Cancer Symposium (all 3 lectures) Flashcards
Define cancer?
- UNCONTROLLED NEW GROWTH of tissue
- which is NON-PHYSIOLOGICAL and has the
- capacity to INFILTRATE, INVADE AND SPREAD from its point of origin, having a detrimental effect.
What is meant by ‘non-physiological’?
Not controlled by normal homeostatic mechanisms
Is thickened skin cancer?
Not normal without a stimulus (eg, a guitarist can get callouses)
It is a physiological response (a new growth of tissues) to trauma - if the trauma is stopped, it’ll go away
So no it is not cancer
Is lipoma cancer?
Fat tumour under the skin- common in shoulder blades/clavicles
Although not physiological as it isn’t controlled like the rest of the fat in body
BUT does not infiltrate other tissues, therefore is NOT cancer.
Who gets cancer?
1 in 2 people
Increases with age (60 years < especially)
How many cancer cases are preventable?
40%
Risk factor and screening is important
How do people know they have cancer?
Non specific symptoms so need high index of suspicion
Any persistent symptoms need to be taken seriously
Late stage features include:
pain
lumps
weight loss
lymphadenopathy
What are the big 4 cancers?
Make up over 50% of new cancer cases:
1. Breast
2. Prostate
3. Lung
4. Bowel / colorectal
What percentage of cancer patients will die?
50%
What percentage of cases are preventable?
40%
How are cancer outcomes measured (4 points)
- Survival
- Prognosis
- Overall survival - may not be that useful bc pt may die of difference cause (old age for example)
- Disease free survival - indicator of if/how well treatment works
What kind of graph do we map survival on?
Kaplan-Meier survival estimate graphs - can compare treatments and their stages
How does disease stage, survival and quality of life correlate to each other?
Higher stage= lower survival = lower quality of life
What type of medical team do cancer patients need?
Multidisciplinary team - oncologists, surgeons, pathologists, radiologists, nurses, therapists
What is the process by which cancer patients get help? (cancer diagnosis pathway)
- GP
- Hospital speciality (eg, oral surgery, lung clinic, breast clinic etc) who carry out examinations, biopsies, imaging etc
- Multidisciplinary team
- Treatment
Why is cancer caught late?
Patient may not have symptoms and not feel sick until late stage - patient won’t seek help until cancer is advanced
Leads to poorer survival rates and poorer quality of life
What are the signs and symptoms of breast cancer?
- Lump in breast
- Lump in axilla
- Nipple bleeding/discharge
- Men can also get breast cancer
What are the signs and symptoms of lung cancer?
- Persistent cough
- Heamoptysis- coughing up blood from respiratory tract
- Abnormal Chest x ray
- Finger clubbing
- Supraclavicular lymph node
- Weight loss
- Fatigue