Oncology I Flashcards
Look at cancer screening guidelines in pg 750
Ok
List the warning signs of cancer in adults
Change in bowel or bladder habits A sore that doesn't heal Unusual bleeding or discharge Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere Indigestion or difficulty swallowing Obvious change in wart or mole Nagging cough or hoarseness
CAUTION
List ways on which adults can control their health and reduce their cancer risk
Stay away from tobacco (smoking cessation if needed)
Stay at a health weight
Get moving with regular physical activity
Eat healthy with plenty of fruits and vegetables
Limit how much alcohol u drink (if u drink at all)
Protect your skin
Know you’ll, ur FH and ur risks
Have regular check-ups and cancer screening tests
Most cancers will not relapse if a pt remains CA free for 5 yrs?
T
What’s most often the primary tx of CA?
Surgery (if CA is resectable)
Role of radiation or chemo?
Neoadjuvant therapy…. May be used b4 surgery to shrink tumor initially
What’s Neoadjuvant therapy?
Given B4 surgery
What’s adjuvant therapy?
Radiation and/or chemo done AFTER surgery (to eradicate residual dx and decease recurrence)
Chemo regimens are usually designed for synergy?
T
Chemo regimens are designed to complement each other (with different MOA, toxicities, and cell cycle specificity)
What’s the main cause of ADRs suffered by CA pts?
Damaging effects of chemo on rapidly dividing cells that are not cancerous
Where are the normal rapidly dividing cells? SEs from these?
GI, Hair follicles and bone marrow (blood cells)
T4, the most common SEs of chemo are
N/V; Alopecia; Myelosuppression
Why must the pts quality of Iife be accessed?
Bcuz of sever SEs of chemo
Is chemo advised during pregnacy (both males and females) and during breast feeding?
No
List the toxicities caused by chemo agents
Myelosuppression
Neuropathy
Cardiotoxicity
Pulmonary toxicity
Pulmonary toxicity
Nephrotoxicity/Bladder toxicity (cystitis)
Acneform rash
Mucositis
Hand-foot syndrome
Hepatoxicity
Clotting risk
Alopecia
Extravasation
What’s Myelosuppression? Monitoring?
Bone marrow suppression => Decreased RBC, WBC, and platelets
CBC + differential (includes segs and bands, to calculate absolute neutrophil count (ANC))
Which drugs don’t cause Myelosuppression?
ABV
Asparaginase
Bleomycin
Vincristine
Which chemo agents cause Neuropathy?
PP TV
Platinum agents
Proteosome inhibitors
Taxanes
Vinca alkaloids
Monitoring for Cardiotoxicity? What should be avoided?
ECG or ECHO or MUGA monitoring
Chest radiation is avoided…causes more damage
Cardiotoxicity is more severe with what agents?
CAB
CML drugs (Imatinib, nilotinib and dasatinib)
Anthracyclines
Breast cancer drugs (Trastuzumab and Lapatinib)
High risk agents for Pulmonary toxicity? Monitoring?
BAM
Belomycin
Alkylators (busulfan, Carmustine, Lomustine)
Methotrexate
If pt on any of these. Req pulmonary fxn test
Monitoring of Nephrotoxicity/Bladder toxicity (Cystitis)?
BUN
SCr
Urinalysis
Urine output
What’s used to flush drug out and prevent bladder/renal toxicity?
Hydration
What may be used to reduce risk of Cisplatin-induced nal toxicity?
Amifostene (Ethyol)
What’s always given with Ifosfamide? Why?
MESNA (Mesnex) (also recommended in HIGH doses of cyclophosphamide)
To prevent hemorrhagic cystitis
Which agents cuz Acneiform rash?
Cetuximab
Erlotinib
Panitumumab
Sorafenib
Sunitinib
And all agents with EGFR inh MOA
What’s mucositis?
Painful inflammation of GI tract
Called oral mucositis if conc in mouth
High risk agents for Mucositis?
5- fluorouracil
Capecitabine
Irinotecan
Methotrexate
Which 2 agents are mist prone to causing Hand-foot syndrome?
Capecitabine
5-FU
Agents at mist risk of causing clotting risk?
SERMs (monitor for DVT/PE)
Some immunomodulators eg.
Thalidomide
Lenalidamide
Pomalidomide
Which agents cause the highest risk of alopecia?
Taxanes
Anthracyclines
These cause alopecia in nearly 100% of pts
What’s Extravasation?
Leakage of drug from vein into extravascular space.
How to deal with Extravasation? Exception?
Stop infusion
Elevate limb
Use cold compress (except with Vinca alkaloids and Etoposide - use warm compress)
Agents that have a high risk of Extravasation?
Anthracyclines
Ixabepilone
Mitomycin
Teniposide
Vinca alkaloids
Antidotes for Extravasation caused by Anthracyclines?
Dimethyl Sulfoxide (DMSO)
or
Dexrazoxane (Totect) - Main one
Or
Mitoxantrone
Antidotes for Extravasation caused by Vinca alkaloids?
Hyaluronidase
Antidotes for Extravasation caused by Mechlorethamine?
Sodium thiosulfate
When does the Nadir (lowest point that WBC and platelets reach) occur?
About 7-14 days after chemotherapy
RBC - 120 days after chemo cuz of long lifespans
When do cell lines gen recover post-tx?
3-4 weeks pits tx
Effect of ESA on some CA?
ESAs can shorten and increase tumor progression in some CA
What must be fulfilled b4 ESA is used in CA?
ESA APPRISE (REMS program)
Normal hgb levels?
F - 12-16 g/dL
M - 13.5-18g/dL
What’s ordered to access iron storage and transport?
Serum ferritin + Transferrin saturation + Total iron-binding capacity
(TIBC)
Why must iron storage and transport be measured b4 starting ESAs?
ESAs won’t work well to correct anemia if iron levels are inadequate