Biochemistry

Question 1

What is PSA

Answer 1

Prostate Specific Antigen

Question 2

What is prostatism

Answer 2

Prostatism is a collection of symptoms - urinary hesitation, difficulty in voiding and pst micturation dribbling

Question 3

Compare benign prostatic hyperplasia to prostatic cancer

Answer 3

In BPH the prostate is smooth, in cancer it is hard and craggy

Question 4

What enzymes could you test for muscle tissue

Answer 4

CK - creatine kinase

AST - aspartate aminotransferase

Question 5

What enzymes could you test for cardiac tissue

Answer 5

Troponin
CK - creatine kinase
AST - aspartate aminotransferase
LDH - lactate dehydrogenase

Question 6

What enzymes could you test for blood

Answer 6

AST - aspartate aminotransferase

LDH - Lactate dehydrogenase

Question 7

What enzymes could you test for the liver

Answer 7

ALT - alanine transaminase
AST - aspartate aminotransferase
ALK phos - alkaline phosphatase
GGT - glutamytransferase

Question 8

What enzymes could you test for the pancreas

Answer 8

Amylase

Lipase

Question 9

What enzymes could you test for the bone

Answer 9

ALK Phos - alkaline phosphatase

Question 10

What would you check nest if ALK phos is high

Answer 10

GGT (high GGT and ALK phos suggests liver path; no GGT suggests bone path)

Question 11

Effusion v transudate

Answer 11

Effusions have high protein, more likely to be infection or malignancy
Transudate is low protein, more likely a systemic problem

Question 12

What is the tumour marker for germ cells

Answer 12

AFP and HCG - used in diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and screening

Question 13

What is the tumour marker for heaptomas

Answer 13

AFP - used in screening, diagnosis, monitoring and follow up

Question 14

What is the tumour marker used in choriocarcinomas

Answer 14

HCG - used in screening, diagnosis, prognosis, monitoring and follow-up

Question 15

What is the tumour marker used in ovarian

Answer 15

CA125 - used in diagnosis, monitoring and follow-up

Question 16

What is the tumour marker used in prostate

Answer 16

Acid phosphatase - used in diagnosis, monitoring and follow-up

Question 17

What is the tumour marker used in colorectal

Answer 17

CEA - used in monitoring and follow-up

Question 18

What is the tumour marker used in medullary carcinoma of the thyroid

Answer 18

Calcitonin - used in screening, diagnosis, monitoring and follow-up

Question 19

What is the tumour marker used in endocrine

Answer 19

Hormones - used in diagnosis, monitoring and follow-ip

Question 20

What is the tumour marker used in meyloma

Answer 20

Paraprotein - used in diagnosis, monitoring and follow-up

Question 21

What cancers is hypercalcaemia associated with

Answer 21

Multiple myeloma, breast cancer and renal cell cancer

Question 22

What cancers is Cushing’s syndrome associated with

Answer 22

Small cell lung cancer. bronchial carcinoid, GI cancer

Question 23

What is Cushing’s syndrome

Answer 23

Excess corticosteroids results in weight gain, reddening of head and neck, raised BP, osteoporosis, raised blood glucose and occasionally mental disturbances

Question 24

What cancers is inappropriate anti-diuretic hormone secretion associated with

Answer 24

Small cell lung cancer, brain tumour and mesothelioma

Question 25

What cancers is myasthenia gravis associated with

Answer 25

Thymoma

Question 26

What cancers is autonomic neuropathy associated with

Answer 26

Small cell lung cancer, thymoma

Question 27

What cancers is sensory neuropathy associated with

Answer 27

Lung cancer (usually small cel), breast cancer, ovarian cancer and Hodgkin's lymphoma

Question 28

What cancers is acanthosis nigricans associated with

Answer 28

Gastric adenocarcinoma

Question 29

What cancers is dermatomyositis associated with

Answer 29

Ovarian cancers, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Question 30

What cancers is pemphigus associated with

Answer 30

Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Question 31

What cancers is polymyalgia rheumatica associated with

Answer 31

Leukemia, lymphoma and colon cancer

Question 32

What is myasthenia gravis

Answer 32

Muscle weakening - generally in the face

Question 33

What cancers is Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome associated with

Answer 33

Small cell lung cancer, lymphoma

Question 34

What is Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome

Answer 34

An autoimmune disease where the body attacks the junction between nerves and muscles

Question 35

What is acanthosis nigricans

Answer 35

Darkened and thickened patches of skin in the armpit and around the groin and neck

Question 36

What is dermatomyositis

Answer 36

An autoimmune condition causing muscle weakness and skin changes. Symptoms include a red rash around the eyes and red bumps around the joints

Question 37

What is pemphigus

Answer 37

A rare group of blistering autoimmune diseases

Question 38

How can you determine which breast cancer patients will respond to therapy with the anti-oestrogen tamoxifen

Answer 38

Measure oestrogen and progesterone receptors in biopsy material. The presence of both receptors indicates the integrity of the oestrogen receptor mechanism in the tumour cells