1. Chest p56-63 (Lung Cancer, Other Tumours) Flashcards
Solitary pulmonary nodule - definition (3)
Round or oval lesion <cm in diameter (>3cm = mass).
Surrounded by normal lung parenchyma.
No associated adenopathy or pleural effusion.
Classic benign calcification patterns (4)
Solid/diffuse.
Laminated.
Central.
Popcorn.
Benign pulmonary nodule features (3)
Presence of fat.
Rapid doubling time (<1 month).
Slow doubling time (>16 months)
Suspicious pulmonary nodule features (3)
Spiculated margins (corona Radiata sign).
Air bronchograms through the nodule (usually adenocarcinoma in situ).
Part solid/part ground glass lesions.
Solid vs ground glass nodules - suspicion (3)
Part solid/part ground glass is most sus.
Only ground glass is intermediate.
Totally solid is least sus.
when to use PET for SPNs
Can be used for SPNs >1cm.
Hot on PET - DDx (2)
Cancer is supposed to be hot (SUV > 2.5).
Infectious or granulomatous nodules can also be hot.
Ground glass nodules - PET findings (2)
Cold suggests cancer.
Hot suggests infection.
Lung cancer risk factors (5)
Being >30YO,
Exposure to arsenic, nickel, asbestos, chromium, beryllium, radon),
Lung fibrosis,
COPD,
FHx
Lung cancer - Types (4)
Squamous,
Small cell,
Large cell,
Adenocarcinoma
Squamous cell Ca - features (5)
Usually centrally located.
Strong smoking association.
Cavitation is common.
Ectopic PTH production.
Good prognosis, late to metastasize
Small cell Ca - features (5)
Usually central (common near main/lobar bronchi).
May only get central lymphadenopathy.
Paraneoplastic syndromes - SIADH and ectopic ACTH.
Poor prognosis.
Lambert Eaton - proximal weakness due to abnormal acetylcholine release at NMJ
Large cell Ca - features (2)
Peripheral and large (>4cm).
Poor prognosis.
Adenocarcinoma - features (3)
Usually peripheral, often upper lobes.
Commonest subtype and commonest to present as solitary pulmonary nodule.
Associated with lung fibrosis.
BAC (Broncho-Alveolar Carcinoma) - definition
Subtype of adenocarcinoma
Atypical adenomatous hyperplasia of the lung (AAH) - definition
Precursor to Adenocarcinoma of lung
Adenocarcinoma in Situ (ACIS) - features (2)
<3cm.
Multiple subtypes, commonest is non-mucinous.
Minimally invasive adenocarcinoma (MIA) (5)
<3cm with <5mm of stromal invasion (>5mm = lepidic predominant adenocarcinoma).
Usually ground glass.
Usually COLD on pet.
Fried egg sign (ground glass around nodule).
Pseudocavitation (bubble like lucencies).
Part solid nodules - malignancy predictor
Larger the solid part, the more likely to be malignant.
Staging threshold for unresectable lung cancer
3B (Implies N3 or T4 disease)