Cancer Staging

Question 1

Most common cancer in Australia Males

Answer 1

Non-melanoma skin cancer
Prostate cancer 
Bowel/colorectal cancer
Melanoma 
Lung cancer

Question 2

Most common cancer in Australia females

Answer 2

Non-melanoma skin cancer
Breast cancer 
Bowel/colorectal cancer
Melanoma 
Lung cancer

Question 3

Three Most Common Sites to Cause Spinal Cord Compression

Answer 3

• Breast, Lung, Prostate

Question 4

Treatment for breast cancer

Answer 4

• Surgery is the primary intervention
• Chemotherapy can be used as an adjuvant treatment with or without radiation therapy
• Traditionally, treated with External Beam Radiation Therapy (EBRT - use of tangential fields)
• Advanced techniques (Brachytherapy, Intraoperative Radiation Therapy (IORT), Intensity Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT), VMAT, Stereotactic, Cyberknife)

Question 5

Cancer staging based on what characteristics?

Answer 5

• The size of the cancer
• Whether the cancer is invasive or non-invasive
• Whether cancer is in the lymph nodes
• Whether cancer has spread to other parts of the body

Question 6

TNM meaning

Answer 6

T Category
o Describes the original (primary) tumour
- N Category
o Describes if cancer has reached lymph nodes
- M Category
o Whether there are distant metastases
- Letters and numbers do not always mean the same thing
- Once letter is determined, they are combined and an overall stage of 0, I, II, III, IV is assigned
o Stages can be subdivided as well e.g., IIA and IIB

Question 7

Gleason score in prostate cancer

Answer 7

• Non-anatomic factors are required for assigning the anatomic stage/prognostic group
• A Gleason grade is given to the most predominant pattern and the second most predominant pattern within the biopsy  added together to determine Gleason score
• Stage I cancers are the least advanced and often have a better prognosis
• Higher stage cancers are often more advanced but, in many cases, can still be treated successfully

Question 8

3 zones in the prostate

Answer 8

1 = Peripheral Zone 
2 = Central Zone 
3 = Transition Zone

Question 9

Prostate cancer detection methods

Answer 9

o Digital Rectal Exam (DRE)
o Blood Test (PSA)
o Only conclusive method is Transrectal Ultrasound Biopsy

Question 10

Lung cancer

Answer 10

• Most common cause of cancer mortality worldwide

- Leading cause of death in men and women

Question 11

Radiation Therapy Treatment Options

Answer 11

• 3D-CRT, IMRT, DCAT, VMAT, SABR

Question 12

Top 3 cancers in USA

Answer 12

• breast
• lung
• prostate

Question 13

What genes can promote breast cancer

Answer 13

BRCA 1 and BRCA2

Question 14

Breast cancer staging

Answer 14

T1 <20mm
T2 between 20-50mm
T3 >50mm
T4 = direct extension to chest wall