Cancer Rx Flashcards
What is it
A interdisciplinary approach to rx cancer
Consists of prevention and rx cancer
What are the phases of cancer rx
Palliative care : living w/ life limiting illness
- sx management
- max QOL
- psychosocial support
End of life care: non curative condition w/ wks-mo left -sx management - Terminal care: days to hours the life -psycho social support of fam and pt
Cancer preventive steps
Physical activity
No tobacco
Good nutrition
Early detection (screens) and quality care
Diff between radical and palliative rx
Radical: aims to heal the pt by completely removing Tumour. More invasive
Palliative : aims to relieve the sx causes by tumour
Methods of cancer rx (SIR CTG)
Chosen depending on
Type, grading and staging of tumour
Surgical Radiation Chemotherapy Target therapy Immunotherapy Gene therapy
How are surgical procedures used in cancer therapy
Diagnostic
- explorative laparotomy in HODGKINS
- detect remnants of ovarian cancer after radiotherapy
Radical therapy upon tumour removal
Palliative therapy to relive sx caused by tumour
How is radiation used in therapy fo cancer
Preoperative radiation
-reduces tumour size in order to ease surgical removal
Post operative
-prevents local and regional metastasis of microscopic or missed cancer fragments after surgical removal
Consolidating: as an adjunct to chemo
Palliative: reduce sx and improve QOL
Combined radio chemotherapy
Mechanisms of radiotherapy in cancer rx
External beam radiotherapy
Brachytherapy using a catheter with a radioactive source
How does chemotherapy prevent cancer growth
Prevents neovascularization of cancer cells
Inhibits cell division by changing cell structure
Causes spontaneous cell death
What are the specific aims of chemotherapy
Curative even though it sometimes causes more harm
Control the cancerous processes by preventing growth and metastasis
Palliative in advanced stages
Possible pt response to chemotherapy
COMPLETE RESPONSE
the cancer disease totally cured with no evidence of sx or signs on medical tests and imaging
PARTIAL RESPONSE
30% reduced size/ no of lesions but disease still present
STABLE DISEASE
Basically change to size and no of lesions of disease
-50% reduction or slight increase also fits here
PROGRESSIVE DISEASE
Size/ no had increased since chemo began
How is chemotherapy used to rx cancer
Requires multiple cycles
Systemic chemo used to rx MALIG tumours
INDUCTION/primary chemo
-hematological cancer & advances MALIG
CONSOLIDATION chemo
- used when remission is achieved
- same antitumor drugs used to maintain remission
NEOADJUVANT chemo
- in localised tumours
- used preoperatively to preserve affected organ
SUPPORTIVE chemo
-low doses used to keep pt I’m remission
SALVAGE: symptomatic rx only e.g. palliative
hormone therapy in cancer rx
Used in cancers that depend on hormonal feedback mechanisms for their growth
- Prostate
- Breast
- Reproductive system cancers
Alters the amount of the hormones precioitst ng growth
Targeted therapy in cancer rx
Targets specific molecules involved in the growth and spread of cancers and alters their amount and expression
Examples of targeted molecules
- tyrosine kinase inhibitors
- monoclonal antibodies
- mTor inhibitors
Effects of targeted therapy
- interrupt cell growth by
1. Reducing blood flow
Increase death of cancerous cells by
- Increasing Immune response to cancerous cells
- Carry other drugs to the tumour
- Target defects only in cancerous cells
How does Immunotherapy rx cancer
Improves the immune systems ability to fight cancer
Prevents growth and metastasis us ng monoclonal antibodies
E. G
Cetuximab
