Patho's Flashcards
What is the original cancer called?
What is metastatic?
The primary tumor
The secondary cancer - another part of the body but same type of cells as the primary tumor
What are all the other names for metastatic cancer?
- metastatic tumour, tumours or disease
– metastasis (one cancerous tumour)
– metastases (more than one cancerous tumour)
– advanced cancer
How does cancer spread?
Direct extension of invasionor surrounding tissue
Lymphatic system spread
Bloodstream or hematogenous spread
Normally the immune system attacks and destroys the lymphatic system or blood stream
The spreading of cancer.
Localized?
Regional?
Distant?
Cancer is only in the area that it started in and has not spread to other body parts
Cancer has grown into surrounding tissues or organs or it has spread into the local lympth nodes
Cancer is in a part of the body farther from where it started
What is senescence?
the condition or process of deterioration with age
The loss of the cell’s power of division and growth
Tell me about telomeres (the end of the DNA strands) and cancer?
As a cell begins to become cancerous, it divides more often, and its telomeres become very short. If its telomeres get too short, the cell may die. Often times, these cells escape death by making more telomerase enzyme, which prevents the telomeres from getting even shorter.
Tell me about apoptosis?
Programed cell death - 50 to 70 billion cells die every day
Tell me about cellular Necrosis?
The cell is injured (not a positive/on purpose process) resulting in the premature death of cells
this is usually caused by:
- external factors
- infection
- trauma
What are the potential benefits of fasting (not eating for 12h+ to 24h+)?
- Improves effectiveness of cancer treatments
– Currently being studied about cancer reduction/prevention
– improved blood sugar control
– reduced inflammation
– weight loss
– improved brain function
What are the treatment options for cancer?
Surgery
Chemotherapy
Radiation Therapy
Combination of Chemotherapy & Radiation
Hormone Therapy
Targeted Therapy (local radioactive implants)
Immunotherapy
Proton Radiation
Targeted Gene Therapy
How does chemotherapy work?
The chemo kills lots of the cells in your body allowing time for the good cells to hopefully grow back faster than considering cancer cells are normally slower to grow than normal.
What are cytotoxic chemotherapy agents?
What are the potential side effects?
What’s the PPE for cytotoxic agents?
They are drugs used to destroy cancer cells by inhibiting the cell division causing the cancer cells to die. They move through the bloodstream. - exposure can cause chromosome damage in workers (EMS)
Acute skin, eye, and mucus membrane irritations
Nausea, headaches, and dizziness
Wear 1 pair of gloves and a protective gown AND face protection if there’s a risk of splashing
Carcinogenic
Teratogenic
Applies to any substance that can cause cancer.
Applies to any substance/agent capable of producing
embryonic malformation
Genotoxic
Applies to any substance with the ability to damage the
genetic material (DNA) and cause mutations
Reproductive Toxicity
Applies to substances affecting fertility (e.g. miscarriages, late fetal death or infertility)