Oncology 1 Flashcards
Oncology and Cancer in PASSMED High Yield Textbook, Oncology in Geeky Medics, Oncological Emergencies
What are the most common causes of cancer in the UK?
- Breast
- Lung
- Colorectal
- Prostate
- Bladder
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Melanoma
- Stomach
- Oesophagus
- Pancreas
What are the most common causes of death from cancer in the UK?
- Lung
- Colorectal
- Breast
- Prostate
- Pancreas
- Oesophagus
- Stomach
- Bladder
- Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- Ovarian
What is anal cancer?
a malignancy which lies exclusively in the anal canal, the borders of which are the anorectal junction and the anal margin (area of pigmented skin surrounding the anal orifice)
80% are Squamous Cell Carcinoma
How does anal cancer present?
subacute onset of:
Perianal pain, perianal bleeding
A palpable lesion
Faecal incontinence
A neglected tumour in a female may present with a rectovaginal fistula
What are the risk factors for anal cancer?
HPV infection (usually HPV16 or HPV18)
Anal intercourse and a high lifetime number of sexual partners
Men who have sex with men
Women with a history of cervical cancer or CIN
HIV
Immunosuppressive medication
Smoking
How should anal cancer be investigated?
T stage assessment: examination, including a digital rectal examination, anoscopic examination with biopsy, and palpation of the inguinal nodes
Imaging: CT, MRI, endo-anal ultrasound and PET
Testing for relevant infections, including HIV.
Give some risk factors for developing lung cancer
Air pollution (indoor and outdoor)
Family history of cancer, especially lung cancer
Male sex
Radon gas (typically affects miners)
Lung cancer is initially classified histologically as being either small cell lung cancer (SCLC) or non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
SCLC accounts for around 15% of cases and generally carries a worse prognosis.
How can NSCLC be further classified?
adenocarcinoma
most common type of lung cancer
often seen in non-smokers
squamous
cavitating lesions are more common than other types of lung cancer
alveolar cell carcinoma
not related to smoking
++sputum
large cell
bronchial adenoma
mostly carcinoid
What accounts for the majority of lung cancer cases in non-smokers?
adenocarcinoma
What features may lung cancer present with?
persistent cough, dyspnoea
haemoptysis
chest pain
weight loss and anorexia
hoarseness (seen with Pancoast tumours pressing on the recurrent laryngeal nerve)
superior vena cava syndrome
What may be found on examination in patients with lung cancer?
a fixed, monophonic wheeze may be noted
supraclavicular lymphadenopathy or persistent cervical lymphadenopathy
clubbing
Give some differentials for lung cancer
Metastasis to the lungs from other sites
Tuberculosis
Sarcoidosis
Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s disease)
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
What features would suggest that a patient has mets to the lung as opposed to a primary lung cancer?
Symptoms relevant to the primary tumour (e.g. haematuria due to renal cell carcinoma)
CT head-abdomen-pelvis: shows primary tumour
PET: increased uptake at the primary tumour site
What features may suggest that a patient has TB as opposed to lung cancer?
Drenching night sweats
Positive sputum culture and microscopy
Chest X-ray: cavitating lesion/hilar lymphadenopathy
What features may suggest that a patient has sarcoidosis as opposed to lung cancer?
Enlarged parotids
Skin signs: erythema nodosum and lupus pernio
Tissue biopsy: non-caseating granulomas
What features may suggest that a patient has Granulomatosis with polyangiitis (Wegener’s disease) as opposed to lung cancer?
Saddle-nose deformity
Positive cANCA
Urinalysis: haematuria, proteinuria, red cell casts
What features may suggest a patient has non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma as opposed to lung cancer?
Drenching night sweats
Hepatosplenomegaly
Positive lymph node biopsy (anti-CD20 stain)
Give some key features of Squamous Cell lung cancer
All the C’s - Central, Cavitating, Calcium, Clubbing
typically central
cavitating lesions are more common than other types
associated with parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) secretion → hypercalcaemia
strongly associated with finger clubbing
hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA)
Give some paraneoplastic features of squamous cell lung cancer
parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTH-rp) secretion causing hypercalcaemia
clubbing
hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA)
hyperthyroidism due to ectopic TSH
Give some key features of Adenocarcinoma lung cancer
typically peripheral
most common type of lung cancer in non-smokers, although the majority of patients who develop lung adenocarcinoma are smokers
Give some paraneoplastic features of Adenocarcinoma lung cancer
gynaecomastia
hypertrophic pulmonary osteoarthropathy (HPOA)
Give some key features of Large cell lung carcinoma
typically peripheral
anaplastic, poorly differentiated tumours with a poor prognosis
may secrete β-hCG
Give some key features of Small Cell Lung carcinoma
usually central, arise from APUD cells
associated with ectopic ADH and ACTH secretion
ADH → hyponatraemia
ACTH → Cushing’s syndrome
ACTH secretion can cause bilateral adrenal hyperplasia, the high levels of cortisol can lead to hypokalaemic alkalosis
Lambert-Eaton syndrome
Give some paraneoplastic features of SCLC
ADH
ACTH - not typical, hypertension, hyperglycaemia, hypokalaemia, alkalosis and muscle weakness are more common than buffalo hump etc
Lambert-Eaton syndrome
What is Lambert-Eaton syndrome?
antibodies to voltage gated calcium channels causing myasthenic like syndrome
leads to weakness, particularly in the proximal muscles - may present with difficulty walking and muscle tenderness
can affect the intraocular muscles, causing diplopia; levator muscles in the eyelid, causing ptosis; and pharyngeal muscles, causing slurred speech and dysphagia (difficulty swallowing)
patients may experience dry mouth, blurred vision, impotence and dizziness due to autonomic dysfunction
Superior vena cava obstruction is a complication of lung cancer, caused by direct tumour compression on the superior vena cava. How does it present?
facial swelling, difficulty breathing, and distended neck and upper chest veins. Pemberton’s sign is where raising the hands over the head causes facial congestion and cyanosis
What is Horner’s syndrome?
triad of partial ptosis, anhidrosis and miosis. It can be caused by a Pancoast tumour (tumour in the pulmonary apex) pressing on the sympathetic ganglion
What is Limbic encephalitis?
a paraneoplastic syndrome where small-cell lung cancer causes the immune system to make antibodies to tissues in the brain, specifically the limbic system, causing inflammation
causes symptoms such as short-term memory impairment, hallucinations, confusion and seizures
associated with anti-Hu antibodies.
How can lung cancer be investigated?
FBC: anaemia,raised platelets may be seen
LFTs: raised ALP and GGT may indicate hepatic metastases, raised ALP may indicate bone metastases
U&Es and serum calcium
CXR: often used first line
CT: investigation of choice
Bronchoscopy
this allows a biopsy to be taken to obtain a histological diagnosis sometimes aided by endobronchial ultrasound
PET scanning
is typically done in non-small cell lung cancer to establish eligibility for curative treatment
What findings on CXR may suggest lung cancer?
Hilar enlargement
Peripheral opacity (a visible lesion in the lung field)
Pleural effusion (usually unilateral in cancer)
Collapse
How can SCLC be managed?
usually metastatic disease by time of diagnosis
patients with very early stage disease (T1-2a, N0, M0) are now considered for surgery
however, most patients with limited disease receive a combination of chemotherapy and radiotherapy
patients with more extensive disease are offered palliative chemotherapy
How can NSCLC be managed?
only 20% suitable for surgery
mediastinoscopy performed prior to surgery as CT does not always show mediastinal lymph node involvement
curative or palliative radiotherapy
poor response to chemotherapy
Give some contraindications to surgery in NSCLC management
stage IIIb or IV (i.e. metastases present)
FEV1 < 1.5 litres is considered a general cut-off point
malignant pleural effusion
tumour near hilum
vocal cord paralysis
SVC obstruction
What are the options for surgical removal of a lung tumour?
Segmentectomy or wedge resection involves removing a segment or wedge of lung (a portion of one lobe)
Lobectomy involves removing the entire lung lobe containing the tumour (the most common method)
Pneumonectomy involves removing an entire lung
Give some risk factors for developing breast cancer
BRCA1, BRCA2 genes
1st degree premenopausal relative with breast cancer (e.g. mother)
past breast cancer
nulliparity, 1st pregnancy > 30 yrs
early menarche, late menopause
combined HRT, COCP
obesity
ionising radiation
p53 gene mutations
What is the breast triple assessment?
a hospital-based assessment clinic that allows for early and rapid detection of breast cancer
2 week wait referral
comprises of the history + examination, imaging, and histology
A 25yr old lady with a suspicious breast lump is referred to breast clinic for triple assessment. By what imaging modality would be best used as first line? Why?
USS
Ultrasound scanning is more useful in women <35 years and in men in identifying anomalies, due to the density of the breast tissue . This form of imaging is also routinely used during core biopsies.
How is mammography used to assess breast tissue?
Mammography involves compression views of the breast across two views (oblique and craniocaudal), allowing for the detection mass lesions or microcalcifications.