Colorectal cancer Flashcards
What are the risk factors for sporadic cases of colorectal cancer?
Age
Male
Previous adenoma/colorectal cancer
Environmental influences- diet, obesity, lack of exercise, smoking, diabetes mellitus
What are the risk factors for colorectal cancer?
Familial risk
Inherited conditions
Underlying IBC
What do the majority of colorectal cancers arise from?
Existing colorectal polyps
What are colorectal polyps?
Protuberant growths with a variety of histological types, which can be epithelial or mesenchymal, benign or malignant
What are adenomas?
Benign, premalignant, epithelial growths which can develop to tumours
How do adenomas develop to tumours?
Activation of oncogenes
Loss of tumour suppressor genes
Defective DNA repair pathway genes
What are the main histological types of adenomas?
Tubular
Villous
What is the usual presentation of colorectal cancer?
Rectal bleeding
Altered bowel habits
Iron deficiency anaemia- in men and non menstruating women
Palpable rectal or lower right abide mass
Acute colonic obstruction
Weight loss, anorexia
What investigations are carried out for colorectal cancer?
Colonoscopy- gold standard
Imaging- barium enema, CT colonography
CT abdo/pelvis
What are the risks of colonoscopy?
Perforation
Bleeding
What are the benefits of a colonoscopy?
Diagnostic and therapeutic-
Biopsy can be taken
Polypectomy can be carried out
How is colorectal cancer staged?
CT
MRI for rectal tumours
PET or rectal endoscopic ultrasound
What classification systems are used for colorectal cancer?
TMN
Dukes
What is Dukes classification of colorectal cancer?
A= tumour confined to mucosa B= tumour extended through mucosa to muscle layer C= involvement of lymph nodes D= distant metastases
What are the treatment options for colorectal cancer?
Surgery
Chemo
Radiotherapy