Neoplasia and Cancer Biology Practice Questions
20 free Neoplasia and Cancer Biology practice questions for the USMLE Step 1, each with the correct answer and a detailed explanation. Open any question below, or take the full set as an interactive quiz.
Questions
20 questions
All Neoplasia and Cancer Biology questions
- Q1. What is the defining feature that distinguishes a neoplasm from normal hyperplasia or metaplasia?
- Q2. Which of the following best differentiates benign tumors from malignant neoplasms on gross and microscopic pathology?
- Q3. Which statement about the genetic basis of cancer is most accurate?
- Q4. An activating point mutation in a proto-oncogene converts it into an oncogene. What is the usual effect of this change?
- Q5. Which hallmark of cancer reflects a tumor’s ability to stimulate formation of blood vessels to support its growth?
- Q6. Which of the following features is characteristic of anaplasia in malignant tumors?
- Q7. Which process describes the clonal evolution of neoplastic cells accumulating further mutations over time?
- Q8. Which of the following cell-intrinsic capabilities is NOT among the classical hallmarks of cancer as per Hanahan & Weinberg’s original model?
- Q9. The transition from a pre-malignant lesion to invasive cancer typically requires which additional capability acquired by tumor cells?
- Q10. Which classification system describes the extent of spread of a malignant tumor including size, lymph node involvement, and metastasis?
- Q11. Which of the following best describes a tumor suppressor gene’s normal function in non-neoplastic cells?
- Q12. Which phenomenon describes neoplastic cells acquiring the ability to divide indefinitely, avoiding normal replicative senescence?
- Q13. Which structural gene mutation is more likely to be inherited in familial cancer syndromes: an oncogene or a tumor suppressor gene, and why?
- Q14. Why are malignant neoplasms often genetically heterogeneous within the same tumor mass?
- Q15. Which of the following best explains how epigenetic changes (non-mutational) can contribute to cancer development?
- Q16. Which of the following is a major reason that metastasis is characteristic of malignant but not benign tumors?
- Q17. Which term best describes a neoplasm made of cells that resemble the normal tissue of origin and grow slowly, with minimal tendency to invade or metastasize?
- Q18. Which of these factors contributes to the genomic instability that facilitates cancer development?
- Q19. In histopathological grading of tumors, what does a high-grade tumor generally imply compared to a low-grade tumor?
- Q20. Which of the following is most likely to be a paraneoplastic syndrome rather than a direct effect of tumor mass or metastasis?