alimentary disease Flashcards
gastrointestinal cancer: list the common cancers of the gastrointestinal system (oesophageal, pancreatic & colon), recall associated cell types, explain clinical features, investigations, treatments and risk of malnutrition
feature of primary cancers
arise directly from cells in organ e.g. bowel cancer
feature of secondary cancers
spread from another organ, directly of by other means (blood or lymph) e.g. liver cancer
locations of GI cancers
oesophagus, stomach, biliary system, pancreatic, colorectal (small intestine, large intestine, colon, anus)
2 types of oesophageal cancer
adenocarcinoma (most common), squamous cell carcinoma
features of adenocarcinoma (cell, location, related to, developed world)
from metaplastic columnar epithelium, lower 1/3 oesophagus, related to acid reflux, more developed world
what else are adenocarcinomas associated with
obesity, smoking, alcohol, males
development of adenocarcinoma
normal epithelium → hyperplasia → adenomatous polyps → adenocarcinoma → metastasis
features of squamous cell carcinoma (cell, location, pathway, developed world)
normal oesophageal squamous epithelium, upper 2/3s oesophagus, acetaldehyde pathway, less developed world
main causes of squamous cell carcinoma
smoking, alcohol, ingestic caustic substances
why is there a link of squamous cell carcinoma with alcohol and which population does it affect most
due to acetaldehyde metabolite, which damages epithelial cells; more common in Asians due to muations in acetalydehyde dehydrogenase
development of squamous cell carcinoma
normal epithelium → metaplasia → dysplasia → severe dysplasia → development of squamous cell carcinoma → metastisis
3 early symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma
difficulty and pain when swallowing, weight loss due to lack of nutrition, pain in breast bone and stomach, or feeling of reflux
2 later symptoms of squamous cell carcinoma
nausea, vomiting and regurgitation of food, vomiting blood due to trauma of tumour
3 clinical investigations of squamous cell carcinoma
endoscopy, CT scan (check for metastasis), endoscopic ultrasound (determine level of invasion)
2 treatments for squamous cell carcinoma
surgery (early can remove tumour, late must remove part of oesophagus, chemotherapy and radiotherapy
5 investigations for colon cancer
x-ray, CT, barium enema, colonoscopy, CT virtual colonoscopy
8 risk factors for colorectal cancer
family history, inflammatory bowel disease (Crohns, ulcerative colitis), familial adenomatous polyposis, hereditary non-polposis colon, Lynch syndrome, uncontrolled ulcerative colitis, age, previous polyps
early symptoms of pancreatic cancer
depression, abdominal pain and glucose intolerance