Cancer part 1 Flashcards
Characteristic if a benign tumour
Low rate of mitosis and growth
Few obvious spindles
Highly differentiate
Often encapsulated
Low invasiveness
No metastasis
No ectopic hormone production
Characteristic if a malignant tumour
High rate of mitosis and growth
Numerous obvious spindles
Low differentiation
Irregular edges
Invasive
Metastasis
Ectopic hormone production
What type of damage is caused by a benign tumour
Space of occupying lesion
Pressure on sunrrouding tissue, vessels and ducts
Damage caused by Malignant tumour
SOL (space of occupying lesion)
Pressure on surrounding tissues, vessels, ducts and nerves
Loss of differentiated function
Acquisition of other functions - ectopic hormone secretion
Local invasiveness
Metastasis
How is tumour progression classified
Grading systems
Staging system
What are the levels of the grading systems and what do they mean
Grade 1: Highly differentiated
Grade 2: 50-75% differentiated
Grade 3: 25-50% differentiated
Grade 4: 0-25% differentiated
How is the Gleason grade system calculated
By adding the two most common grades together
What is the scale for the Gleason grade design
1-10
Explain the staging system
overall progress of the cancer reflecting size of the original in situ tumour, its invasiveness and the extent of metastasis
So is broken down into smaller systems
-Tumour size(TNM system): 0-4
-Nodal involvement: 0-4
What is the TNM system
A global standard for cancer staging
What are the generalised outline for a tumour.
Stage 1:- T1 N0 M0
Stage 2:- T2 N1 M0
Stage 3:- T3 N2 M0
Stage 4:- T4 N3 M1
What is angiogenesis
When the tumour progression is slow and is accelerated by the improvement of oxygen and nutrients supply
Provide route for metastasis
Removal of acid metabolites
What is metastasis
The process by which the primary tumour travels through the tissues and blood vessels and reinvades a new location
What are the modes of therapy for Cancer
Surgery
Radiotherapy
Hormonal therapy
Immunotherapy
Cytotoxic chemotherapy
When is surgery used to treat cancer
> When there is a week defined solid tumour
Non-vital regions
Non-mutilating
Resection or reconstruction possible
- liver/gut
When is radiotherapy normally used
> More diffuse, but local tumours
Vital organ/region - head and neck, CNS
Adjuvant therapy - post mastectomy
Palliative
When is Hormonal therapy normally used
> Tumours arising from tissue which is normally under hormonal control
> not progressed too far
> not de-differentiated significantly and lost the original hormone receptors
Name types of Immunotherapies
> Most modern drugs
Targeted monoclonal antibodies
Protein inhibitors
Tagged antibodies
Immune activation
Vaccines / targeted cells
What is cytotoxic therapy used for
> Adjuvant therapy: eliminate cells not cleared by surgery or RT
> Neoadjuvant therapy: Pre-shrink tumour prior to surgery or RT
> Primary therapy: Used for dispersed tumours
> Indication therapy: For patients presenting with cancer to induce remission
> Salvage/Palliative therapy: Used to relieve symptoms
Properties of cytotoxic therapy
> Little selective targeting with traditional CT agents
> Used based on differential rate
> Not targeted so many side-effects
> All rapid dividing cells can be effected
What is the most common management plan used for cancer
Primary tumour
Radiation therapy
Adjuvant chemotherapy and hormonal therapy
