thyroid carcinomas
PSA: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > prostate-specific antigen. Used to
follow prostate adenocarcinoma. Can also be elevated in BPH (benign
prostatic hyperplasia) and prostatitis. Questionable risk / benefit for
screening.
S-100: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > neural crest origin, ie melanomas,
neural tumors, schwannomas, langerhan's cell histiocytosis.
, TRAP: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > Tatrate-resistant acid phosphatase.
Hairy cell leukemia--a B cell neoplasm.
A malignant tumor of blood: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer > leukemia,
lymphoma
A benign tumor of smooth muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
Leiomyoma
A malignant tumor of smooth muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
leiomyosarcoma
A benign tumor of striated muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
rhabdomyoma
A malignant tumor of striated muscle: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
rhabdomyosarcoma
A benign tumor of connective tissue: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
fibroma
A malignant tumor of connective tissue: - ✔✔✔ Correct Answer >
fibrosarcoma
