Lec 6: Colon Cancer Flashcards
General Trends and Incidence of Colon Cancer
- It’s the 4th most common cancer
- It’s the 2nd cause of cancer death in both men and women!
- Stage at Diagnosis: mostly it is localized (have not spread outside of the colon)
- 5 year survival rate is higher if caught at localized stage! Caught early = higher survival rate. survival drastically drop when metastasized
Risk factors: NON-MODIFIABLE (things you cannot change)
Risk Factors: MODIFIABLE (things you can change)
Risk Factors (familial syndromes): LYNCH SYNDROME
Risk Factors (familial syndromes): FAP
Screening: Average Risk
NOTE: Sign and symptoms of CRC such as iron deficiency anemia, rectal bleeding, or changes in bowel habits warrant prompt evaluation with colonoscopy
Screening: Increased Risk/ High Risk? (know general)
NOTE: Just know that screening is more frequent in people with high risk!
What is the most appropriate colon cancer screening plan for a 56 year old average risk man who is seen for the first time in his primary care doctors office for an annual wellness exam who absolutely refuses a colonoscopy?
A) No screening needing at this time
B) Flexible sigmoidoscopy every 6 months for 5 years
C) Colonoscopy every 10 years
D) Stool-based, high-sensitivity guaiac-based or immunochemical based test every year
D… for pt, who’s adamant about no colonoscopy!
Signs and Symptoms of colon cancer
- A change in bowel habits
- A feeling the need to have a bowel movement that is not relieved by doing so
- Rectal bleeding with bright red blood
- Dark stools, or blood in the stool
- Cramping or abdominal pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Unintended weight loss
- Tumor marker elevation
- Carcinoembryonic Antigen (CEA)
.
NOTE: these symp are v general so sometimes patients do not seek help!
Early Stage Colon Cancer (I, II, III) Goal and treatment? (general)
Goal: Cure
.
Treatment Modalities:
1.) Surgery –> Resection of primary tumor and sampling of lymph nodes…. Minimum of 12 lymph nodes needed for complete sampling
2.) Chemotherapy
- Adjutant (after surgery)
- Eradicate micro-metastatic disease
- Improve disease free survival
3.) Radiation - Minimal role in colon cancer.. will not focus on this
Early Stage Colon Cancer (I, II, III): Chemotherapy Regimens (Adjuvant Chemotherapy) - chart of different medications/ dosing/ SIG
Early Stage Colon Cancer (I, II, III) Adjuvant Chemotherapy: duration? standard of care? benefits?
Early Stage Colon Cancer Treatment Recommendation
-Stage I
- Surgery: Removal of primary tumor and regional lymph nodes
- Observation/Surveillance: No adjuvant therapy !!!
Early Stage Colon Cancer
Treatment Considerations: Stage II
HIGH RISK OF RECURRENCE
- <12 lymph nodes collected (less than 12)
- Poorly differentiated histology
- Lymphatic/vascular/perineural invasion
- Bowel obstruction
- Localized perforation
- Close, indeterminate, or positive surgical margins
- T4 disease
Early Stage Colon Cancer
Treatment Considerations: Stage II
DEFECTIVE DNA MISMATCH REPAIR (dMMR)
Early Stage Colon Cancer
Treatment Recommendation
Stage IIA and no high risk factors:
Treatment for Stage IIA and no high risk factors:
- Surgery: Removal of primary tumor and regional lymph nodes
- Observation/Surveillance and No adjuvant therapy
.
May consider adjuvant treatment (if drs look at cancer cells and were like ‘wow these are screwed up cells. very differentiated’ then may put patient on meds)
- 5-FU/leucovorin (6 months of treatment)
- Capecitabine (6 months of treatment)
Early Stage Colon Cancer
Treatment Recommendation
Stage IIA with high risk factors, IIB and IIC:
MOSAIC Trial: talk about it .. what did they concluded/ findings?
Looked at patients with Stage II and III colon cancer getting adjuvant treatment (Compared 5-FU alone vs 5-FU + oxaliplatin (FOLFOX-4))
.
Stage II patients: No difference in disease free survival or overall survival
.
Stage III patient: where the benefit of adding oxaliplatin was seen!