Cancer Flashcards
What cell does malignant melenoma originate form?
Melanocytes
Where are melanocytes found?
Basal layer
What is the correct name for moles?
Melanocytic naevi
Is melenoma is confined to epidermis what is it called?
Melanoma in situ
What is Lenitgo Maligna?
Melanoma is situ that occurs around hair follicles on sun damage skin on face or neck
What is an invasive melanoma?
Melanoma that grows into the dermis
What are the precursor legions for malignant melanoma?
Benign melanocytic naevus (normal mole)
Atypical or dysplastic naevus (funny-looking mole)
Atypical lentiginous junctional naevus (freckle in heavily sun damaged skin)
Congenital melanocytic naevus (brown birthmark)
What is the most common site for melanoma is males?
Back
What is the most common site for melanoma in females?
Legs
What are the two forms of growth for melanoma?
Vertical and horizontal
What is the glasgow 7 point checklist??
Major features:
Change in size
Irregular shape
Irregular colour
Minor features: Diamterer >7mm Inflammation Oozing Change in sensation
What is the ABCDs of melanoma?
A - asymmetry B - Border irregularity C - colour variation D - Diameter over 6 mm E - evolving (enlarging, changing)
What are the 4 horizontal melanomas?
Superficial spreading melanoma (SSM)
Lentigo maligna melanoma (sun damaged skin of face, scalp and neck)
lentiginous melanoma (on trunk and proximal limbs)
Acral lentiginous melanoma (on soles of feet, palms of hands or under the nails – the subungual melanoma)
What are the 5 vertical melanomas?
Nodular melanoma (presenting as a rapidly enlarging lump) Spitzoid melanoma (a nodule that resembles a Spitz naevus) Mucosal melanoma (arising on lips, eyelids, vulva, penis, anus) Neurotropic and desmoplastic melanoma (fibrous tumour with a tendency to grow down nerves) Ocular melanoma
What is the Breslow Thickness used for?
To measure the thickness of INVASIVE melanomas - from top of granular layer to the bottom of the tumour. The thicker, the more likely there will be mets.
What is the Clark Level of Invasion?
Indicated anatomical plane of invasion. Level 1-5, the deeper the level the more likely there will be mets
How are melanomas removed?
Surgically with a margin
If lymph nodes in involved they should be removed too
What are benign skin lesions?
Ephilides (freckles)
Lentigines
Naevi
How do melanocytic naevi occur?
Melanocytes that have failed to mature or migrate in utero
What is the most common subtype of melanoma and who does it affect?
Superifical spreading melanoms
Affects young/middle ages adults
What kind of melanoma is more common in elderly patients?
Nodular melanoma
What is Hutchinson sign and what does it indicate?
Pigmented extension into the nail fold
Acral Lentiginous
Brown/ black greasy lesion
Seborhoeic Keratoses
“Stuck on” appearance and regular border
Seborhoeic Keratoses
How do you treat Seborhoeic Keratoses ?
Reassurance, freezing, curette or shaving it off
may fall off spontaneously on its own
When surgically removed a melanoma, how big should the borders be?
1cm lateral margin for every 1mm depth invasion
Definition of Carcinogenesis?
The process by which a normal cell becomes a malignant cancer cell
UVA
Indirect skin damage
Much more prevalent
Penetrates more deeply into skin
UVB
Direct DNA damage
1000 more times damaging than UVA
Only when sun is directly over head
How many types of skin type are there?
5
What protects the skin from sunlight?
Melanin, absorbs UV
Sunbun and solar lentigo are due to which form of sunlight?
UVB
Solar ageing is due to which form of sunlight?
UVA