Common Cancers & Management Flashcards
Which is the most common cancer in females?
Breast
1 in 12
Which are the two most common types of breast cancer
Invasive ductal carcinoma - 70-80%
Lobular carcinoma - 10%
What are the risk factors for breast cancer?
Increasing age
Oestrogen exposure: early menarche, late menopause, nulliparity
BRCA1/2
HER2
How is breast cancer diagnosed?
Fine needle biopsy
incisional or excisional biopsy
In breast cancer, what is meant when a tumour is described T3?
Invasive tumour size >5cm
In breast cancer, what is meant when a tumour is described T2?
Invasive tumour, size 2-5cm
In breast cancer, what is meant when nodes are described N3?
Internal mammary LN present
In breast cancer, what is meant when nodes are described N2?
Fixed axillary nodes present
What is stage 4 breast cancer?
Any T
Any N
M1 (distant mets)
BRCA2 increases the risk of which types of cancer?
Male & female breast cancer
BRCA1 increases risk of which types of cancer?
Breast & ovarian
What breast presentations would warrant urgent referral at any age?
Discrete hard lump with fixation +/- skin tethering
What breast presentation would warrant urge referral in women > 30
unexplained breast lump +/- pain
What must be assessed in all women having a lumpectomy? How does this affect treatment?
Sentinel LN biopsy
Determines use of adjuvant chemotherapy
Who with breast cancer will receive adjuvant chemotherapy?
All wide local excision pts
Large primary tumour >4cm
Presence of LN
Palliative - relieve sx E.g. bony mets
What treatment is available in breast cancer patients with an ER positive primary tumour?
What is the regimen?
NB: ER = oestrogen receptive
Tamoxifen
20mg per day for 2-5 years
Risk of endometrial cancer is increased with which drugs?
COCP
Tamoxifen
HRT
What are the 3 endocrine therapies available for breast cancer?
Tamoxifen
Aromatase inhibitors
Herceptin (trustazemab)
Which endocrine therapy is most beneficial for postmenopausal women with breast cancer?
Aromatase inhibitors - anastrazole, letrozole
What are the benefits + negatives of tamoxifen?
B: Decreased annual risk of recurrence & death
Decreased risk of contralateral breast cancer, even if initial cancer was not ER positive
N: inc. risk of thrombosis & endometrial cancer
What are the benefits + negatives of aromatase inhibitors
B: increased efficacy & decreased toxicity compared to tamoxifen
when switched from tamoxifen after menopause, further increased rates of disease free survival
N: osteoporosis
What are the 5 year survival rates of stage 1 breast cancer?
84%
What are the 5 year survival rates of stage 3 breast cancer?
48%
What are the 5 year survival rates of stage 2 breast cancer?
71%
What are the 5 year survival rates of stage 4 breast cancer?
18%
Chemotherapy reduces the risk of breast cancer recurrence by what %
28%
How common is colorectal cancer?
2nd most common after lung
What is the most common type of cololectal cancer?
Epithelial adenocarcinoma - 95%
Sigmoid - 2/3
Rectum - 1/3
What are the genetic risk factors for colorectal cancer?
HNPCC
FAP
APC
Gardner’s syndrome
What are the non-genetic risk factors for colorectal cancer?
High animal fat diet
Low fibre (increased transit time = increased exposure to carcinogens)
High red meat
UC/ Crohn’s
How does colorectal cancer usually spread?
local invasion
lymphatic
coelemic spread
Focal occult blood test is thought to reduce mortality by what %?
15-18%
What type of anaemia can be caused by colorectal ca?
Iron deficiency
What are the typical presentations for colorectal ca?
Weight loss Altered bowel habit rectal bleeding Vague abdo pain Obstruction/tenesmus
Which genetic mutations cause progression of benign adenomas to malignant in colorectal ca?
p53
RAS
DCC
What is offered to 55 year olds as part of the screening process for colorectal ca?
Sigmoidoscopy
What investigation is used to visualise the bowel in colorectal ca?
What is used to biopsy lesions?
Rigid sigmiodoscopy to 25cm
Flexible sigmoidoscopy & colonoscopy for biopsy
What tumour marker is raised in colorectal ca
What else can raise this marker?
CEA - carcino-embreyonic antigen
Smoking, IBD, hepatitis, gastritis, pancreatitis
What imaging is used to stage colorectal ca?
CT
What criteria is used in the staging of colorectal ca?
Duke’s
What age group is associated with an adverse prognosis in colorectal ca?
<40s
Associated with more aggressive form of cancer
What is the first line management of colorectal ca?
radical resection - may be curative for primary tumours
Improves survival in advanced disease
What surgery can be used to prevent obstructive lesions in colorectal ca?
Stent (palliative)
radiotherapy is used in which type of colorectal ca?
Rectal ca - can be used as primary treatment
Also used as neo-adjuvant/ adjuvant