MT & Cancer (Part 1) Flashcards
What is a common trend related to hemorrhage in cancer patients?
Cancer patients tend to experience hemorrhage due to epithelial rupture and chronic blood loss, which can lead to anemia and ischemic occurrences.
How are clotting abnormalities exhibited in cancer patients?
Cancer patients may experience either decreased clotting (leading to hemorrhage) or increased clotting (raising the risk of thrombosis and embolism).
Why do cancer patients often suffer from immunosuppression and infection?
Cancer weakens the immune system, increasing susceptibility to opportunistic infections.
What are examples of enigmatic tissue damage and poor resolution of injury in cancer patients?
Cancer may cause unresolved injuries or illnesses, spontaneous fractures, or unexplained tissue damage.
Is fever a common symptom of cancer?
Yes, fever can occur with or without the presence of infection.
What is cachexia, and how does it manifest in cancer patients?
Cachexia is marked weight loss and tissue wasting due to poor appetite (anorexia), parasitic nutrient consumption by the cancer, and catabolic muscle and organ tissue breakdown, especially in later stages.
What digestive disturbances are common in cancer patients?
Cancer can cause malabsorption, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea.
How does cancer affect hormone secretion?
Cancer can lead to abnormal hormone secretion, including ectopic hormonal production and either increased or decreased hormone levels.
Describe the pain experienced by cancer patients.
Pain is not typical in early stages but becomes more intense in later stages, often exacerbated by psychological stress.
What types of skin lesions are common in cancer patients?
Cancer-related skin lesions include pigmentation changes, erythema (red rash-like areas), and sometimes breakthrough bleeding.
What are common nervous system complications in cancer patients?
Nervous system complications may include brain metastasis, metabolic effects on the nervous system, and major signs of NS dysfunction, seen in 1 in 5 patients with disseminated cancer.
How does cancer affect other vital organs?
Cancer can lead to complications in the liver, heart, kidneys, and lungs, often due to metastasis and abnormal or diminished organ functions.
What are the four mechanisms through which cancers spread?
- Progressive direct local invasion of nearby structures.
- Through body cavities.
- To distant sites via the bloodstream (hematogenous metastasis).
- To distant sites via the lymphatic system (lymphogenous metastasis).
What motivates ongoing research into cancer metastasis?
Metastasis is almost always the cause of cancer death, making it crucial to understand its processes for improving treatment and prognosis.
What role does metastasis play in cancer prognosis?
Prognosis is typically based on the degree of or likelihood of metastasis.
Which type of metastasis is involved in the majority of lethal cancers?
Blood circulation metastasis.
How does the survival rate change with lymphogenous metastasis?
• Good prognosis with prompt treatment when cancer is limited to local lymph node spread.
• Survival rate decreases with increasingly distant lymphogenous metastasis, as neoplastic cells eventually join the bloodstream.
Why is it important to consider whether massage therapy could promote cancer metastasis?
Massage therapy and related modalities like hydrotherapy and therapeutic exercise can act as strong stimuli to blood and lymph flow, potentially influencing metastatic processes.
What are the seven steps involved in hematogenous spread of cancer?
- Cell shedding from the primary tumour.
- Permeation through poor-quality tumour blood vessels into vessel lumina and the bloodstream.
- Transport of tumour cells in the bloodstream, often aggregating to increase survival chances.
- Impact in the first capillary network encountered.
- Destruction, adherence to blood vessel walls, or continued travel to subsequent sites.
- Penetration through capillary walls into the tissue interstitium.
- Secondary tumour growth at the new site.
How does the poor quality of tumour blood vessels affect hematogenous spread?
It facilitates permeation, allowing tumour cells to pass through blood vessel walls into their lumina and enter the bloodstream.
What increases tumour cells’ chances of success during transport in the bloodstream?
Tumour cells may aggregate, increasing their chances of survival and success.
What are the seven steps involved in lymphogenous spread of cancer?
- Cell shedding from the primary tumour.
- Movement of cells into the interstitial space of the host or nearby structures.
- Penetration into lymph capillaries or being picked up by them, entering small lymph vessels.
- Travel to regional lymph nodes.
- Destruction by immune system cells or proliferation within the lymph node. Tumour cells may enter the bloodstream via nodal capillaries.
- Passage to the right lymphatic duct or thoracic duct.
- Entry to the bloodstream, where hematogenous spread can then occur.