Oncology Introduction Flashcards
Most common cancer in men
Prostate
Most common cancer in women
Breast
Most cancer deaths come from what in men
Lung and bronchus
Most cancer deaths come from what in women
Lung and bronchus
How do you confirm a cancer diagnosis
Need Tissue to confirm diagnosis
Can look like tissue on scans but could be something else, so need biopsy of tissue
What will light up on a PET scan
For a PET scan, you infuse radioactive glucose and see which cells are most metabolically active (will light up in tumors/cancer) as well as brain/kidneys that are constantly using glucose.
Looks at cellular metabolism
What is the overview acronym for cancer staging
TNM
Tumor (size, depth of tumor)
N (Nodal Disease)
M (Metastisis)
What are the 2 general paths/goals for cancer treatment
- Curative intent- get rid of cancer, cancer is curable or want to try
- Palliative intent- cancer is not curable or not candidate for therapy.
What are the local cancer directed therapies
Surgery/Radiation
What are the systemic cancer directed therapies
Chemo, hormonal, immunotherapy, targeted therapies
What are the cellular cancer directed therapies
Stem cell transplant
Car-T
How does radiation therapy work
High energy X-rays cause damage to DNA so that the tumor cannot continue to divide
Different particles used for different indication (i.e. some go to superficial skin, some go deeper)
Is radiation used in localized or systemic disease
Localized– radiate an inoperable location and control location, manage symptomatic sites (decrease pain)
Can be curative to get rid of cancer or palliative to decrease pain
What does chemotherapy target
Cancer cell’s DNA and or replication
Don’t target cancer from a gene but are indiscriminate killing of rapidly dividing cells
Neoadjuvant vs adjuvant
Before surgery/radiation
After surgery or radiation
What is induction chemo
High dose chemo to induce remission
Intrathecal chemo
Into CSF
Intraperitoneal chemo
Intra-operatively or via a peritoneal port
Palliative chemo
Disease is incurable, treatment improves quality of life
Chemotherapy side effets
Targets rapidly dividing cells
- Bone marrow (cytopenias)
-Hair follicles
- GI tract (oral/rectum)
- Skin
-Reproductive System
Hormonal therapy cancer and treatment examples
- Breast Cancer use aromatase inhibitors
- Prostate cancer use Androgen deprive therapy
Discribe Immunotherapy overview
Activate patient’s own immune system using checkpoint inhibitors
Use Bi-specific T cell engagers (collect T cells, target antigens on tumor)
CAR-T
Oncolytic viruses (T-VEC for melanoma)
What do targetted therapies target
Target a specific antigen on cancer cells or mutations (anti HER-2, etc)
Hematopoietic stem cell transplant overview
Transplant Hematopoietic stem cells (bone marrow, peripheral blood)
Autologous vs Allogenic transplant
Autologous- chemotherpay to irradicate disease, give back own bone marrow after
Allogenous- Graft vs tumor effect is good– new host immune system recognize tumor and continue to kill it
