Exam 4 -- Oncology Flashcards
True or false: cancer is the #2 cause of death in the US.
True.
Which gender has a higher prevalence of cancer?
Male
What is the median age of onset of cancer?
66 years (random connection: the overall 5 year survival rate is about 66%)
Which ethnicity has a higher prevalence of cancer?
African American
What are the three most common types of cancer in men?
In order of decreasing prevalence: prostate, lung, colorectal
What are the three most common types of cancer in women?
In order of decreasing prevalence: breast, lung, colorectal
True or false: proto-oncogenes are normal genes
True; it’s when they have some sort of mutation that they can become oncogenes.
What are oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes?
Oncogenes are genes that inappropriately stimulate cell growth; tumor suppressor genes inhibit abnormal cell growth.
What is the two-hit theory?
People born with a mutation in an allele for a gene that can lead to cancer have one “hit” already, and only need one more “hit” from the environment in order to have a much higher chance of developing cancer.
What are some oncogenes and their related cancers? (The ones bolded in the lecture.)
Her-2 (breast), Philadelphia chromosome (CML), JAK2 (polycythemia vera)
What are some tumor suppressor genes and their related cancers? (The ones bolded in the lecture.)
RB1 (retinoblastoma), BRCA1/BRCA2 (breast)
What suffix to a name indicates a malignant tumor?
The suffixes “-carcinoma” and “-sarcoma” indicate malignant, whereas “-oma” by itself indicates a benign tumor. For example, osteoma is a benign tumor while osteosarcoma indicates a malignant tumor.
What is metaplasia? Give an example of when this happens.
Metaplasia is change from one type of mature cell type to another mature cell type. Example: change in the lungs of a smoker from ciliated columnar to stratified squamous. Something similar can also happen with gastric reflux.
What is dysplasia?
Dysplasia is a change from a mature cell type to an immature cell type.
True or false: neoplasia, metaplasia, and dysplasia are all reversible.
False; neoplasia is irreversible, while metaplasia and dysplasia are indeed reversible.
What are the two different types of radiation therapy discussed in class?
External beam radiation (beam of radiation directly over the site) and brachytherapy (radioactive pellets on a plaque, then attached to the site)
What are some drugs used for chemotherapy?
Chlorambucil, cyclophosphamide, cisplatin, methotrexate, hydroxyurea, 5-Fluorouracil, mitomycin C. Dr. Ooley implied that we just need to recognize that these (the bolded terms) are chemo drugs, and that they interfere with the cell cycle. Not 100% sure how accurate that statement is though.
Besides chemotherapy, what other options exist to treat cancer?
Biologic/targeted therapy (rituximab, traztuzumab, bevacizumab), targeted therapy with tyrosine kinase inhibitors, gene therapy, hormonal therapy (tamoxifen), steroids.
Of the cancers that both men and women can get (i.e., not testicular/prostate or ovarian/endometrial/cervical, etc.), men have the higher prevalence of prostate, lung, liver, pancreatic, bladder, and osteosarcoma. Women have the higher prevalence of breast and meningioma. Colorectal doesn’t have prevalences mentioned.
Free card, if it helps.
Is the 5-year survival rate for breast cancer with treatment high or low?
High (90%)
Is the 10-year survival rate for prostate cancer with treatment high or low?
High (75%), but low (35%) if there has been metastasis
Is the 5-year survival rate for lung cancer with treatment high or low?
Low: 30-50% for NSCLC, 5-10% for SCLC
Is the 5-year survival rate for colorectal cancer with treatment high or low?
High (75-90%), but low (6-10%) if there has been metastasis
Is the 5-year survival rate for liver cancer with treatment high or low?
Low (15%)
Is the 5-year survival rate for pancreatic cancer with treatment high or low?
Low (3-15%)
Is the 5-year survival rate for cervical cancer with treatment high or low?
Medium high (68%)
Is the 5-year survival rate for uterine cancer with treatment high or low?
High (80%) if caught in early stages
Is the 5-year survival rate for ovarian cancer with treatment high or low?
Medium (44%)
Is the 5-year survival rate for bladder cancer with treatment high or low?
High (77%)
Is the overall 5-year survival rate for brain cancer with treatment high or low? What about glioblastoma specifically
Low (33%); even lower for glioblastoma (10%)
Is the 5-year survival rate for bone cancer with treatment high or low?
Medium to high (60-80%)
Which cancers tend to occur in older (i.e., above 50 years) people? [By “tend” I mean either the average or the median, according to Dr. Ooley’s lecture.]
Breast, prostate, lung, colorectal, liver, pancreatic, uterine, ovarian, bladder
Which cancers tend to occur in younger (i.e., below 50 years) people? [By “tend” I mean either the average or the median, according to Dr. Ooley’s lecture.]
Cervical, testicular, bone
Which cancers were mentioned as being more prevalent in Caucasians?
Breast, bladder, testicular
Which cancers were mentioned as being more prevalent in African Americans?
Prostate, pancreatic, osteosarcoma
What breast cancer screening protocol is recommended for women?
Mammogram every two years after age 50.
What drugs can be used to treat breast cancer?
Herceptin and tamoxifen
What prostate cancer screening protocol is recommended?
Starting at age 50, prostate specific antigen (PSA; >4ng/ml is suspicious), also digital rectal exam (DRE)
What vaccine has been approved to treat a cancer, and which cancer is it approved for?
Provenge (for prostate cancer)
What cancer is the most common malignant tumor worldwide?
Lung cancer
What lung cancer screening protocol is recommended?
CT scan for patients between the age of 55-77 years who were/are 1 pack/day for 30 years (or equivalent) and who stopped smoking less than 15 years ago or are still currently smoking
What are the two types of lung cancers we need to remember from class? Which is more prevalent overall? Which is more common for non smokers to get?
Non small cell carcinoma (most common) and small cell carcinoma. Non small cell is the most common for non smokers.
What is a Pancoast tumor, and what ocular condition can it cause?
A lung tumor at the apex of the lung. It can cause Horner’s syndrome.
What colorectal cancer screening protocol is recommended?
Colonoscopy every 10 years starting at age 50
Know that the main diagnostic tool for colorectal cancer is colonoscopy.
Free card.
Most hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer) is due to what?
Chronic Hepatitis B or C
How is liver cancer diagnoised?
Ultrasound or CT/MRI, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), biopsy
True or false: pancreatic cancer is a very common type of cancer.
False; it only accounts for 3% of cancers
True or false: smoking is highly associated with pancreatic cancer.
True.
What virus is present in nearly every case of cervical cancer?
HPV
What risk factors are associated with cervical cancer?
Early sexual activity, multiple partners, STDs, oral contraceptives.
What cervical cancer screening protocol is recommended?
PAP smear every three years starting at age 21
What vaccines are available to try and help prevent cervical cancer?
Cervarix and gardasil
What are some of the risk factors for uterine cancer?
Estrogen, tamoxifen, early menarche and later menopause, fewer pregnancies/older age at first pregnancy, polycystic ovarian syndrome. (These are pretty much the same risk factors for ovarian cancer.)
True or false: ovarian cancer is the most common cause of gynecologic cancer death
True.
What are the risk factors for testicular cancer?
Undescended testicles, HIV/AIDS
Which type of brain cancer is the most common malignant brain tumor?
Glioblastoma.
Which type of brain cancer accounts for 1/3 of brain tumors?
Meningioma
Which brain tumor is the most common ocular tumor in adults?
Meningioma
Ocular melanoma is commonly the result of metastasis from what sites?
Breast or lung
