Oncology (Quesmed) Flashcards
What are the 4 features of Papillary Thyroid Cancer?
1) Most common (70%)
2) Tends to present 30-40 years of age.
3) Can spread locally compressing the trachea and also metastasises to bone and lung
4) Small tumours have an excellent prognosis
What are the 4 features of Follicular Thyroid Cancer?
FOLLICULAR= Crowding and overlapping of cells, MICROFOLLICLES and NO COLLOID
1) Second most common
2) More common in areas of low iodine and in women
3) Tends to present 30-60 years of age.
4) Is more likely to metastasise (to lung and bones) than locally invade
What are the features of Medullary Thyroid Cancer?
How can it be monitored? What does it usually present with (what metabolic condition)?
1)Relatively uncommon form of thyroid cancer (5%)
2) Derived from calcitonin producing C-cells so can occasionally present with hypocalcaemia and diarrhoea secondary to raised calcitonin.
3) Associated with Multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) syndrome type 2A and B although 75% are sporadic.
4) Often metastasis to lymph nodes
5) Prognosis worse than papillary and follicular carcinoma
6) Disease activity can be monitored with calcitonin levels.
What are the features of Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer?
As it is aggressive- suspect this if the patient is STRUGGLING to breathe and swallow and if they are elderly
1) The least common form of all thyroid cancers.
2) Present between 60-80 years old.
3) Extremely aggressive, patients present with rapidly growing masses.
4) There is often invasion of the trachea, recurrent laryngeal nerve or other local structures by the time of presentation.
5) Extremely poor prognosis – median survival: 8 months
What are the features of Thyroid Lymphoma?
1) Accounts for 10% of thyroid cancers
2) Almost always Non-Hodgkins lymphoma
3) Mainly occurs between 60-80 years old.
4) Highly associated with Hashimoto’s thyroiditis
How can you identify a lump as a thyroid cancer?
A lump which moves on SWALLOWING
But not on TONGUE PROTRUSION- if it does then it is a THYROGLOSSAL CYST
What are the most common types of Pancreatic Cancers? histologically
Adenocarcinomas
What are the 5 signs of Pancreatic Cancer?
It usually presents late as early signs are general (weight loss, malaise, abdominal pain, nausea)
1) Obstructive jaundice due to blockage of common bile duct- Courvoisier’s sign- painless palpable gallbladder with jaundice is not gallstones
2) DIABETES- especially if the patient is elderly
3) Pancreatitis and Pancreatic Enzyme Dysfunction (Steatorrhoea)
4) Paraneoplastic syndromes- TROSSEAU’s Syndrome- THROMBOPHLEBITIS affecting the extremities
5) Disseminated Intravascular coagulation
Also signs of metastasis
- Lung, Liver, Bowel
- Haemoptysis, Jaundice, Constipation
