Big C Flashcards
Can originate almost anywhere in the body
Cancer
The most common types of cancer, arise from the cells that cover external and internal body surfaces.
Carcinomas
Lung, breast and colon are the most frequent cancers of this type in the US.
Carcinomas
Found in the supporting tissues of the body such as bone, cartilage, fat, connective tissue and muscle.
Sarcomas
Arise in the lymph nodes and tissues of the body’s immune system.
Lymphomas
Cancers of the immature blood cells that grow in the bone marrow and tend to accumulate large numbers in the bloodstream.
Leukemia
Can result from uncontrolled cell growth or loss of a cell’s ability to undergo cell suicide by a process called
Apoptosis or Cell suicide
Old or damged cells normally self-destruct
Apoptosis or Cell suicide
The thin outermost layer of normal skin and is roughly a dozen cells thick.
Epidermis
Divide just fast enough to replenish cells that are continually being shed from the surface of the skin.
Basal cells
Increase in the number of dividing cells creates a growing mass of tissue
Tumor or neoplasm
Cancers are capable of spreading throughout the body by 2 mechanism:
- Invasion
3. Metastasis
The direct migration and penetration bu cancer cells into neighboring tissues.
Invasion
The ability of cancer cells to penetrate into lymphatic and blood vessels, circulate through the bloodstream and then invade normal tissues elsewhere in the body.
Metastasis
• Tumor cells grow only locally and cannot spread by invasion or metastasis.
Benign
- Cells invade neighboring tissues, enter blood vessels, and metastasize to different sites.
- Capable of spreading by invasion and metastasis.
Malignant (cancer)
Increases a person’s chance of getting a disease
Risk factors
Risks factors of cancer:
• personal profile - age, sex, fam. med history • environment - exposure to radiation • lifestyle choices - tobacco, alcohol, diet, sun exposure
When cells in a part of the body begin to grow out of control
Cancer
The main cause of lung cancer and to contributes to many other kinds of cancer (mouth, larynx, esophagus, stomach, pancreas, kidney and bladder)
Cigarette smoking
Breast cancer risk factors:
Age; changes in hormone levels
Obesity
Physical activity
Alcohol consumption
Prostate cancer are related to
Age
Race
Diet
History
Felt or noticed by a person (you can feel it by yourself)
Symptoms
Observations made by a doctor, nurse
Sign
Cancer signs and symptoms will depend on
Size of the cancer
Location of the cancer
How much it affects the structures
The process if finding out how dar the cancer has spread
Staging
A vital step in determining the treatment choices
Staging the cancer
The system most often used
TNM system
A period of time when the cancer is responding to treatment or is under control
Remission
All the signs and symptoms of the disease disappear
Complete remission
Cancer shrinks but does not completely disappear
Partial remission
Can last anywherr from several weeks to many years
Remission
May continue for years and be considered cured
Complete remissions
Rad thera can be used in combination with other treatments such as
Surgery Chemotherapy Biologic therapies Hormone therapies Transplant options Photodynamic therapy
Treatment will depend on
Type of cancer Stage of cancer Age Health status Patient's personal preferences
To control it or treat symptoms
Palliative
To cure cancer
Curative
Used to treat cancer cells that have metastasized (spread)
In general, works by interrupting cell growth and division
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy administered in a variety of ways such as
Oral Intravenous Intramuscular Intrathecal Intraperitoneal
Mostly administered in 1-3 days cycle that are repeated every 4 wks, for a period of 3-9 months
Chemotherapy
Uses the body’s immune system to fighth cancer or to lessen the side effects of some cancer treatments.
Biologic therapy
Biologic therapy sometimes called
Immunotherapy
Biotherapy
Or Biological response modifier therapy
Chemicals that are naturally produced by the organs making uo the body’s endocrine system
Hormones
There are few ways in which this can be achieved (cancers are fueled by hormones)
Block the hormones from acting
Prevent the body from producing the hormone
Eliminate the hormone receptors on cells
Uses a light source such as a laser combined with a light sensitive drug (photosensitising agent) to destroy cancer cells
Photodynamic therapy (PDT)
Makes cells more responsive to light
Can damage the blood supply to the tumor preventing the cancer from growing
Light sensitive drug
May trigger the immune system to attack the cancer cells
PDT
