Breast Cancer

Question 1

What tumor suppressor gene is associated with an increased risk of ovarian and breast cancer?

Answer 1

BRCA-1

Question 2

What tumor suppressor is associated with male breast cancers?

Answer 2

BRCA-2

Question 3

When should women begin breast cancer screenings?

Answer 3

age 45

Question 4

List the preventative measures for breast cancer. (4)

Answer 4

prophylactic masectomy; bilateral oophorectomy; tamoxifen; raloxifine

Question 5

What is the most common type of breast cancer?

Answer 5

invasive ductal carcinoma

Question 6

List the types of non-invasive carcinomas. (2)

Answer 6

ductal carcinoma in situ; lobular carcinoma in situ

Question 7

List the important characteristics of inflammatory breast cancer. (3)

Answer 7

aggressive w/ rapid onset; orange peel look; typically delayed diagnosis

Question 8

Why do you need to do an MRI to diagnose younger patients with breast cancer?

Answer 8

younger patients have denser breasts and may show blips on a mammogram

Question 9

What is the gold standard in breast cancer diagnosis to determine if the tumor is invasive or not?

Answer 9

core biopsy

Question 10

What are the two ways you can test for HER2 + breast cancer?

Answer 10

IHC and FISH (do IHC first)

Question 11

What does an Oncotype Dx test determine?

Answer 11

risk of recurrence or mortality

Question 12

In what patient population would you perform an Oncotype Dx test?

Answer 12

ER (+); HER2 (-); node (-)(+)

Question 13

What is the treatment goal in Stage I, II, and IIIA breast cancer?

Answer 13

cure

Question 14

What is the treatment goal in Stage IIIB and IIIC breast cancer?

Answer 14

cure

Question 15

What is the treatment goal in Stage IV breast cancer?

Answer 15

palliative; symptomatic relief

Question 16

What are some options for surgical interventional in breast cancer? (3)

Answer 16

modified radical masectomy; lumpectomy; lymph node dissection

Question 17

What is the difference between auxillary and sentinel lymph node dissection?

Answer 17

auxillary removes 10-20 lymph nodes while sentinel removes 1-2 lymph nodes

Question 18

What is removed in a modified radical masectomy? (3)

Answer 18

breast, minor pectoralis muscle, auxillary lymph nodes

Question 19

What is removed in a lumpectomy?

Answer 19

just the tumor (conserves the breast)

Question 20

What should be added with a lumpectomy?

Answer 20

local radiation therapy

Question 21

When would you use neoadjuvant therapy?

Answer 21

in patients with large tumors because it allows you to see their response to the chemotherapy