Lung cancer Flashcards
What is an angiosarcoma?
A primary cancer forming within the blood and lymph vessels, manifesting as a malignancy of vascular endothelial cells.
What is a myxoma?
A tumour of connective tissue can grow within the cardiac chambers leading to occlusion of blood flow
Why are cardiac cancers rare?
Relatively low cellular exposure to carcinogens compared to that with the lungs
Low turnover rate –> Cardiac myocytes divide very rarely (Growth is due to hyperplastic mechanisms, whereby the individual cell grows).
There is a strong selective advantage
What impact does a strong selective advantage in the heart have in terms of cancers?
Abnormal cells with incorrect architecture are selected against to minimise the risk of compromising cardiac function
What are the common causes of lung cancer?
Passive smoking Asbestos exposure Radon Indoor cooking fumes --> wood, smoke, frying fats Chronic lung diseases (COPD, fibrosis) Immunodeficiency (HIV) Familial/genetic
Which cancer is centrally located, originating in the bronchial epithelium?
Squamous cell carcinoma
Which cells are implicated in an adenocarcinoma?
Adenocarcinoma originate from the mucous-producing glandular tissue, located more peripherally in the lung.
Which type of cancer is typically associated with a large cell lung cancer?
Undifferentiated heterogenous cancers
Which cells are involved in a small cell lung cancer?
Originate from pulmonary neuroendocrine cells that are highly malignant
Which lung cancers are classified as non-small cell lung cancers?
Squamous cell carcinoma
Adenoma carcinoma
Large cell lung cancer
What is metaplasia?
Refers to the reversible change in which one adult cell is replaced by another adult cell type: adaptive in response to physiological changes
What is dysplasia?
Dysplasia refers to an abnormal pattern of growth in which aspects of cellular and architectural features of malignancy are present, this is considered to be the pre-invasive stage with an intact basement membrane (no invasion).
• Dysplasia is not reversible.
What is an invasive carcinoma?
An invasive carcinoma is concerned with an abnormal uncontrolled growth of cancerous cell, with invasion of neighbouring tissues and the ability to metastasise (Secondary growth formation).
Which type of intracellular enzyme is involved with lung cancer?
Tyrosine kinases
What function is performed by tyrosine kinases?
Tyrosine kinases are mediators of signal transduction during the cell cycle controlling cell proliferation, differentiation, and apoptosis.
Which oncogene mutation is involved with adenocarcinoma? (15-30% of the time).
epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase
What is the epidemiology of the EGFR tyrosine kinase mutation?
Mutation in 15-30% of adenocarcinoma
More so in women, Asian ethnicity, never smokers
Which lung cancer oncogene mutation is concerned with smoking?
BRAF (downstream cell-cycle signalling mediator).
What are the four main oncogenes concerned with lung cancer?
Epidermal growth factors receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinases
Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) tyrosine kinase
C-ROS oncogene 1 (ROS1) receptor tyrosine kinases
BRAF (downstream cell-cycle signalling mediator)
What are the symptoms with lung cancer?
Cough Dyspnoea Haemoptysis Chest/shoulder pain Weight loss fatigue
Symptoms are non-specific
What are the neurological features of metastatic disease?
Neurological features : focal weakness, seizures (brain metastases), spinal cord decompression
What are the paraneoplastic features of metastatic disease?
Paraneoplastic syndromes:
• Clubbing, hypercalcaemia of malignancy, hyponatremia, Cushing’s (Ectopic release of ACTH).
What are the three main features of metastatic disease?
Neurological features
Bone pain (PTH related peptides, ectopic release from lung cancer)
Paraneoplatic syndrome
What are the four main signs of metastatic lung cancer?
Finger clubbing
Cachexia
Horner’s syndrome
Pemberton’s sign
Why does finger clubbing occur in metastatic disease?
Clubbing of the distal digits and nails due to low oxygen saturation inducing vasodilation
What is cachexia in metastatic disease?
Muscle atrophy of weight loss due to reduced nutritional intake and catabolism from tumour