Colorectal cancer Flashcards
Colorectal cancer is the ______ most common cancer in the UK.
4th - 2nd most common cause of cancer death
Strong risk factors?
1) Increasing age
2) Hereditary
- -> familial adenomatous polyposis
- -> hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (Lynch syndrome)
- -> Juvenile polyposis
- -> Peutz-Jegher’s syndrome
3) alcohol
4) smoking
5) processed meat
6) obesity
7) IBD
8) prev. exposure to radiation
Weak risk factors?
1) lack of fibre in diet
2) limited physical activity
3) Asbestos exposure
4) red meat (non-processed)
Classification to stage colorectal cancer?
DUKE’S!
A - limited to bowel wall (not beyond muscularis)
B - extends through bowel wall (beyond muscularis)
C - regional lymph nodes involved
D - distant mets
Another classification system?
TNM (tumour, node, mets)
Outline Ts in TNM? (Tis to T4)
Tis - carcinoma in situe/intramucosal cancer
T1 - extends through mucosa into submucosa
T2 - extends through submucosa to muscularis
T3 - extends through muscularis to subserosa
T4 - extends to neighbouring tissue/organs
Outline Ns in TNM (N0 to N2)
N0 - no regional lymph node involvement
N1 - mets to 1-3 regional lymph nodes
N2 - mets to 4+ regional lymph nodes
Outline Ms in TNM (M0 to M1)
M0 = no distant mets M1 = distant mets
Which patients benefit from adjuvant chemotherapy?
1) Duke’s Stage C
2) TNM Stage III (t1-4, n1-2, m0)
NHS screening programme?
- Faecal immunochemical test (FIT) every 2 years for men + women aged 60-74 years
- -> if +ve refer for colonoscopy
Aim of colorectal screening programme?
Detect cancer at early/asymptomatic stage, when it’s easier to treat patients & higher rate of survival
Urgent 2 weeks wait referral for possible colorectal cancer?
1) >40 w/ unexplained weight loss AND abdo pain
2) >50 w/ unexplained rectal bleeding
3) >60 w/ iron-deficiency anaemia OR changes in bowel habit
4) Proven faecal occult blood
Who might you perform a faecal occult blood test prior to referring?
1) >50 w/ unexplained abdo pain OR weight loss
2) >60 w/ anaemia
3) <60 w/ change to bowel habit OR iron deficient
Features?
- PR bleed
- abdo pain
- weight loss
- iron deficiency
- palpable mass
- tenesmus
- change in bowel habit/stool form (thin, small)
- abdo distension
- bowel obstruction
Initial diagnostic step?
Colonoscopy w/ biopsy
If risk of perforation then CT colonoscopy as alterantive
Investigation to stage?
CT chest, abdo, pelvis
Test to monitor response to interventions?
Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA)