Colorectal cancer Flashcards
1
Q
What is the risk factors for colorectal carcinoma?
A
- Diet deficient in fibre
- inflammatory disease
- Familial association, HNPCC, FAP
2
Q
Where is the most common anatomical areas for it to present? what type of tumour are they most commonly?
A
- rectum (40%)
- sigmoid colon (20%)
- caecum (6%)
- adenocarcinoma
3
Q
how does it normally spread?
A
- local invasion
- lymphatics
4
Q
how might they present? (5)
A
- altered bowel habit
- weight loss
- rectal bleeding
- vague abdominal pain
- fatigue
5
Q
What investigations should be done?
What tumour marker is a useful measurement although not diagnostic?
A
- rectal examination
- sigmoidoscopy
- CT scan
- bloods (iron deficiency anaemia)
- CEA
6
Q
What is the surgical management and why?
A
- radical resection, because of risk of unsuspected nodal metastases
- surgery or colonic stenting may be useful in the palliative setting
7
Q
What are the uses of radiotherapy in colon cancer?
A
- common in rectal carcinoma but not others due to toxicity of adjacent organs
- metastatic bone disease may also respond to palliative radiotherapy
8
Q
What role does chemotherapy play in colon cancer?
A
- adjuvant chemotherapy
- 6 months increases long term survival from 40-60% in Duke’s C
9
Q
what is the staging system called?
A
- Duke’s staging
10
Q
what kind of national screening procedure is there?
A
- faecal occult blood testing
