Haematological cancers Flashcards
What are the B symptoms
- weight loss >10% in 6 months
- unexplained fever >38
- night sweats (requiring change of clothing)
What is leukaemia
- group of disorders characterised by accumulation of malignant white cells in the bone marrow and peripheral blood
- most common type is CLL
Describe the clinical features of CLL
- mean age 67-75
- most common 1st presentation is incidental finding of lymphcytosis
- Often associated w/ ITP and autoimmmune haemolytic anaemia
- vague hx of insidious onset recurrent infections, enlarge LNs, early satiety of abdo discomfort (enlarged spleen), tiredness and fatigue secondary to anaemia, mucocutaneous bleeding or petichae due to thrombocytopenia
- B symptoms are rare
- enlarged rubber lymph nodes and hepatosplenomegaly may be present on examination
How is CLL investigated and diagnosed?
- blood film needed for diagnosis- showing smudge cells
- FBC, U&E, clotting, LFT, CRP, bone profile, haematinics, retics, LDH also done
- Bone marrow aspirate and biopsy not required for diagnosis but helps to differentiate from ITP and thrombocytopenia from infiltration
- LN aspirate if suspicious nodes as can transform to high grade lymphoma
What are smudge cells?
- aretfacts of lymphocytes thatve been damaged during slide preparation
- seen in CLL
How is CLL managed?
- fludarabine +ritux + cyclophos 1st line
- other immuno and chemo also used
- steroids help with haemolysis
- radiotherapy for LNs and splenomegaly
- stem cell transplants in selected pts
- transfusions for anaemia
- IV immunoglobulins if recurrent infections
Describe the clinical features of chronic myeloid leukaemia
- 40-60yrolds
- most present with high WBC (usually neutrophilia >100)
- Hb usually low so often get anaemic, platelets low or normal
- some present with splenomegaly and associated abdo discomfort
- occasionally present with leukostasis (lung infiltration, priapism, amaurosis fugax)
- gout is common due to purine breakdown
- bleeding disorders sometimes due to thrombocytopenia
How should CML be diagnosed? (what are the key investigations and findings)
- cytogenetics of blood or bone marrow for Philadelphia chromosome (BCR ABL)
- Blood film showing neutrophilia, metamyelocytes, promyelocytes (myelocytes at varying stages of differentiation)
- other routine bloods
How is CML managed?
- allogenic stem cell transplant from HLA matched donor if young and fit
- otherwise tyrosine kinase inhibitors
- lymphoblastic transformation can be treated as ALL
- meyloblastic transformation need allogenic transplant as chemo rarely long lasting
What is acute lymphoblastic leukaemia?
Arrested maturation of B or T cells leading to uncontrolled proliferation of immature blast cells with bone marrow failure and tissue infiltration
- is aggressive and rapidly fatal but curable
What age group of ALL most common in?
- most common childhood cancer
- can occur in adults also however
- important association with xray exposure in pregnancy and downs
Describe the clinical features of ALL and AML?
Bone marrow failure:
- anaemia- sob, fatigue, palpitations, pallor
- neutropenia: increased risk and severity of infections, atypical infections such as PCP
- thrombocytopenia: DIC, petechiae, ecchymosis (bruising), bleeding
- leukostasis- resp distress, altered GCS, priaprism (more in AML than ALL)
- infiltration: testicular, lymph node, spleen, liver, CNS (CN palsies, meningism, CES)
- all acute/ subacute onset
How is ALL investigated/ diagnosed?
- characteristic blast cels seen on blood film and bone marrow
- CXR and CT for LN involvement (mediastinal are common)
- LP for CNS involvement
How is ALL managed?
- supportive: transfusions, IV fluids, allopurinol (prevents tumour lysis syndrome)
- neutropenic regime: prophylactic antivirals, fungals and biotics
- chemo: multi drug, different ones for remission induction and for consolidation/ maintainence
- Allogeneic marrow transplants: best option for standard risk pts, done after 1st remission
How is remission defined in ALL?
- no evidence of leukaemia in blood
- normal blood count
- <5% blast cells in normal regenerating marrow
What is AML
proliferative blast cells derived from marrow myeloid elements, progresses rapidly
- commonest leukemia in adults
How does AML present slightly differently to ALL
- leukostasis is more likely to be AML
- gum hypertrophy is classic sign
- can get skin involvement
- CNS involvement at diagnosis is rare
- AUER RODS SEEN in AML CELLS NOT IN ALL CELLS
How is AML investigated/ diagnosed and how is it differentiated from ALL?
- few blast cells in peripheral blood so diagnosis may require bone marrow biopsy, immunophenotyping and molecular methods
- AML differentiated from ALL on biopsy by auer rods seen in AML myeloblast cells
- cytogenetic analysis guides treatment
How is AML managed?
- supportive treatment same as for ALL
- chemo: very intense, long periods of neutropenia and thrombocytopenia
- bone marrow transplant and allogeneic transplants (stem cells collected from peripheral blood) and used after cylophosphamide + total body irradiation (kills all immune cells so transplanted can replace them in the marrow)
What is leukostasis and how does it present
- extremely high blast cell count and symptoms of decreased tissue perfusion due to white cells plugging the microvasculature
- usually presents with resp distress, fever, neuro signs (visual changes, headache, dizziness, tinnitus, confusion), MI, AKI, acute limb ischaemia, priaprism, bowel infarction
- will cause stroke if left
how is leukostasis managed?
stem cell transplants and cytoreduction with chemo (hydrocycarbamide) to bring down leukocyte count, can cause significant tumour lysis but necessary to prevent stroke
What is a myelodysplastic syndrome?
disorders causing immature blood cells in bone marrow not to mature- thought to be due to mutations in multipotent bone marrow stem cells. 30% transform to acute leukaemia (usually AML). lots of types, depending on specific changes seen in blood cells or bone marrow
how do myelodysplastic syndromes present?
- bone marrow failure (anaemia (low retics), thrombocytopenia, neutropenia)
- usually in 70s
- most is primary but can develop after chemo or radiotherapy
- increased bone marrow cellularity due to ineffective haematopoesis, ring sideroblasts may be seen on bone marrow
How are meylodysplastic syndromes managed?
- multiple blood and platelet transfusions
- allogeneic stem cell transplants are curative but pt is rarely fit enough
- low risk, not for transplant= lenolidamide
- high risk, not for transplant= chemo
What is lymphoma
Malignant disorders of lymphocytes, which usually accumulate in lymph nodes causing lymphadenopathy but may also be found in peripheral blood or infiltrate organs. Hisologically divided in hodgekins and non hodgekins then further subdivided
Describe the clinical features of lymphoma
- 2 peaks- young adult and elderly
- RFs inc fhx, EBV, SLE, post transplant
- Usually presents with an enlarged rubbery lymph node- usually cervical, axillary and inguinal less common. The node size can be variable and can become matted.
- 25% have B symptoms such as fever, night sweats, weight loss, lethargy
- Some get pruritis
- Can present with alcohol induced lymph node pain
- Mediastinal lymph node involvement can cause bronchial or SVC obstruction or pleural effusions
- Can have hepato or/ and splenomegaly
How is lymphoma investigated/ diagnosed?
- Lymph node excision biopsy or image guided needle biopsy, lapatomy or mediastinoscopy may be needed
- FBC, U&E, ESR, LFT, LDH, urate, bone profile and blood film needed
- CXR for mediastinal involvement
- CT/ PET CAP needed for staging
Describe the staging system for lymphoma
- Ann Arbor
I= single LN or extranodal site
II= 2 or more sites on same side of diaphragm
II1= regional LN involved
II2= distant LN involved
III= LNs detected on both sides of diaphragm
IV= disseminated disease and other extranodal sites (liver, marrow, abdo wal)
A= no systemic symptoms except pruritis
B= presence of B syptoms
E= localised extranodal involvement
How is hodgekins lymphoma managed?
- radiotherapy + short course chemo or stages Ia and IIa
- longer courses chemo for IIa through to IVb
- ABVD chemo regime cures 80%, more intense regimes if more aggressive/ worse prognosis
- high dose chemo and stem cell transplants in relapsed pts
Give 4 complications of hodgekins lymphoma and its treatment
- radiotherapy increases risk of other malignancies
- ischaemic heart disease
- hypothyroidism
- lung fibrosis
- chemo can cause myelosurpression, nausea, alopecia, infection
- non hodgekins lymphoma
- infertility
What is non hodgekins lymphoma and what are the commonest types
- diverse group of lymphoma without reed sternberg cells
- most derived from b cell lines
- diffuse large b cell lymphoma is most common
- not all go to nodes
Give 4 risk factors of non hodgekins lymphoma
- immunodeficiencies
- HTLV-1
- H. pylori
- toxins
- congenital
How may non hodgekins lymphoma present
- most present with superficial lymphadenopathy
Extranodal disease: - MALT tissue in stomach-= presents like gastric ca, caused by H pylori and will regress if treat as that
- non MALt gastric lymphoma- usually LBCL high grade
- small bowel- diarrhoea, vomiting, abdo pain
- skin- erythroderma
- waldeyers ring lymphomas can cause sore throat/ sleep apnoea
- systemic features less common and indicate systemic disease
- pancytopenia from marrow involvement (anaemia, bleeding, infections)
What is the difference in clinical course between high and low grade lymphomas, give examples of each
High grade- aggressive but curable (inc burkitts lymphoma, diffuse large b cell, ALL)
Low rade- indolent but less curable and often disseminated - follicular lymphomas, MALT lymphoma, lymphocytic lymphoma
How is non hodgekins lymphoma managed?
- Depends on subtype
- If low grade and symptomless- no treatment may indicated and you can wait till it starts growing fast/ causing problems, a course of radiotherapy may be curative if localised. Chemo can also be used. Remission can be maintained with rituximab. If disseminated, cure rates are low but people like for a long time with it.
- High grade lymphomas are usually treated with R- CHOP regime (rituximab, cyclophosphamide, hydroxydaunorubicin, vincristine (oncovin) and prednisolone.
- GCSF can help with neutropenias