Oncology Flashcards
Name 3 causes of new confusion in a patient on the ward
Sepsis
hypercapnia
hypercalcaemia
raised ammonia
AKI -> dehydration -> reduced opiate excretion
steroids
low Na
Brain mets
Mx of hypercalcaemia
saline -> bisphosphonates [zoledronate]
2- calcitonin
Adverse effects of zolendonic acid
osteonecrosis of jaw
gastritis
oesophagitis
Mx of raised ammonia
phosphate enemas
How does AKI cause confusion in patient on opiates?
Dehydration -> decreased opiate excretion -> increased levels of opiates -> confusion and sedation
mx - naloxone
Mechanism of steroid psychosis
-> reduced Na and increased K
-> reduced BP (due to low Na)
2 Drug causes of reduced NA
steroids
PPI - omeprazole / lanzoprazole
ssri
Carbamazepine
fluids (Eg 5% dextrose)
(rinitidine is good to change PPI)
What happens in the metastatic cascade
DIIE AEA [like someone shouting it]
Detachment
Invasion
Intravasation (blood or lymph)
Evasion of host defence
Adherence
Extravasation
Angiogenesis
When might you use radiotherapy - 3 indications
Pt medically unfit surgery,
anatomically unresectable, close proximity to vital structures,
neo-adjuvant to shrink structure,
adjuvant to decrease risk of recurrence,
palliative for bone/brain mets + spinal cord compression
2 main types of radiotherapy
External beam radiation therapy - using CT/MRI to target tumour
Internal radiation therapy - brachytherapy - radiation source placed near target tumour
Name 2 acute and 2 chronic comps of radiotherapy
Acute (during treatment or <2-3 weeks)
Fatigue (80%)
Skin - Erythema, dry and moist desquamation, irritation
GI - loss of taste, oral mucositis (complicated by yeast/bacterial superinfection), diarrhoea, nausea, vomiting
BM - cytopenias
Lungs - pneumonitis, fever, cough, dyspnoea
Chronic
Infertility
Lymphoedema
Delayed healing
Loss of salivary flow
Transverse myelitis, Lhermitte’s
Increased risk CV events/stroke
Hypothyroidism
Name 3 SEs of chemo
Myelosuppression - anaemia, infection, bleeding
One week after, FBC prior to admission
Alopecia
Infertility
Nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea
-Major cause of distress - use domperidone or metoclopramide
Fatigue
Teratogenicity
Mouth ulcers
What is extravasation
Problem with chemo -
pain, redness and inflammation -> may lead to skin necrosis + amputation (dissolving soft tissue).
May see brown demarcation of veins
Mx of extravasation
Topical agents e.g. dimethyl sulfoxide, heat, cold,
debridement and grafting may be required
Common severe reaction to chemo
Anaphlaxis - T1 hypersensitivity
What is the risk with chemo induced myelosupression
Neutropenic sepsis
Ix in anyone who has fever and recent chemo
FBC, LFT, U + Cr, CRP, lactate, blood cultures (multiple sites), urine culture, NOT LP (may introduce infx), swabs and cultures from central line (each part)
Worry about neutropenic sepsis
Pt presents with Sx of spinal cord compression (in onc) what exam should you do?
peripheral nerve
precuss spine
mets -> spinal cord compression
Ix for Dx?
Mx?
MRI whole spine,
->refer to neurosurgery/spinal surgery
-> Or if more widespread give radiotherapy
+ IV DEXAMETHASONE + prevention VTE + PPI
-Analgesia
-Lay flat
Dexamethasone
Just god shit keep it in the brain for all onc
Mx painful spine mets
Analgesia (NSAID/non-opiate/opiate)
Bisphosphonates if myeloma/breast cancer (lytic lesions)
Palliative radiotherapy
Vertebroplasty
3 precipitating factors for DVT in Ca
cancers tend to be prothrombotic
Surgery and chemotherapy may damage vessel walls (increased clots)
Patients tend to be less active
Describe 1 way malignancy can cause hyperCa
Secretion of PTH related peptide by tumour (humoral hypercalcaemia)
Local release of factors increasing osteoclast proliferation (local osteolytic hypercalcaemia) - including PTH-rP
Boney mets
Autonomous production of calcitriol by lymphoma
Name 3 Ix in HyperCa of malignancy
Total calcium
Elevated but influenced by albumin and calcium binding Igs (MM)
Serum ionised calcium
If abnormal albumin
Serum albumin
Adjusted serum calcium is (0.02 x [normal albumin - pt albumin]) + serum calcium
Resting ECG
?Shortened QT
Serum PTH
Elevated in PTH mediated i.e. primary hyperparathyroid/ ectopic hyperparathyroid
Serum phosphorus
Low in humoral
Serum calcitriol - high in calcitriol mediated
Skeletal survey - osteopenia, osteolytic lesions, pathological fractures + CXR lung cancer, TB, sarcoidosis
Name 2 medications that worsen hypercalcaemia
Thiazide diuretics
Calcitriol
Calcium supplementation
Antacids
Lithium
Mx of mod/severe hyoer Ca
IV saline
(dehydration)
IV bisphosphonates (block bone reabsorption)
Furosemide
-avoid fluid overload