Session 10 - Neoplasia 4 Flashcards
What are the most prevalent cancers in the UK?
Breast, lung, prostate and bowel cancer.
What are the most common cancers in children under the age of 14?
Leukemias, lymphomas and central nervous system tumours.
Name some cancers with good survival rates
Testicular, melanoma and breast carcinoma
Name some cancers with a bad survival rate
Pancreatic, lung and oesophageal cancers
What is the cancer with the largest cause of cancer related deaths in the UK?
Lung cancer.
What are factors to consider when trying to predict the outcome of a cancer
- Age and general health status
- Tumour site
- Tumour type
- Grade (level of differentiation)
- Stage (has it spread)
What is the definition of a tumour stage?
This is a meausre of the malignant neoplasms overall burden
What is the TNM tumour staging system?
T refers to the size of the primary tumour - T1 to T4
N describes the extent of the regional node metastasis - N0 to N3
M describes the extent of metastatic spread - M0 or M1
For each given cancer these scores are then converted through to a stage 1 to 4.
What is Ann-Arbor staging?
This is a specialised staging system for lymphoma.
Stage 1 - lymphoma in a single node
Stage 2 - Two separate regions on one side of the diaphragm
Stage 3 - Spread to both sides of the diaphragm
Stage 4 - Diffuse or disseminated involvement of one or mor extra-lymphatic organs such as bone marrow or lungs.
What is Dukes staging?
This is a staging system that has been used to stage colorectal carcinoma. It goes through from A to D.
Stage A: Invasion into but not through the bowel
Stage B: Invasion through the bowel wall
Stage C: Involvement of lymph nodes
Stage D: Distant metastases
Describe the general grading system used for tumours
G1: well differentiated
G2: moderately differentiated
G3: poorly differentiated
G4: Undifferentiated or anaplastic
What grading system is generally used for breast carcinoma and what does it assess?
- Tubule formation
- Nuclear variation
- Number of mitoses
What is adjuvant treatment? (In regards to cancer)
Treatment that is given after surgical removal of a primary tumour to eliminate subclinical disease - eg. chemotherapy/radiotherapy
What is neoadjuvant treatment? (In regards to cancer)
This is a treatment that is given to reduce the size of a primary tumour prior to surgical excision.
How does radiation therapy kill proliferating cells in cancer?
Through triggering apoptosis or interfering with mitosis.
It triggers apoptosis by damaging DNA extensively so that the cell cycle is stopped at the restriction point. It interferes in mitosis due to chromosomes being damaged by radiation.
