Hematology and Oncology

Question 1

What is the difference between benign vs. malignant tumors?

Answer 1

Benign is unregulated growth but does not invade or spread unlike malignant tumors will invade and spread

Question 2

What is angiogenesis?

Answer 2

Ability to grow new blood vessels

Question 3

Is cancer usually inherited or acquired?

Answer 3

Acquired

Question 4

Are BRCA genes oncogenes or tumor suppressor genes that have been mutated to cause cancer?

Answer 4

Tumor suppressor genes

Question 5

What are the top three cancers resulting in death for men?

Answer 5

Lung cancers
Prostate cancer
Colorectal cancer

Question 6

What are the top three cancers resulting in death for women?

Answer 6

Lung cancer
Breast cancer
Colorectal

Question 7

What is the most common cancer diagnosis?

Answer 7

Breast cancer (10% of cases are men)

Question 8

What is the most common cancer in children less than 14?

Answer 8

Acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL)

Question 9

What is the main risk factor for cancer?

Answer 9

Age (median age of diagnosis is 66, and median age at cancer death is 72)

Question 10

What is the most preventable cause of cancer?

Answer 10

Tobacco

Question 11

What are some of the modifiable risk factors of cancer?

Answer 11

Obesity
Sun exposure
Alcohol (head and neck cancers)
Infections (HPV)
Physical Activity
Diet
Vitamins
Environmental Exposures

Question 12

What is needed for the definitive diagnosis for cancer?

Answer 12

Biopsy, you need tissue

(It is not cancer until tissue tells you)

Question 13

What is the TMN system in staging cancer?

Answer 13

Tumor
Nodes
Metastases

Question 14

When are cancer markers used?

Answer 14

Used to confirm diagnosis, not used for screening

Question 15

When is MRI used first line for imaging?

Answer 15

Neurological related cancers (brain/spinal cord)

Question 16

What is the typical first line imaging modality in working up cancers?

Answer 16

CT

Question 17

What is adjuvant therapy?

Answer 17

Therapy given after primary tumor has been removed

Question 18

What is neo-adjuvant therapy?

Answer 18

Therapy given before primary tumor has been removed

Question 19

What are the three main kinds of radiation therapy?

Answer 19

External Beam
Brachytherapy
Systemic

Question 20

What is the mechanism of external beam radiation therapy?

Answer 20

Beams of radiation aimed at a tumor within patient

Question 21

What is the mechanism of brachytherapy radiation therapy?

Answer 21

Encapsulated sources of radiation implanted into a tumor

Question 22

What is the mechanism of systemic radiation therapy?

Answer 22

Inject radio nucleotides that are targeted to a tumor (I 131 for thyroid cancer, swallowing a radioactive pill)

Question 23

What are some of the side effects of chemotherapy?

Answer 23

Bone Marrow Suppression
Nausea/Vomiting
Neuropathy
Cardiac Toxicity
Cold Intolerance
Mucositis
Hair loss
Decreased fertility/premature menapouse
Development of secondary malingancies

Question 24

What is an emergent and possible life-threatening side effect of chemotherapy?

Answer 24

Neutropenic Fever (neutrophil count less than 500)

Question 25

What are some of the risk factors for immune system activators, like Keytruda?

Answer 25

Cause “itis’s” - cholitis etc.

Question 26

Hospice is what kind of care?

Answer 26

End of life care