Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

GI System > GI Malignancy > Flashcards

GI Malignancy Flashcards

1
Q

How common is bowel cancer?

A

The 4th most common cancer in the UK

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What are the 3 differential reasons for dysphagia? Which is the most likely to suggest malignancy?

A

Extramluminal - outside the lumen, compression from the lung and heart

Luminal - in the wall of the lumen, more likely to be malignant

Intraluminal - something stuck in the tube e.g. foreign bodies

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the red-flags for dysphagia?

A

ALARM

  • *A**naemia
  • *L**oss of weight
  • *A**norexia
  • *R**ecent onset of Progressive symptoms
  • *Masses/M**alaena
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the usual type of cancer of malignancies in the oesophagus?

A

Squamous cell carcinoma

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Why can the lower third of the oesophagus develop adenocarcinoma, despite the oesophagus normally being stratified squamous epithelium?

A

Barret’s oesophagus from GORD

Metaplasia from stratified squamous cells → columnar epithelium

Adenocarcinoma can therefore develop

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What are the risk factors for oesphageal carcinoma?

A
  • Smoking
  • Barrett’s oesophagus
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does oesphageal carcinoma typically present?

A

Progressive Dysphagia

Food gets stuck but liquids can flow round the tumour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How would you investigate dysphagia?

A

Barrium swallow

See narrowing of the oesphagus from tumour

Also take biopsy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are the red flags for gastric cancer?

A
  • epigastric pain with…
  • Malaena
  • Haematemesis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What are some of the common non-cancerous causes of epigastric pain?

A
  • Oesophageal varicies
  • Gastric Ulcer
  • Duodenal Ulcer
  • Acute Gastritis
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Which area of the stomach is most prone to gastric cancer?

A

The cardia or the antrum

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is the typical type of cancer in gastric cancer?

A

Adenocarcinoma

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are some of the risk factors for gastric cancer?

A
  • Smoking
  • High salt diet- causes irritation to stomach lining
  • Family history
  • Helicobacter Pylori
  • Any form of chronic inflammation puts you at higher risk of malignancy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the prognosis of gastric cancer?

A

Generally poor

  • 10% 5 year survival
  • Increases to 50% after ‘curative’ surgery
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Descibe Gastric Lymphoma

A
  • Cancer of MALT tissue (muscus associated lymph tissue)
  • Mostly associated with H. Pylori
  • Prognosis better than gastric cancer
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What kind of cancer are Gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs)?

A
  • Sarcomas (not epithelial) - soft tissue malignancy
  • Tend to be an incidental finding on endoscopy
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are some of the red flag symptoms associated with jaundice?

A
  • Hepatomegaly with irregular border
  • Unintentional weight loss
  • Painless
  • Ascites
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Is the main type of cancer in the liver?

A

Secondary metastasis from lung, breast, skin, renal, prostate

All metastasise to the liver due to the portal venous system

Primary malignancy, Hepatocellular carcinoma is rare

19
Q

How does cancer spread to the liver?

A
  • Haemotogenous spread via portal system
  • Lymphatics - common in carcinoma
  • Spread from other systems
    • ovarian- transcoelomic
    • breast
    • lung
20
Q

How does the presentation of pancreatic cancer change dependent on whereabouts in the pancreas the tumour is?

A
  • Head of pancreas - post hepatic jaundice (compresses common bile duct)
  • Body/ Tail: symptoms more vague, realted to function of pancreas e.g. steatorrhea from lack of lipase
21
Q

Give some risk factors for developing pancreatic cancer

A
  • Family history
  • Smoking
  • Men > Women
  • Incidence increaes with age >60
  • Chronic pancreatitis
22
Q

What are the 3 key symptoms of lower GI malignancy?

A
  1. Obstruction
  2. Per Rectum bleeding
  3. Change in bowel habit
23
Q

What general symtpoms might a patient with obstruction in the lower bowel present with?

A
  • Abdominal distension
  • Abdominal pain
24
Q

What diameter of the bowel is abnormal and would warrant further investigation?

A

Abnormal if:

  • small bowel >3 cm
  • large bowerl > 6cm
  • caecum > 9cm
25
Q

What are the differential diagnosis for bowel obstruction?

A
  • Volvulus
  • Diverticular disease
  • Hernia
  • Strictures
  • Intusseception
  • Pyloric stenosis
  • Malignancy
26
Q

How do symptoms of obstruction differ depending on whether the large or the small bowel is affected?

A
  • small bowel (up to duodenum) will be nausea and vomiting
  • Large bowel will be constiption (absolute i.e. can’t pass wind or fecal matter)
27
Q

What red flag symptoms accompanying obstruction would suggest malignancy?

A
  • unintentional weight loss
  • unexplained abdominal pain
28
Q

What are the differential diagnosis for PR bleeding?

A
  • Haemorrhoids
  • Anal fissues
  • Infective Gastroenteritis
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Diverticular disease
  • Malignancy
29
Q

What red flag symptoms can accompany PR bleeding?

A
  • Age > 50 yrs send ASAP for investigation
  • Iron deficiency anaemia
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • Change in bowel habit
  • Tenesmus - feeling the need to evacuate bowels but not being able to do so due to blockage
30
Q

What symptoms might a patient desribe for a change in bowel habit?

A

Change in frequency: Diarrhoea or constipation

Change in consistancy: more watery?

Associated symptoms: bloating or abdominal comfort

31
Q

What are some of the differential diagnosis for a change in bowel habits?

A
  • Thyroid disorder
  • IBD
  • Medication related
  • IBS
  • Coeliac disease
32
Q

What red flag symptoms accompany a change in bowel habit?

A
  • Age
  • Iron deficient anaemia
  • Unexplained weight loss
  • PR bleeding
33
Q

What kind of cancer is large bowel cancer?

A

Adenocarcinoma

34
Q

What are the risk factors for develiping large bowel cancer?

A
  • Family history
  • Inflammatory bowel disease
  • Polyposis syndroms e.g. FAP, HNPCC
  • Poor diet
  • Sedentary lifestyle
35
Q

What screening programme exists to screen for large bowel cancer?

A

Faecal occult blood samples, checks for occult blood in stool

If positive, invited for colonoscopy

36
Q

How can polyps develop to adenocarcinoma?

A
37
Q

How does large bowel cancer present if it’s in the ascending colon (right sided)?

A
  • weight loss
  • anaemia from occult bleeding
  • less likely to have bowel obstuction
  • mass in right iliac fossa
  • late changes in bowel habits
  • more advanced disease at presentation
  • Fungating - looks like a polpy on a stalk
38
Q

How does large bowel cancer present if it’s in the descending colon (left sided)?

A
  • weight loss
  • rectal bleeding
  • bowel obstruction
  • tenesmus
  • mass in left iliac fossa
  • early change in bowel habits
  • less advanced at time of presentation
  • ‘stenosing’ - grows around the lumen
39
Q

What is the apple coar sign?

A

A sign on imaging that shows stenosing tumours i.e. growth around the lumen

40
Q

What are the 5 types of small bowel cancer?

A
  • Stromal
  • Lymphoma
  • Adenocarcinoma
  • Sarcoma
  • Carcinoid tumours (of neuroendocrine secretions)
41
Q

Give some risk factors for small bowel cancer

A
  • IBD
  • Coeliac disease
  • FAP (Familial Adenomatous Polyposis)
  • Diet
42
Q

What are some of the symtpoms of small bowel cancer?

A
  • unexplained weight loss
  • abdominal pain
  • blood in stools
43
Q

How do you stage most of the GI tract cancers (except for the colon)

A

TNM staging

44
Q

Which staging is used specifically for colon cancer?

A

Duke’s staging

GI System (15 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions