Cancer

Question 1

cancer cells are…

Answer 1

• cells that have escaped control of normal cell growth
• cells that multiply autonomously
• cells that have capacity to spread and reproduce distantly

Question 2

what makes cancer cells so dangerous

Answer 2

their ability to spread to distant areas of the body

Question 3

common sites of metastatic spread in breast cancer

Answer 3

• lymph nodes
• lung
• bone
• liver
• skin
• chest wall
• brain

Question 4

common sites of metastatic spread in colecrectal/pancreatic cancer

Answer 4

• liver
• brain
• bone
• lymph nodes

Question 5

common sites of metastatic spread in lung cancer

Answer 5

• bone
• liver
• lymph nodes

Question 6

common sites of metastatic spread in prostate cancer

Answer 6

• bone
• liver
• lungs

Question 7

goal of therapy

Answer 7

• prevention
• cure
• control
• palliation

Question 8

goal of therapy: prevention

Answer 8

• most important
• modifiable factors (exercise, diet, smoking)
• screening

Question 9

goal of therapy: cure

Answer 9

• not talked about much
• cancer becoming a chronic illness
• leukaemia, testicular, early staged

Question 10

goal of therapy: control

Answer 10

• primary goal

- most talked about

Question 11

types of therapy

Answer 11

• primary
• adjuvant
• neoadjuvant

Question 12

primary therapy

Answer 12

• major modality

- not always first

Question 13

adjuvant therapy

Answer 13

• along with/in addition to primary modality

Question 14

neoadjuvant therpay

Answer 14

• before primary therapy

- chemo to shrink a tumor

Question 15

types of treatment measures

Answer 15

• chemotherapy
• radiation
• surgery
• hormone therapy
• biologic therapies

Question 16

cancer/lump assessment info

Answer 16

• health/family hx
• lump characteristics (pain, size)
• surrounding tissue changes
• medications
• lifestyle factors
• pregnancy/children/LMP

Question 17

characteristics of malignant cells (8)

Answer 17

• loss of cell cycle control
• loss of contact inhibition
• no cell function, only replication
• can change how they look
• can digest extracellular matrix
• are smart
• can evade apoptosis
• can secrete own growth factor can create own blood supply

Question 18

PUO

Answer 18

• primary unknown origin
• dont know where cancer came from
• hard to determine best treatment

Question 19

liver cancer treatment

Answer 19

• can be treated with same regimen used for lung cancer depending on biopsy

Question 20

tumor staging

Answer 20

degree of spread

Question 21

tumor grading

Answer 21

aggressiveness of cell

Question 22

TNM staging

Answer 22

T = tumor size (T1-T4 higher # is bigger)
N = nodal involvement (N0, N1, N2; none, some, many)
M = distant metastasis (M0, M1, Mx; none, present, not assessed)

Question 23

what does TNM describe

Answer 23

• size and extent of spread

Question 24

grading levels

Answer 24

• GX
• G1
• G2
• G3
• G4
• more differentiated = less aggressive

Question 25

GX grading

Answer 25

• grade cannot be assessed

Question 26

G1 grading

Answer 26

• well-differentiated

- retains most features of healthy cell

Question 27

G2 grading

Answer 27

• moderately well differentiated

Question 28

G3 grading

Answer 28

• poorly differentiated

Question 29

G4 grading

Answer 29

• undifferentiated

Question 30

lymphedema

Answer 30

• accumulation of lymph in soft tissue
• from poor lymphatic drainage
• can occur from excision or radiation to lymph nodes
• most worried about circulation and infection

Question 31

arm care precautions w lymphedema

Answer 31

• prevention - stay out of sun, careful with cuts as risk for infection
• management

Question 32

hematopoietic side effects

Answer 32

• neutropenia
• throbocytopenia
• anemia

Question 33

neutropenia

Answer 33

• low neutrophils
• risk for infection
• ANC (absolute neutrophil count) should be >2

Question 34

thrombocytopenia

Answer 34

• low platelet

- bleeding risk

Question 35

anemia

Answer 35

• low Hbg

- fatigue

Question 36

living w cancer diagnosis

Answer 36

• support system
• body image changes
• anticipatory conversations

Question 37

warning signs of cancer

Answer 37

C - change in bowel/bladder habits
A - a sore that won't heal
U - unusual bleeding/discharge
T - thickening or lump
I - indigestion or difficulty swallowing
O - obvious change in wart/mole
N - nagging cough/hoarseness