16. Oncology Flashcards
sarc/o
connective tissue, flesh
carcin/o
cancer of epithelial origin
plas/o
formation
onc/o
tumor
ana-
up, apart from
apo-
separate, away from
dys-
abnormal
ecto-
outer
endo-
inner
hyper-
excessive
meso-
middle
meta-
beyond, change
neo-
new
-derm
skin, layer
-gen
substance producing
-genesis
production of
-plasia
formation
-ptosis
falling, sagging
-sarcoma
cancer of connective tissue
-stasis
stopping, controlling
oncology
study of tumors, or neoplasms
all cancers are neoplasms, but not all are cancerous/malignant
benign tumors
Growth: relatively slow by expansion; encapsulated; cells adhere to each other
Histologically: resembles tissue of origin; well differentiated; appear normal
Spread: remains isolated
Other: No tissue destruction; not prone to hemorrhage; may be smooth and freely movable
Recurrence: rare after excision
Pathogenesis: symptoms related to location with obstruction and/or compression of surrounding tissue or organs; usually not life-threatening unless inaccessible
malignant tumors
Growth: rapid; invades surrounding tissues by infiltration
Histology: does not resemble tissue of origin; vary in size and shape; abnormal appearance and function
Spread: metastasis; cancer cells carried by blood and lymphatics to one or more other locations; secondary tumors occur
Other: ulceration and/or necrosis; prone to hemorrhage; irregular and less movable
Recurrence: a common characteristic
Pathogenesis: cachexia; pain; fatal if not controlled
metastasis
meh TAS stah sis
the process by which tumor cells spread from one part or organ to another not directly connected with it
carcinomas
almost always derive from the outer (ectoderm) and inner (endoderm) layers of the embryo (i.e., the layers that develop into epithelial tissue to cover or line the surfaces of the body)
comprise the majority of malignant tumors
adenocarcinoma
a malignant growth derived from glandular tissue or in which the cells of the tumor form recognizable glandular structures
one of the most common type of cancers derived from epithelial tissue
squamous cell carcinoma
a slow-growing malignant neoplasm of squamous epithelium
most frequently found in the lungs and the skin
also occurring in the cervix, nose, larynx, anus, and bladder
sarcomas
less common cancer derived from the middle (mesoderm) layer that becomes connective tissue (bones, muscle, cartilage, blood vessels, and fat)
osteosarcoma
bone sarcoma
AKA Ewing sarcoma
leukemia
bone marrow cancer
myeloma
cancer of the plasma cells in bone marrow
lymphoma
cancer in lymphatic tissue
mixed-cell tumors
combination of cells from within or b/w two cancer categories
carcinogens
cancer-causing agents
apoptosis
APP pop toh sis
the body’s normal restraining function in keeping cell growth in check
programmed cell death
grading
evaluation of the degree of dedifferentiation (anaplasia), or how much the cancer cells’ original appearance has been altered
grades range from I to IV
grade I tumor is very well differentiated, closely reseming the normal tissue of origin
grade IV cells are anaplastic, or undifferentiated, so that it is difficult to recognize what might be the original tissue
progression of skin cancer
- Exposure
- Cell mutation
- Hyperplasia
- Dysplasia
- Carcinoma in situ
- Invasive cancer
staging
determines the size and spread (metastasis) of a cancer from its original site
uses the TNM system:
T = size of the tumor
N = number of lymph nodes involved
M = presence of distant metastases
ex: T1N2M0
anaplasia
apart from normal formation
dysplasia
abnormal formation
hyperplasia
excessive formation
carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)
tumor antigen used to monitor colorectal cancer
bas/o
base
chrondr/o
cartilage
mut/a
change
blast/o
embryonic
fibr/o
fiber
gli/o
glue
squam/o
scale
semin/i
semen
rhabdomy/o
skeletal muscle
leiomy/o
smooth muscle
astr/o
star
cachexia
weight loss, weakness, and anorexia
basal cell carcinoma
a malignant epithelial cell tumor that begins as a papule and enlarges peripherally, developing a central crater that erodes, crusts, and bleeds
rarely metastasizes but destroys underlying and adjacent tissue
primarily caused by chronic excessive exposure to the sun or radiation
Kaposi sarcoma
a cancerous, multifocal neoplasm of reticuloendothelial cells beginning as soft brownish papules on the feet, spreading slowly in the skin, and metastasizing to the lymph nodes and viscera
associated with diabetes, malignant lymphoma, and AIDS
cystadenoma
most common benign tumor in the pancreas
nephroblastoma
a malignant tumor of the kidney occurring mostly in children under age 5
AKA Wilms tumor
seminoma
form of malignant germ cell tumor that develops from the cells that form sperm
Paget disease of the breast
malignant neoplasm occurring in the female reproductive system
teratoma
tumor composed of different kinds of tissue, none of which normally occur together or at the site of the tumor
most common in the ovaries or testes
thymoma
only benign cancer of the blood, lymph, and immune systems
cardiac myxosarcoma
rare cancer of the heart that usually originates in the left atrium
hemangiosarcoma
rare cancer of the cells that line the blood vessels
atrial myxoma
a benign growth usually occurring on the interatrial septum
hemangioma
noncancerous tumor of the blood vessels
astrocytoma
malignant tumor arising from glial cells
medulloblastoma
malignant cancer of the cerebellum
neuroblastoma
malignant nervous system cancer that usually affects children under 10
meningioma
benign tumor of the meninges
neuroma
benign tumor of the nerves
neurofibroma
benign, fibrous tumors composed of nervous tissue
mesothelioma
malignant lung cancer caused by asbestos exposure
pulmonary hamartoma
benign lung neoplasm
mucous gland adenoma
benign lung neoplasm
papilloma
benign lung neoplasm
tumor markers
measure the levels of a variety of biochemical substances detected in blood, urine, or body tissues by often appearing in higher than normal amounts in individuals with certain neoplasms
CA125
tumor marker for ovarian cancer detection and management
alpha-fetoprotein test (AFP)
increased levels may indicate liver or germ cell cancer
CA15-3
tumor marker to monitor breast cancer, helps determine stage
CA19-9
tumor marker for pancreatic, stomach, and bile duct cancer
prostate-specific antigen (PSA)
increased levels may be due to BPH or prostatic cancer
stereotactic (3-D) mammography
can be used for an image-guided needle biopsy of the breast
computed tomography (CT) scans
provide info about a tumor’s size, shape, location, and blood supply
useful in staging cancer and guiding needles for biopsy
magenetic resonance imaging (MRI)
offers 3-D images, especially useful for areas of the body that are difficult to image such as the CNS
needle aspiration biopsy
enables specialist to examine cells with minimal invastion, either by removing a core of tissue from an organ/mass, or by removing free cells from a fluid-filled cavity
nuclear scans
can locate and stage cancer of the thyroid and bone
positron emission tomography (PET)
provide data about an internal structure’s shape, size, and metabolism
esp with brain, colon, rectum, ovary, and lung
single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT)
useful in determining metastases to the bone
monoclonal antibodies
used to evaluate cancer of the prostate, colon, breast, ovaries, and melanoma
CAUTION criteria
developed by the American Cancer Society
Change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that does not heal
Unusual bleeding or discharge
Thickening or lump in the breast, testicles, elsewhere
Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Obvious change in the size, shape, color, or thickness of a wart/mole/mouth sore
Nagging cough or hoarseness
ABCDE Rule
Asymmetry
Border jagged
Color changes
Diameter larger than 1/4”
Elevation above the skin with uneven surface
carcinoma in situ (CIS)
when cancer cells appear only at the original site and have not invaded the organ of origin
severe dysplasia
simple mastectomy
removal of the breast containing the cancer
en bloc resection
removal of the cancer and lymph nodes
radical mastectomy
removal of the breast containing the cancer, along with the lymph nodes and muscle under the breast
lymph node dissection
removal of clinically involved lymph nodes
margin resection
margins are borders of normal tissue surrounding the cancer
radiotherapy
destroys the nuclei of the cancer cells so that they have no ability to reproduce and spread
given to about half of all cancer patients
brachytherapy
delivers radiation directly to the cancer through the use of either needles or “seeds” containing radioactive gold, cobalt, or radium
chemotherapy
circulation of cancer-destroying medicine throughout the body, used alone or in conjunction with another kind of treatment
bone marrow transplant (BMT)
delivers bone marrow from a matching donor to patients who are incapable of producing healthy blood cells on their own
donor bone marrow stimualtes normal blood cell growth
graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
disease in which host’s immune system rejects donor tissue
immunotherapy
therapy that attempts to use the body’s own defense mechanisms to fight tumor cells
interferons, monoclonal antibodies, and colony-stimulating factors can combat chemotherapy side effects
interleukins stimulate the immune system to destroy tumors
Tc cells are cytotoxic T lymphocytes which are responsible for attacking cancer host cells
complementary and alternative medicine (CAM)
prayer, exercise, massage, and mind-body techniques
AML
acute myelogenous leukemia
BSE
breast self-examination
bx
biopsy
CA
cancer
CA27-29
tumor marker to check for recurrence of breast cancer
CLL
chronic myelogenous leukemia
G
grade
mets
metastases
NSCLC
non-small cell lung cancer
Tc
cytotoxic T lymphocyte
TCC
transitional cell carcinoma
TNM
tumor-nodes-metastases
TSE
testicular self-examination
rhabdomyosarcoma
a highly malignant tumor that is derived from primitive striated muscle cells
occurs most commonly in the head and the neck
