Module 7 Pulmonary: Lung Cancer Flashcards
What are the 4 main types of lung neoplasms?
- Adenocarcinoma
- Squamous cell carcinoma
- Large cell carcinoma
- Small cell carcinoma
The non small cell lung cancers contribute to about 70-75% of cases, what are some characteristics?
- Adenocarcinoma (periphery)(most aggressive of all and most common)
- Squamous cell carcinoma (Central)
- Large cell carcinoma (central)
- -abundant cytoplasm
- -pleomorphic nuclei with coarse chromatin
- -prominent nucleoli
- -glandular and squamous architecture
- -absent neuroendocrine markers
* *responds poorly to chemotherapy: treat with surgery because its slower growing
The small (oat) cell carcinoma is central and accounts for the last 20-25% of cases, what are some characteristics?
- scant cytoplasm
- small hyperchromatic nuclei with fine chromatin pattern
- indistinct nucleoli
- diffuse sheets of cells
- -neuroendocrine markers present
- *metastasize quickly sx not an option so chemo
Adenocarcinoma make up 30-35% of the non small cell carcinomas and it is therefore the most common primary lung tumor, what is the etiology of adenocarcinoma?
Adenocarcinoma (peripheral)
–seen in smokers mutation is KRAS
–seen in non smoker Asian women is mutation in EGFR
–seen in non smoker women is a mutation in ALK with signet rings
(remember only need one hit)
What is the cell of origin, precursor lesion and appearance on CXR for a patient with adenocarcinoma?
Cell of origin = bronchioloalveolar stem cell or clara cell
Precursor lesion = atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH)
Peripherally located = coin lesion on CXR
What is the presentation for an adenocarcinoma?
SOB
cachexia (b/c of TNFalpha)
Finger clubbing (All lung cancers)
If you take a wedge resection (Excisional biopsy) of an adenocarcinoma what would you see?(note bronchoscopy wont reach this tumor because its peripheral in nature)
Malignant (dysplastic slide 15b) glands invading stroma
- –produce lots of mucin: well differentiated in function
- -positive for cytokeratin and PAS: diastase resistant because no glycogen
- -Immunohistological stains: TTF-1, cytokeratin 7 and napsin A
What are the complications of adenocarcinoma?
Location makes it easy to cause pleural effusions — compression atelectasis
Left side — pericardial effusion — pericardial tamponade (hypotension, distended jug veins and muffled heart sounds)
Also can lead to scarring or contraction atelectasis, so other name is scar carcinoma.
Cor Pulmonale
What would you see on cytology of a patient with an adenocarcinoma? (note not the best investigation for this)
On slide 15b: you see 5 cancer cells all clumped together. composed of a nucleus
- -blue space is the prominent nucleolus (fine chromatin arrangement)
- -clear cytoplasm ( because it contains mucin)
What are the paraneoplastic syndromes associated with adenocarcinoma?
Hematological – all due to Mucin
DIC
Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis (marentic endocarditis)
Trousseaus syndrome (recurrent migratory thrombotic phlebitis) —thrombus in superficial vein — vein in red, hot, swollen and painful –recurrent and migratory
How is adenocarcinoma in situ different from adenocarcinoma?
- Non invasive of the stroma
- –butterfly on the fence or Lepidic pattern on biopsy those are the cancer cells just chillin on the alveolar wall (slide 16)
Now adenocarcinoma in situ presents very similar to lobar pneumonia. What are the similarities and then what is the distinguishing factor of the two?
Same: –productive cough with a lot of sputum, SOB and pleuritic chest pain, no coin lesion just consolidation of the lobe on xray (ground glass and interstitial infiltrates)
Different: patient will not respond to ABX when placed on them
What is the main complication of adenocarcinoma in situ?
resp failure due to mucin overproduction — too much in alveolar space
The next non small cell lung carcinoma is squamous cell carcinoma, what is the etiology for this?
Etiology: Smoking, radon exposure and Asbestosis (Also called mesothelioma)
- –smoke + asbestosis = higher risk
- -Men greater than women
What is the origin and precursor lesion for squamous cell carcinoma?
Origin: bronchial wall (as seen on slide 17a)
Precursor lesion: squamous dysplasia (pre-malignant)
–again remember this is non small cell so sx because slow growing
What is the pathogenesis for squamous cell carcinoma?
Pseudostratified —- squamous
–again precursor lesion is squamous dysplasia
What is the presentation for squamous cell carcinoma?
SOB
Cachexia (b/c of TNFalpha)
Finger clubbing
Hemoptysis
What would you see on biopsy for a patient with squamous cell carcinoma?
Keratin Pearls: well differentiated in function and intercellular bridges
- -cytokeratin positive
- –Immunohistological stains: P63, cytokeratin 56 and cytokeratin 903
What gene mutations are associated with squamous cell carcinoma?
RB, P16, P53
–again remember all tumor suppressor genes need 2 hits
On slide 17b there is a cytology, what are the associated arrows pointing it?
Arrow at top: normal appearing squamous cell (Should not have squamous cells in the bronchus though) so good example of squamous metaplasia
Arrow at bottom: squamous dysplasia called a tadpole dysplastic cell