Oncology SDL Flashcards
What are the 3 main types of tumour groupings?
1) epithelial
2) round
3) mesenchymal
What should you call benign and malignant tumours of these tissues?
Via what route do carcinomas predominately metastasise (via blood or lymphatics)?
lymphatics
Via what route do sarcomas predominately metastasise (via blood or lymphatics)?
blood
What are the 3 methods for biopsying a mass?
1) FNA
2) incisional
3) excisional
What is the definition of tumour grade?
- how abnormal are the cells
Please name 4 features expected to be seen in a high grade tumour?
1) disorganised
2) abnormal cells
3) fast growing
4) invasive
What features are assessed in the grading of mast cell tumours (Kiupel system)?
1) 7 mitotic figures in 10 high-power fields (HPF)
2) multinucleated cells (at least 3 nuclei) in 10 HPF
3) bizarre nuclei in 10 HPF
4) Karyomegaly (nuclear diameters vary by at least twofold in ≥10% of cells)
What features are assessed in the grading of soft tissue sarcomas
1) tumour differentiation
2) mitotic count
3) tumour necrosis
What is the definition of tumour stage
- size of the tumour and how far it has spread form its origin
What 3 features are needed for assessing tumour stage
1) tumour
2) node involvement
3) metastases
You are presented with a dog that has an oral melanoma affecting the mandible.
Q1) What initial clinical signs would you expect to see?
Q2) What clinical signs would you expect to see as the disease progresses?
A1) pain, difficulty eating and drinking, bad breath, drooling, presence of a tumour, bleeding
A2) weight loss, anorexia, lethargy, saliva staining
What clinical signs would you expect to see in a dog with a splenic haemangiosarcoma?
Lethargy, decreased appetite, weight loss, acute collapse, pale to white mucous membranes and/or swelling in their abdomen
What are the most common neoplastic causes of pericardial effusions in dogs?
1) heart base tumours
2) haemangiosarcoma
What neoplastic processes can cause paraneoplastic hypercalcemia?
1) lymphoma
2) anal sac carcinomas
What is the most common neoplastic process that causes hyperviscosity via excessive globulin production?
Multiple myeloma and leukemia
Name 2 clinical signs you could see in a male dog with hyperoestrogenism?
1) alopecia
2) hyperpigmentation, lichenification
Which neoplasia is most commonly associated with the development of paraneoplastic myasthenia gravis?
- thymoma
Define maximum tolerated dose chemotherapy?
- maximum dose not causing irreversible toxicity of any type and causing less than grade 4 toxicity in any organ
- not causing unacceptable side effects
Define metronomic chemotherapy?
- anti cancer drugs administered at lower doses repeatedly over a long period so as to have less side effects
Which immunophenotype of lymphoma is more commonly seen in dogs?
CD4+ T cell lymphoma (TCL)
What would you expect to be more commonly affected in a feline patient with lymphoma, lymph nodes or organs?
organs
You are presented with a 5 year old male neutered Boxer with multiple enlarged lymph nodes (mandibular, prescapular and popliteal) with a recent history of tachypnoea. Radiographs identify a thoracic mass?
Q1) What test would you perform to confirm diagnosis of lymphoma?
Q2) What test can you perform to immunophenotype this patient?
A1) FNA of his lymph nodes
A2) flow cytometry
You are presented with a 7 year old female neutered Labrador with a 2cm mass on her left thoracic flank. Fine Needle aspirates of this mass have been performed and cytology of this mass is consistent with a mast cell tumour.
Q1) What other organs need to be measured/sampled for this tumour to be staged?
Q2) If no spread is identified in these organs, what is this animal’s stage?
A)1 lymph nodes FNA or lung xray for metastases
A2) stage 1
You are presented with a 10 year male entire Staffordshire Bull Terrier with a 5cm ulcerated subcutaneous mass wrapping around his left thoracic limb, located just proximal to his carpus.
Q1) What would your first option for biopsying this mass?
Q2) Your results have shown this to be a soft tissue sarcoma, what stage is this dog?
Q3) What is more important prognostically for this dog, grade or stage?
A1) FNA
A2) 1
A3) stage
You are presented with a 12 year old male neutered Cocker spaniel with a 2cm mass affecting his right anal sac. Cytology of this mass has come back as an apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinoma.
Q1) What organs do you need to assess/sample for staging of this dog?
Q2) This dog has a 2cm enlarged medial iliac lymph node, which is confirmed as metastatic on cytology but no other evidence of spread. What is the stage of this dog?
A1) lymph node, liver, spleen and lungs
A2) 3a
You are presented with a 10 year old female entire Scottish Terrier with a 4cm black oral mass arising from her left mandible. She has normal sized mandibular lymph nodes?
Q1) Given the normal size of her lymph nodes do you still need to consider sampling them?
Q) What percentage of normal sized lymph nodes are metastatic on cytology with oral melanoma
Q) If this dog also has metastatic disease in her lungs on CT scan of her thorax, what is her stage?
A1) yes
A2) up to 40%
A3) IV
What chemotherapy agents are midly or not myelosuppressive?
- glucocorticoids
- asparaginase
Why do you need to be careful giving steroids to newly diagnosed patients with lymphoma?
- chemotherapy fails because the cells will pump out the chemotherapy before it is able to work
