A physician takes a biopsy, or tissue sample, from the skin of a patient. Which observation of the cells in the tissue would support the conclusion that the patient has skin cancer?*
a. Many cells in the tissue sample appear identical to one another.
b. All of the cells are packed closely together.
c. Some of the cells were dead when the biopsy was obtained.
d. A group of cells appear larger and rounder than surrounding cells.
none
To determine whether a patient has skin cancer based on a biopsy, one would look for certain observations in the tissue sample. In this case, we want to identify the observation that supports the conclusion of skin cancer.
The correct answer to this question is d. A group of cells appear larger and rounder than surrounding cells. This observation is indicative of abnormal growth and can be a characteristic of cancer cells.
To understand why this answer supports the conclusion of skin cancer, it is important to have some background knowledge about cancer cells. Cancer cells often exhibit abnormal characteristics such as uncontrolled growth, changes in cell shape, and irregularities in cell size. In the case of skin cancer, this can manifest as a group of cells that appear larger and rounder than the surrounding cells.
Therefore, by examining the cells in the tissue sample, if a group of cells stands out as larger and rounder than the surrounding cells, it suggests the presence of abnormal cell growth, which can be an indication of skin cancer.