ONCOLOGY/ENDOCRINOLOGY Flashcards
What are the clinical features of hypercalcaemia?
Bones, stones, groans + psychiatric moans
- abdo pain, vomiting, constipation, polyuria, polydipsia, weight loss
- depression, tiredness, weakness, confusion
- pyrexia, renal stones/failure, cardiac arrest
What ECG changes can hypercalcaemia cause?
short QT interval
How do you manage hypercalcaemia?
- 0.9% NaCl
2. Zoledronic acid infusion
What are the markers to define neutropenic sepsis?
Neutrophil count <0.5x10^9 in patient having cancer treatment + one of:
- temp over 38
- other signs/symptoms consistent with sepsis
What abx are used to treat neutropenic sepsis?
Tazocin (piperacillin/tazobactam) plus vancomycin
When do you suspect tumour lysis syndrome?
Cancer pt recently started chemotherapy presenting with AKI in presence of high phosphate + uric acid level
- tends to have low calcium
What are the 3 types of NSCLC?
- adenocarcinoma
- squamous cell carcinoma
- best survival due to potential operability - large cell carcinoma
What are the stages of the ECOG performance scale?
- Fully active
- Restricted in physically strenuous activity
- Able to carry out all self-care - up 50% waking hours
- Only limited self-care - bed/chair for more than 50% waking hours
- Completely disabled/confined to bed/chair
- Deceased
What investigations should be performed in suspected SIADH? What will they show?
- Fluid status - euvolaemic or hypervolaemic
- Serum osmolality - LOW
- Urine osmolality - HIGH
- TSH - r/o hypothyroid
- Serum cortisol - r/o Addisons
- CXR - SCLC
What lung cancers can cause Cushing’s syndrome?
Small cell lung cancer
- secrete ACTH
What types of lung cancer can secrete PTH-rp?
Squamous cell - causing hypercalcaemia
What are the risk factors for breast cancer?
Prolonged oestrogen exposure:
- early menarche/late menopause, nulliparity or first child over 30y old, no breast feeding, COCP, HRT
Post-menopausal
Dense breasts
Lifestyle
- obesity, smoking, lack of exercise, alcohol, radiation
FHx
- 2x risk if 1st degree relative, more if they were under 50
Where do 50% of breast cancers appear? (anatomically)
upper outer quadrant
What are the 2ww criteria for pts with suspected breast cancer?
Aged over 30 with unexplained breast lump
OR
Aged over 50 with any of the following in ONE nipple only:
- discharge, retraction, any changes of concern
When is a mastectomy indicated for breast cancer?
Multifocal disease
Local recurrence
Invasion over 4cm
What are the clinical features of oesophageal cancer?
- progressive worsening dysphagia
- dysphagia for solids progressing to liquids
- odynophagia
- retrosternal chest pain
- hoarseness/cough (rare)
- weight loss
What is Peutz-Jeghers syndrome? What cancer(s) are they at increased risk of?
Multiple benign intestinal hamartomas, episodic obstruction + intussusception
- increased risk of GI, breast, ovarian, cervical, pancreatic, testicular cancers
What cancer are you at risk of with HNPCC (Lynch syndrome)?
Colorectal 30-70%
Endometrial 30-70%
Gastric 5-10%
What are the 2ww criteria for suspected bowel cancer?
- Over 40y with unexplained weight loss AND abdo pain
- Over 50y with unexplained rectal bleeding
- Over 60y with IDA OR changes in bowel habit
- FOB in faeces
- Rectal or abdominal mass
What is the classic triad for presentation of renal cancer?
- Haematuria
- Loin pain
- Abdominal mass
Also: weight loss, fatigue, anorexia, night sweats, left varicocele
When would you consider a PSA test + DRE in men?
- any lower UTI symptoms e.g. nocturia, frequency, hesitancy, urgency, retention
- erectile dysfunction
- visible haematuria
What are the 4 types of leukaemia? At what age do they tend to affect people?
- ALL - under 5s or over 45s
- AML - over 75s
- CLL - over 55s
- CML - over 65s
What is the gold standard investigation for leukaemia?
bone marrow biopsy
What are the features of ALL/AML?
- bone/joint pain, trouble standing/walking
- loss of appetite, continuous weight loss
- painless lump in stomach, neck, armpit or groin
- lethargy, weakness, pallor, dizzy
- repeated frequent infections, fevers lasting several days
- night sweats/irritable
- prone to easy + frequent bruising, nose/gum bleeds
What will be seen on a blood film in ALL or AML? How do you differentiate?
Blast cells
- AML has Auer rods
What are the clinical features of CLL?
Often asymptomatic
- symmetrical painless lymphadenopathy
- infections, anaemia
- B symptoms = night sweats, fever, weight loss
- can cause warm AIHA
What is Richter’s transformation?
CLL can transform into high-grade lymphoma
What will a blood film show for CLL?
Smear or smudge cells
What are the 2 peaks of age in which Hodgkin’s lymphoma can develop?
20y + 75y
- twice as common in males
What do Reed-Sternberg cells on lymph biopsy indicate?
Hodgkin’s lymphoma
- multiple nuclei with nucleoli inside them
What are the clinical features in Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
Lymphadenopathy - painless, non-tender, asymmetrical
Systemic - weight loss, pruritus, night sweats, fever
Describe the components of the Ann-Arbour staging system?
I: single node/one region
II: more than one region but on same side of diaphragm
III: nodes on both sides of diaphragm
IV: spread beyond lymph (e.g. lungs + liver)
What, clinically, can help you to differentiate between Hodgkin’s + Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma?
- lymphadenopathy in Hodgkin’s can experience alcohol-induced pain in node
- B symptoms tend to occur earlier in Hodgkin’s + later in non-Hodgkin’s
- Extra nodal disease much more common in non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
What is Addison’s disease? What is the most common cause?
Primary adrenal insufficiency
- most common cause is autoimmune (80%)
What are the signs + symptoms of Addison’s disease?
- lethargy, weakness, anorexia, N+V, weight loss, ‘salt-craving’
- hyperpigmentation (especially palmar creases) vitiligo, loss of pubic hair in women, hypotension, hypoglycaemia
Addisonian crisis = collapse, shock, pyrexia