Cancer Flashcards
Important factors in a cancer history?
Personal facts - age and gender
Diagnosis - Grade and stage
Treatments given in order
Most recent treatment
Current problem
PMH, DH, FH, SH
ICE
What are the different treatment options for cancer (how is it split up between the different stages of cancer)
One organ:
- Surgery
- Radiotherapy
- Ablation
Metastatic
- Chemo
- Hormone therapy
- Immunotherapy
- Debulking surgery
Curable with systemic chemotherapy
- Chemo
Grade and stage?
Stage - how far
Grade - how undifferentiated
What is adjuvant chemotherapy?
Chemotherapy that is given when it is suspected the cancer will return.
S/Es of radiotherapy?
Fatigue, localised soreness, pulmonary fibrosis
Examples of chemosensitive cancers?
Choriocarcinoma
Testicular cancer
Leukaemia
Some Lymphomas
Some Sarcomas
Reasons why chemotherapy doesn’t work?
Resistant to that chemotherapy
Can’t tolerate the chemo
Sanctuary sights - chemo can’t reach it e.g.
Common side effects of chemo?
Think of areas with constantly dividing cells:
Neutropaenic sepsis
Hair loss Bone marrow - Anaemia, thrombocytopaenia, Infertility Nausea Diarrhoea
What is neutropaenic sepsis? Treatment (SGH)
Reduction in production of white cells
Implications for cerebellar metastases on the patients life?
Cannot drive - at risk of seizures
Triple assessment for breast cancer diagnosis?
History
Imaging - mommogram, MRI
Biopsy
Therapies used to treat breast cancer?
Local therapies:
Surgery
Radiotherapy
Systemic therapy:
Chemotherapy
Bisphosphonates
Hormone therapy - Tamoxifen
Biological therapies - Herceptin
Factors that govern the choice of systemic treatment for advanced breast cancer. (reoccurence)
Tumour related factors
- Prognosis
- Response to prior treatment
- Tumour biomarkers
- Disease free interval
Patient related factors
- Physiological fitness
- Menopausal status
- Comorbidities
- Tolerance of prior treatment
- Patient preferences
