Lung Cancer Flashcards
1
Q
Risk factors for lung cancer
A
- cigarette smoking - 90% of lung cancer, precursor lesions of meta/dysplasia
- industrial carcinogens - radioactive material, asbestos, heavy metals etc
2
Q
Classification of lung cancer
A
- Small Cell Carcinoma (20%)
- Non-small cell carcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Adenocarcinoma
- Others
3
Q
Routes of spread of lung cancer (4)
A
- Local - lung, pleura, mediastinum, chest wall
- Lymphatic - lymph nodes
- Transcoelomic - pleural & pericardial effusions
- Hematogenous
4
Q
Features of squamous cell carcinoma of the lung
A
- commoner in males, smokers
- hilar location, large, central necrosis & cavitation, locally invasive
- squamous differentiation, keratin pearls
5
Q
Features of adenocarcinoma of the lung
A
- equal gender incidence, not as closely linked with smoking
- peripherally located, less rapid growing than SCC, scarring, pleural involvement, glandular differentiation
- growth patterns: acinar, papillary, sold with mucin production, bronchioalveolar carcinoma (spreads along alveolar septa, looks like consolidation on XR)
6
Q
Features of small cell carcinoma of the lung
A
- high association with smoking
- usually hilar, central masses
- small neoplastic cells (oat cells, lymphocyte-like)
- scant cytoplasm, ill-defined cell borders, finely granular nuclear chromatin (salt & pepper), no glandular/squamous organization, extensive necrosis
- good response to chemo but likely to relapse, poor prognosis
7
Q
Paraneoplastic syndromes of the lung
A
- Endocrine - SIADH, ectopic ACTH secretion, hypercalcemia
- Neurological - hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy