Lung Cancer Flashcards
What is Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Lymphoma that begins in lymphocytes (T-cells and B-cells), often caused by Epson-Barre Virus (EBV)
What is a key symptom of Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Enlarged lymph nodes in neck, under arm, or groin
What are PET scans used for?
Uses mildly radioactive drug to show areas of the body that are more metabolically active than normal, so can show where cancer is present in the body (very accurate)
What is an adenocarcinoma?
Malignant tumour formed in glands and epithelia
What do elevated levels of EGFR and ALK indicate?
They would suggest that cancerous cells are present because both of these are involved in abnormal cell proliferation
What is the TMN classification system?
. Tumour Metastases Nodes
. Used to judge stage and grade of a tumour
What tests would you carry out when testing for lung cancer?
. Chest x-ray
. Suspicion of cancer on x-ray= CT scan
. Confirm using bronchoscopy and biopsy (could use CT-guided fine needle biopsy)
What is thoracentesis?
Procedure used to remove sample of pleural fluid from the lungs to test for any malignancies or biomarkers
How do EGFR, ALK, and ROS1 link to lung cancer diagnosis?
Mutation in these can lead to cancer biomarkers being released (abnormal proteins), which indicate whether cancer is present and if it is small cell or non-small cell cancer. This is important for the treatment for each is different.
Which is more common, small cell or non-small cell lung cancer?
Non-small cell cancer
What is the main cause of small cell lung cancer?
Smoking
What are the three types of non-small cell lung cancer?
Adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, large cell carcinoma
What is the main method of cancer diagnosis?
Biopsy (usually after chest x-ray, CT scan, and perhaps PET scan)
