Confused about the use of the word "Differentiated"

chrisz · Regular Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 42

From what I understand, if the tissue that is taken durning biopsy is poorly differentiated, it is most likely cancer. In my mind, that makes the cells that are highly differentiated, more likely to be cancer. This seems to be the reverse to me. To me, highly differentiated means highly different.

Below is the results when you google define:differentiated :

Definitions of Differentiated on the Web:

Cells that maintain, in culture, all or much of the specialized structure and function typical of the cell type in vivo.
www.sivb.org/edu_terminology.asp

When a (partially) molten body has been divided into two or more fractions of dissimilar compositions. ...
meteorites.lpl.arizona.edu/glossary.html

basically, it means separated. A "differentiated pyroclastic flow" is a bed of volcanic ash which is not mixed in with its underlying material.
jeff.medkeff.com/astro/lunar/glossary.htm

made different (especially in the course of development) or shown to be different; "the differentiated markings of butterflies"; "the regionally ...
exhibiting biological specialization; adapted during development to a specific function or environment
wordnet.princeton.edu/perl/webwn

(of a cell, or tissue) That has taken on a specialized form and function
en.wiktionary.org/wiki/differentiated

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

To me, the last definition is high differentiated from the first, even though they both refer to cells.

Help me understand the difference. I like to be correct when I speak to my Udoc or post on this forum. I have already screwed up by calling prostate cancer cells differentiated from normal cells.

Chrisz

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1265

Hi,

Poorly differentiated cancer cells are more mutated and look less like normal cells than well differentiated cancer cells. Poor differentiation usually means the cancer is more aggressive. The upside is that they tend to respond to treatment better, but the downside is that they tend to come back faster and grow faster. This is for cancer cells. It doesn't sound like you have been given a cancer diagnosis yet.

I hope you don't have a cancer diagnosis, but this is how differentiation works.

My best to you,
PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

Replicant · Moderator Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 244

Hi Chris.

Check out:
http://www.phoenix5.org/grading.html

You can see that cells at the top end of the spectrum can be clearly viewed as individual cells--hence, they are highly differentiated. You can easily tell them apart. But at the bottom of the illustration, it's hard or impossible to tell where one ends and another begins. They're poorly differentiated.

I like this definition, from the National Cancer Institute:

Differentiation
In cancer, refers to how mature (developed) the cancer cells are in a tumor. Differentiated tumor cells resemble normal cells and tend to grow and spread at a slower rate than undifferentiated or poorly differentiated tumor cells, which lack the structure and function of normal cells and grow uncontrollably.
http://tinyurl.com/5ffmh3
_________________
Replicant

Dx Feb 2006, PSA 9 @age 43
RRP Apr 2006 - Gleason 3+4, T3a, N0M0, pos margins
PSA 5/06 <0.1, 8/06 0.2, 12/06 0.6, 1/07 0.7.
Salvage radiation (IMRT) total dose 70.2 Gy, Jan-Mar 2007@ age 44
PSA 6/07 0.1, 9/07 <0.1, 12/07 <0.1, 4/08 <0.1, 11/08 <0.1
http://pcabefore50.blogspot.com

chrisz · Regular Joined: 09 Apr 2007 Posts: 42

Thanks for the link Replicant ! You and PBJ are tops !

That website explains it very well. Also there appears to be loads of
other information there that I'll have to read later.

PBJ, no I haven't been diagnosed yet. PSA has been from 2.5 in
2004 to 8.2 in 2007 back to 2.5 this year; then back to 4.1 six months
later.

It seems like my PSA goes down after biopsy for awhile. I haven't heard
of that being common, and may it's just a coincidence for me.

Thanks Again,

Chrisz

brainman

Chris, I agree, it is kind of confusing Laughing

. The article that Replicant pointed you to does have a very good explanation. "Differentiation" and medicine and biology is talking about a very specific step in cell development and unless you have a firm understanding of that process it does sound reversed.
_________________
Jim
Site Administrator and long-term cancer survivor
1992 Astrocytoma grade 2, left motor strip
2005 Recurrence this time said to be an Oligodendoglioma grade 3, same location.
My Story Part 1: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?p=7350
My Story Part 2: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=8029
Blog http://jimhawkinsport.blogspot.com/

pbj11 · Site Admin Joined: 12 May 2007 Posts: 1265

Chris,

Well, let's hope that this isn't a cancer diagnosis, but please have hope if it turns out differently. I have a dear friend who had a very aggressive type of prostate cancer and he's doing just fine many years down the road.

God bless and keep us posted.

PBJ
_________________
Husband diagnosed with NSCLC Stage IV. (Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer) Fought & lived 2 1/2 years with multiple lines of treatment.

Post describing our battle: http://cancerforums.net/viewtopic.php?t=7026&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0

	Cancer Forums Forum Index -> Prostate Cancer Forum	All times are GMT - 5 Hours
Page 1 of 1

A website for discussions about any type of cancer, including lung cancer, breast cancer, mesothelioma, prostate cancer, laryngeal cancer, leukemia, lymphoma, multiple myeloma and others