oncology Flashcards
carcinoma
- malignancy originating from epithelial cells of organs
- ex: lung carcinoma subsets - large cell carcinoma, adenocarcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma
- most cx in US is carcinoma
general s/s of cancer
C - change in bowel/bladder
A - a sore that will not heal
U - unsual bleeding/discharge
T - thickening/lump develops
I - indigestion or difficulty swallowing
O - obvious change in wart/mole
N - nagging cough/hoarseness
- unexplained weight loss, fatigue, anorexia, anemia, pain, weakness
cancer prevention
- primary prevention: elimination of modifiable risk factors
- secondary: early detection, preventatives
- tertiary: prevent disability that can occur secondary to cx treatment
types of tissue and tumor
- epithelium - carcinoma, adenocarcinoma: in skin, mucous membrane, lining of bladder
- pigmented cells - malignant malenoma: moles
- connective tissue - sarcomas: striated muscle, blood vessels, fat, bone
- nerve tissues - astrocytoma, glioma, blastoma: brain, nerves, SC, retina
- lymhoid tissue - lymphoma: lymph, spleen
- hematopoietic - leukemia, myelodysplasia
TNM staging
- T - primary tumor size and extent
- N - lymph node involvement
- M - metastasis presence
- can correspond to stage designation that further defines severity
national cancer institue staging
- stage 0: early melignancy, present only in layer of cells in which it began - not in all cancers
- stage 1: malignancy limited to tissue of origin w/ no lymph node involvement or metastasis
- stage 2: malignancy spreading into adjacent tissues, lymph nodes can show signs of micrometastases
- stage 3: malignancy that has spread to adjacent tissue showing signs of fixation to deeper structures - high likelihood of lymph node involvement
- stage 4: malignancy metastsaize beyond primary site, to bone or other organ
other staging for cancer
- clinical - based on findings of a patient’s physical exam, lab values, imaging tests, biopsy
- pathologic: based on tissue samples in surgery
bronchial carcinoma
- any epithelial carcinoma occurring in bronchopulmonary tree
one of the most curable cancers
hodgkin lymphoma
skin cancers
- basal cell carcinoma: slow growing, rarely metastazies; originates in epidermis, most common form; good prognosis
- malignant melanoma: originates from malnocytes and can be superficial, nodular, acral; early diagnosis vital - metastasizes quickly; 100% curable with early diagnosis
leukemia
- cancer of blood when leukocytes change into malignant cells
- acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myelogneous leukemia
most common malignant tumor in children
neuroblastoma
- wilms’ tumor - embyonal neuroblastoma found in kidney btw 1-4 YO
anemia
- low levels of hemoglobin or hematrocrit
thrombocytopenia
- low platelet counts
neutropenia
- neutrophil count below normal laboratry reference values placing patient at risk for serious infection
oncology treatment options
- surgery
- radiation - ionizing radiation or particle radiatoin
- chemotherapy - group of drugs to destroy malignant cells; not for metastatic
- biotherapy (immunotherapy) - uses agents to change relationship btw malignancy and host; stregnthen pt biological response to malignant cells
- antiangiogenic therapy - use of thalidomide and suppression of blood supply formation
- other pharm therapies: hormone therapy
- palliative treatment - symptom management
guidelines for patients undergoing cancer treatment
- check physician orders fot pts with bone metastasis for WB status and mobility precautions
- monitor blood values - platelet and hematocrit
- exercise should be 40-65% of peak HR, heart rate reserve, VO2 max
- RPE should not > 12
- treatment visits should be scheduled for when pt E is max
- treatment should be modified as needed to accommodate side effects
- no massage or heat over irritated areas
heat and electrotherapeutic modalities and cx
- contraindicated for use over active malignancy but not necessarily contraindicated elsewhere on body d/t potential for facilitating growth
- can be overlooked for pts with palliative goals or terminal illness
alkylating agents
- bind DNA strands together to prevent replication
- mustargen, busulfex, leukeran
antiobiotic agents
cancer
- d/t high toxicity and ability to interfere with DNA and RNA synthesis and subsequent cell division
- adriamycin, mithracin, cosmegen
antimetabolite agents
cancer
- impair biosynthesis of genetic material and interrupt cellcular pathways that synthesize DNA and RNA
- create imposter to endogenous metabolites in body to form nonfunctional genetic production incapable of reproduction
- esp used for rapidly dividing neoplastic cells
- leustatin, adrucil, fludara, trxall
biologic response modifier agents
- interferons, interluekin 2, and monoclonal antibodies that are responsible for enhancing body’s own ability to respond to neoplastic growth
- not cytotoxic but facilitate immune response to destroy malignant tissues
- proleukin, avastin, intron A
heavy metal compounds
cancer
- platinum coodination complexes
- act as alkylating agents that inhibit DNA translation and replication
adjuvant
- treatment provided in addition to other cure-focused interventions with intention of preventing cancer recurrence
benign neoplasm
- abnormal cell growth that is usually slow growing and harmless, closely resembling composition of adjacent tissues
cancer
- group of diseases characterized by uncontrolled cell proliferation with mutation and spreading of abnormal cells
dysplasia
abnormal development of cells or tissues that is early sign of neoplasia
hyperplasia
increase in cell number that may be normal or abnormal depending on additional characteristics
metaplasia
change in cell from one type to another that may be normal or abnormal
neoadjuvant
chemotherapy or radiation given prior to surgical oncology intervention
tumor (neoplasm)
- abnormal new growth of tissue that increases overall mass
- benign or cancerous, primary (from cells that belong to area of tumor) or secondary (from metastasis)
tumor classification
- cell type, tissue of origin, amount of differentiation, benign vs malignant, anatomic site
