Lung Cancer Flashcards
What is the most common cause of Lung cancer? (1 answer)
Tobacco Exposure
What is the most common cause of cancer deaths in U.S. ?
Lung Cancer
What is another name for any type of lung cancers?
Bronchogenic Carcinomas
What are the two classifications of Lung cancers? (2 answers)
Small Cell (SCLC) and Non-Small Cell (NSCLC)
What is the standard technique of care for lung cancer? (2 answers)
3DCRT or IMRT
What is an emerging treatment technique for lung cancers?
SBRT w or w/o gating
What are some of the organs at risk? (5 answers)
Heart, Lung, Spinal Cord, liver, and other abdominal structures depending on the treatment
What is SVC syndrome?
When a tumor/mass extends and compressed the SVC causing a life-threatening situation
What are the prognostic indicators of Lung Cancer? (3 answers)
Stage (Extent of disease), Karnofsky Performance Score, Weight Loss
What cancer is the leading cause of death in the United States?
Lung Cancer
What is the 5-year survival rate for Lung Cancer?
21%
What percentage of cancer deaths is from lung cancer?
22%
What are some etiological factors contributing to Lung Cancer? (5 answers)
Tobacco (>1 pack per day), Second-hand smoke, Radon, Occupational Exposure, and Fumes (Nickel, Arsenic, Chromium, and Radon)
What is the major airway in the thoracic cavity?
Trachea
What is the composition of the trachea?
Rings of cartilage, smooth muscle and connective tissue
What type of cells line the trachea?
epithelial cells
At the carina, the trachea bifurcates into what structures? (2 answers)
Left and Right main bronchi
How many lobes are in the lungs?
5 Lobes; 3 in the right and 2 on the left
What cavity lies between the lungs?
Mediastinum
What does the respiratory unit include? (3 answers)
Bronchioles, Alveolar ducts and Alveoli
What is the responsibility of the respiratory unit?
place where gas exchange occurs
What’s the difference between external and internal respiration?
External respiration is the exchange of oxygen between the ducts and capillaries of the lung, while internal is the exchange with the organ structures blood supply and cells
What is the mediastinum?
The area between the lungs where the heart, thymus, and great vessels lie
Explain the physiology of blood oxygenation.
CO2 rich blood enters the lung via the pulmonary veins, gas exchanges occurs at the alveoli to which the new O2 rich blood is transported back to the body via the heart
What is the major route of spread for lung cancer?
Lymphatics
Why is lymphatics the most deadly and probable cause route of spread for lung cancer?
The lymphatics are attached to both pulmonary and cardiac vasculature making the spread have an unpredictable pattern, causing an increase in mortality
What are the sections of lymphatic drainage for lung cancer? (4)
Intrapulmonary, Bronchopulmonary (Hilar), Mediastinal (Sup & Inf), Pulmonary ligament
What are the pulmonary nodes? (5 answers)
Peribronchial, Intrapulmonic (interlobar), Hilar and Segmental
What are the superior mediastinal nodes? (5 answers)
Superior Mediastinal, Pretracheal, Retrotracheal, paratracheal, Lower paratracheal
What are the inferior mediastinal nodes? (4 answers)
Carinal, Subcarinal, Paraesophageal, Pulmonary Ligament
What are the aortic nodes? (2 answers)
Subaortic and Para-aortic
If there is lymphatic nodes, involvement, what is essential to be included in the treatment field? (3 answers)
Tumor, Lymphatics and draining blood
What are the presenting features of lung cancer?
- Disease in Bronchopulmonary Tissue
- Regional extension to LN, chest wall, and neurologic structures
- Distant dissemination
Cough is present in what percentage of local disease lung cancer patients?
75%
hemoptysis is present in what percentage of local disease lung cancer patients?
60%
dyspnea is present in what percentage of local disease lung cancer patients?
15%
What are some symptoms that regional disease lung cancer patients present with? (5 answers)
pain, coughing, dyspnea, dysphagia, and SVC Syndrome
What are the least common tumors of lung cancers?
Apex tumors
besides apex tumor, what is the other lung tumor?
Pancoast tumor
What are the characteristics of a Pancoast tumor?
- pain around the shoulders and down the arm 2. Atrophy of the hand muscles 3. Horners syndrome 4. Bone erosion of the ribs and occasionally the vertebrae
What is a Pancoast tumor?
Tumor in the superior sulcus
Not all apical tumors are Pancoast tumors. True or False?
True