Oncology Flashcards
what is cancer
A disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues; cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems
intrinsic factors
heredity, hormones, immunity, age
extrinsic factors
exposure to external, ingested, and/or inhaled substances
malignant
- rapid rate of growth
- invades surrounding tissue
- metastasizes via the bloodstream and lymphatic system
- usually poor cell differentiation
benign
- slow rate of growth
- expands in the same tissue
- does not spread
nearly normal cell differentiation
types of metastatic invasion
lymphatic, arteriovenous, serous cavity, CSF
most common types of cancer in Canada
Lung, breast, colorectal and prostate cancer
lung cancer accounts for __% of all new cancer cases
14%
breast cancer accounts for about __% of all new cancer cases in women
25%
colorectal cancer accounts for __% of all new cancer cases
13%
primary prevention
- Identify risk factors
- Healthy diet
- Moderate alcohol intake
- Sun safety
- Avoid known carcinogens (tobacco products, asbestos)
- Wear PPE when working with carcinogens
- Vaccines (HPV)
early detection uses the acronym
CAUTION
what does CAUTION stand for
Change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that doesn’t heal
Unusual bleeding or discharge
Thickening of a lump in the breast or elsewhere
Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Obvious changes in a wart or mole
Nagging cough or hoarseness
what is cancer staging
Describes the extent or severity of cancer based on the extent of spread in the body
why is staging important
- Estimates the patient’s prognosis
- Plan treatment
- Important in identifying clinical trials (research studies) that may be suitable for a particular patient
elements of staging
- Location of the primary tumor
- Tumor size & number of tumors
- Lymph node involvement
- Presence or absence of metastasis
what is the TNM system
- The extent of the tumor (T)
- The extent of spread to the lymph nodes (N)
- The presence of metastasis (M)
situ mean
Early cancer present only in the layer of cells in which it began
localized
Limited to the organ in which it began
regional
Spread beyond its primary site to nearby lymph nodes or organs and tissues
distant
Spread from primary site to distant organs or distant lymph nodes
stage 0
Carcinoma in situ
stage I, II, and III
Higher numbers indicate more extensive disease: larger tumor size and/or spread of the cancer beyond the organ in which it first developed to nearby lymph nodes and/or organs adjacent to the location of the primary tumor.
stage IV
The cancer has spread to other organs.
tumor grading
Is a system used to classify cancer cells in terms of how abnormal they look under a microscope and how quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread