Lung Cancer Flashcards

1
Q

Causes of haemoptysis

A

Lung cancer
Pulmonary embolism
Pneumonia
Tuberculosis

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2
Q

Red flags in respiratory

A

Chest pain
Loss of appetite
Haemoptysis
Weight loss
Persistent cough

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3
Q

Risk factor for lung cancer

A

Smoking
Asbestos
Air pollution
Pulmonary fibrosis
Radon
Emphysema/COPD

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4
Q

Significance of fingernail clubbing

A

Physical sign of disease with heart and lung

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5
Q

What does tracheal deviation (to the left side) show

A

Increased pressure on right side (pneumothorax) or reduced volume on left side (lobar collapse)

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6
Q

What dull percussion note indicate

A

Air is not in that area (lobar collapse) or it is filled with consolidation

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7
Q

What does diminished breath sound show

A

The air cannot travel maybe due to collapse or consolidation is covering area leading to increased thickness of chest wall

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8
Q

What does reduced vocal resonance show

A

Decreased transmission due to increase of air/fluid outside the lung or collapse

If increased it suggests increased tissue density

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9
Q

What are the type of drugs used in cancer treatment

A

Conventional chemotherapy (cytotoxic, directly targeting DNA structure)
Targeted agents (small molecules designed to interact with a defined molecular target)
Hormonal therapies (capitalise on the biochemical pathways underlying estrogen and androgen function)
Biologic therapies (macromolecules e.g monoclonal antibodies)

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10
Q

What are the principles of chemotherapy

A

Cytotoxic agent

Work on basis of differential kill (normal cell recovers while cancer cells die when damaged)

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11
Q

What are the types of curative treatment

A

Adjuvant treatment (preventative treatment after surgery)

Neo-adjuvant treatment (primary medical, before surgery)

Concurrent treatment (with radiotherapy)

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12
Q

Use of cytotoxic drugs

A

They kill both cancer and normal cells
Generally more rapidly growing tumours are more likely to respond

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13
Q

Types of chemotherapy work better in different phases of the cell cycle

A
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14
Q

What are anti tumour antibiotics

A

Work by interfering with DNA function also inhibition of certain enzymes such as topoisomerase

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15
Q

How to alkylating drugs work

A

They form methyl cross bridges between 2 strands of dna base pairs, this prevents dna from separating in cell division

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16
Q

What are antimetabolites

A

They trick cancer cells into using the drug instead of the molecules it needs to make the genetic material to replicate, or DNA

17
Q

What are the plant derived cytotoxic drugs

A

Vinca-alkaloids inhibit the formation of mitotic spindles by binding to the protein Tubulin e.g. Vincristine, Vindesine, Vinblastine and Vinorelbine.

Epidophyllotoxins
interfere with Topoismerase 2 action
e.g. Etoposide

Taxanes
inhibit mitosis by promoting a disorganized and stabilized
assembly of microtubules. E.g. Taxol

18
Q

Side effects of chemotherapy drugs

A

Chemotherapy drugs not selective to cancer
cells, rapidly dividing cells most affected by
treatment
Bone Marrow Gastrointestinal tract Hair follicles Reproductive organs Skin

19
Q

What is hormone therapy

A

• Cancers that are hormone sensitive or hormone dependent need hormones to grow or develop.
• Hormone therapies influence the hormone secreting organs and reduce their ability to produce them.

20
Q

How do biological treatments work and what are the types

A

They may
• Stop cancer cells from dividing and growing
• Seek out cancer cells and kill them
• Encourage the immune system to attack cancer cells

Monoclonal antibodies Anti-angiogenics Cancer growth blockers Immunotherapy Cancer vaccines

21
Q

How do anti-angiogenics work

A

Drugs that block blood vessel growth factor block vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). This stops the blood vessels from growing. So tumour will lack blood and die

22
Q

How do cancer growth blockers work

A

• Block various intracellular pathways that lead to cell replication
• Continuous treatment until disease progression

23
Q

How do immunotherapies (check point inhibitors work)

A

• Cancer can suppress the immune response which can seriously undermine the clinical efficacy of cancer therapies
• Therapies are being designed that specifically target mechanisms of cancer immune evasion.
• Attacking and ‘unblocking’ the suppressed immune response - mobilisation of T cells leading to cell kill.

24
Q

Immunotherapy mechanism and methods

A

Mechanism:
• Stimulating innate immunity ( e.g BCG treatment)
• Removing check points of immune suppression.

Methods:
slows growth
stop spreading
helps immune system better destroy rogue cells

Types:
T cell therapy
vaccines (HPV,BCG)
oncolytic virus
monoclonal antibodies

25
Types of radiation
Non-ionizing radiation is low energy. We use it to carry signals to our radios. TVs, and cell phones. Ionizing radiation is high energy. We use it for medical X-rays. Its high energy can cause disease or it can treat disease.
26
Ionising radiation can be split into
Electromagnetic • X-rays • Gamma rays Particulate • Electrons • Protons • Neutrons • Alpha particles
27
TYPES OF RADIOTHERAPY
• External beam radiotherapy, where radiation is delivered by machines such as linear accelerators. • Brachytherapy where radioactive substances and placed in the vicinity of cancer to deliver radiation.
28
How do you localise tumours for radiotherapy
• Extensive use of CT scans to visualise both the tumour and any healthy organs at risk from the radiation • Use computer simulation to plan the treatment, deciding on number of treatment beams, size, shape, direction etc.
29
Molecular radiotherapy is used when…
When the body has an affinity to certain molecules. E.g thyroid has high affinity for iodine so radioactive iodine is ingested to treat thyroid cancer