2.1.2 Lung Cancer Flashcards
When is the peak incidence of lung cancer? What is gender ratio?
6th and 7th decade of life
2:1 Males to females, possibly due to the greater number of male smokers
What are some risk factors for lung cancer?
SMOKING!!
Asbestos exposure
Radiation
Aromatic hydrocarbons
Metals: beryllium, nickel, arsenic
Hx of lung cancer
Tobacco usage accounts for what percentage of cancers globally?
20% (up to 30% in certain high income countries)
How many people does tobacco kill annually?
6 million
What are some genetic mutations/abnormal expressions associated with lung cancer?
EGFR mutation (AdCa)
K-ras mutation, cigarrette smoking (non-small cell Ca)
Myc overexpression (small cell Ca)
P53, Rb mutations (small cell Ca, non-small cell Ca)
Bcl-2 expression (SCC- adenoCa)
What are some of the possible local clinical features of lung cancer?
- Cough, dyspnea, hemoptysis, pain, pneumonia, pleural effusion
- Pancoast tumor (apex of lung)
- Coin lesion
- Pancoast syndrome (cervical sympathetic nerve paralysis)
- Horner’s syndrome (endophthalmos, ptosis, meiosis, anhidrosis)
What is a possible medistinal clinical feature of lung cancer?
Superior Vena Cava Syndrome
Name 6 common paraneoplastic syndromes.
- Cushing syndrome -due to production of ACTH. It’s primarily associated with small cell carcinoma; also carcinoid tumors and other carcinomas such as large cell carcinoma.
- Inappropriate ADH secretion – – causing hyponatremia and greater osmolality of urine than blood. This is mainly associated with small cell carcinoma; occasionally adenocarcinoma.
- Carcinoid syndrome
- Hypercalcemia – – in the absence of skeletal metastasis is due to ectopic secretion of a PTH-like substance. This is associated predominantly with squamous cell carcinoma.
- Gynecomastia (Gonadotropin)
- Acromegaly (GH)
What are the five most common sites of lung cancer metastases?
Regional lymph nodes (most cases)
Liver, 30%
Adrenal glands, 50%
Bone, 15-20%
Brain, 20%
What are the four most frequent causes of death in patients with lung cancer?
Pneumonia, Lung abcesses, Bleeding, Effects of metastasis on other organs
Describe the 5-year survival rate of various types of lung cancer. Which is worst?
Small cell carcinoma is the worst
What are the two gross classifications of lung cancer?
Central (neoplasms in major bronchi, segmental bronchi, or greater than 1 mm in diameter)
Peripheral (lung parenchyma where bronchioles are less than 1 mm in diameter)
What are some of the benign epithelial lung cancers? malignant epithelial lung cancers?
Benign: adenomas, papillomas
Malignant: squamous cell carcinoma, small cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, large cell carcinoma, adenosquamous carcinoma, neuroendocrine tumors
Other than epithelial lung cancers, what are some possible types of lung cancer?
Name the top 4 most common lung cancers.
Squamous Cell Carcinoma (25-40%)
Adenocarcinoma (25-40%)
Small Cell Carcinoma (20-25%)
Large Cell Carcinoma (10-15%)
What are some clinical features of squamous cell carcinoma?
- Hemoptysis, cough
- Symptoms due to obstruction: recurrent pneumonia, atelectasis
- Superior vena cava syndrome (severe venous and lymphatic congestion of the upper body due to compression or invasion of the superior vena cava. Results in dusky cyanosis & marked dilation of veins of head, neck, & arms)
- Pancoast tumor/syndrome
- Horner syndrome
- Hypercalcemia (sec of PTH-like substance)
What are some of the factors that increased the likelihood of squamous cell carcinoma?
SMOKING, more frequent in males, centrally located
What are two key histologic features of squamous cell carcinoma?
Keratin pearl and desmoplastic (fibrous) stroma of tumor
What two markers can be useful in immunostains to help identify/accurately diagnose squamous cell carcinoma?
p63/p40