Blue book - cancer Flashcards
What current screening programmes for cancer are there? Give brief details for each
- Breast cancer
50-70yo women
mammography every 3 years - Cervical cancer
25-65yo women
cervical smear every 3 years (when 49 every 5 years) - Colorectal cancer
60-69 (stretched to 74)
Faecal occult blood every 2 years
What cancer does is tumour marker CEA used in?
Coloectal cancer
What cancer is CA125 raised in?
Ovarian cancer
What cancer is alpha fetoprotien rasied in?
Hepatocellular carcinoma
What cancer/s is hCG raised in?
- Hydatiform moles/trophobastic disease
- Testicular cancer
- Some seminomas
What cancer is Bence Jones protein found in urine?
Myeloma
What is the definition of neutropenic sepsis?
Neutrophil count less than 1x10^9 per litre and a temperature of >38 or other signs/symptoms of infection
What investigations shoud you do in neutropenic sesis
SEPTIC SCREEN
- FBC, U&E, LFT, CRP, Lactate
- Blood cultures - 2x anerobes and anaerobes (and any line central or peripheral)
- Swabs as indicated
- Urinary MCS
If symptoms suggest
a. CXR
b stool test
What score can you calculate for patients with neutropenic sepsis?
MASCC - looks at risk of complications during neurtopenic febrile episode and burden of infection, co morbidities etc
When should you give G-CSF (colony stimulating factors)? (3)
- if neutrophils <0.1
- predict >10 days
- severe sepis/multi organ failure/co - morbidities
They promote stem cell proliferation and shorten duration of neutropenia
What is the usual management of neutropenic sepsis?
Broad spectrum abx (Tazocin) within 1hr
Describe the body’s response to low calcium in the blood?
Parathyroid releases PTH
In bone - promotes osteocasts to release calcium from bone
In kidney: stimulates kidney to absorb calcium and activates vit D
In bowel: activated vit D leads to increased absorption of calcium
= increases calcium
Describe the body’s response to high calcium levels?
Thyroid releases calcitonin
In bone - promototes osteobasts to deposit calcium in bones
In Kidneys - reduces absorption of calcium
What are the 2 ways tumours lead to hypercalcaemia?
- Produce PTH related peptide
- Transforming growth factor alpha (TGFa) - which is a powerful stimulator of bone resorption (promotes osteoclast activity)
What are the most common cancer causes of hypercalcaemia? (6)
- Squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
- Head and neck cancer
- Renal carcinoma
- Blood cancers - Myleoma and lymphoma
- Breast cancer
- Prostate cancer