Acute oncology problems Flashcards
How do chemotherapy agents work?
Interfere with cell division
Cause DNA damage or disrupt the cell cycle by inhibiting DNA synthesis or mitosis
What are the common side effects of chemotherapy drugs?
Bone marrow suppression
Alopecia
Mucositis
Nausea and vomiting
Diarrhoea
Infertility
What is Extravasation?
Leakage (or accidental infiltration) of drugs outside of the vein and into surrounding tissues
It can cause tissue necrosis
Does the drug capecitabine cause diarrhoea?
Yes
Commonly prescribed with loperamide to treat it if it occurs
What do you do if you admit a patient who is neutropenic, septic, or unwell?
- Inform the oncology/haematology teams that their patient has been admitted
- STOP the cytotoxic drugs until patient has been reviewed by oncology/haematology
Is it true that capecitabine can cause myocardial ischaemia?
Yes
If a patient presents with chest pain, stop the medication
What type of drug is capecitabine?
A chemotherapy drug
Comes in the form of a tablet
What is hydroxyurea used to treat in oncology?
Chronic myeloid leukaemia
It’s a type of chemotherapy
Why can’t a patient on chemotherapy have tooth extractions?
The patient may be neutropenic and the oral cavity is full of bacteria – risk of bacteraemia if inject gums /drill teeth
If emergency, needs to be done right before the next cycle of chemo to allow the neutrophils to go up
What does an abnormal αFP or βHCG show in men?
Testicular cancer
If abnormal, no biopsy is needed to prove diagnosis
What are the causes of enlarged unilateral lymph nodes?
Infection or cancer
If multiple nodes, consider autoimmune or sarcoid disease
If large cluster, consider lymphoma
What is sarcoid disease?
An autoimmune condition where the body overreacts and leaves granulomas in different organs
What are the suspicious criteria for a mole?
A - asymmetrical
B – border - irregular
C – colour – uneven, different shades of black & brown
D – diameter > 6 mm
E – evolving – changing in size, shape or colour, new bleeding or itching
How is major haemorrhage treated in emergencies?
Transfusion of red cells, platelets and clotting factors
Tranexamic acid can be used to control the bleeding
How does spinal cord compression cause painless urinary retention?
The signals from the brain aren’t reaching the bladder
They can still urinate but they don’t feel the warning of a full bladder
