Spinal cord compression Flashcards
What is cancer?
• A condition where cells in a specific part of the body grow and
reproduce uncontrollably.
• The cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding healthy
tissue, including organs.
List 4 key differences between normal and cancer cells
Normal cells: 1. Regulated cell division 2. Programmed cell death 3. Respond to external growth and anti-growth signals 4. Balance between blood vessel development and cell need 5. No tissue invasion.
Cancer cells: 1. Unregulated cell division 2. Lack programmed cell death 3. Generate own growth signals and insensitive to antigrowth signals 4. New blood vessel growth 5. Tissue invasion and metastasis.
How does the cure rate compare between chemotherapy, surgery and radiotherapy?
Chemotherapy 11%
Surgery 49%
Radiotherapy 40%
Ways of delivering cytotoxics:
- single agent – tends to cause side-effects
- Combination – lower doses less side-effects
- continuous infusion
- Intermittent – enables cell recovery
- high dose – used to destroy bone marrow
Side Effects of Cytotoxics
Immediate side effects:
• pain at the injection site
• sensation of cold during administration
• itching – along or near path of vein, generalised
• hypersensitivity reaction
• allergic reaction
• leakage of drug into the tissues.
Other short-term side effects: • hair loss • low blood count • nausea, vomiting • loss of appetite • sore mouth • flu-like symptoms • tiredness, weakness • diarrhoea, constipation • blood in urine • discoloured urine.
Definition of radiotherapy
Radiotherapy is the use of high energy X-rays and similar rays
(such as electrons) to cause damage to cells, which then makes
it difficult for them to replicate.
How radiotherapy is given
• Single Dose or Daily Dose
• Daily treatments where total dose is split into fractions to
preserve normal tissue and reduce side effects of
treatment
Effects of radiotherapy
• Affects both normal and cancer cells
• Aim to preserve normal cells and damage only cancer cells
• Normal tissue repairs more effectively
• An area treated with radiotherapy usually receives a
lifetime dose.
Radiotherapy: short-term side effects
- fatigue
- malnutrition
- weight loss
- skin: redness/sunburn-like symptoms
- head and neck: irritation of mucosal lining, dryness, ulceration
- chest: heartburn-like symptoms if oesophagus is affected
- upper abdomen: nausea and vomiting
- lower abdomen: cramps, diarrhoea and urinary problems.
What are cancer care “Late Effects”?
Defined as: consequences of cancer and its treatment
that manifest either during or after cancer treatment
and persist beyond the end of treatment
Treatment consequences can be:
- functional: e.g. stomas, amputation
- physical
- psychological: e.g. anxiety, depression
Risk Factors for Late Effects in Cancer Care
– Cancer therapy – Age at treatment – Gender – Co-morbid health conditions – Genetic factors – Lifestyle factors
Stages of Cancer
Stage 0 - carcinoma in situ Stage 1 - localised Stage 2 - early locally advanced Stage 3 late locally advanced Stage 4 Metastasised
Define haemoptysis
- Haemoptysis is the coughing of blood from a source below the glottis.
- It can range from a small amount of blood-streaked sputum to massive bleeding with life- threatening .
Define Odynophagia
painful swallowing
• Can occur singly or together
When should a mouth ulcer be investigated?
- It’s common to get ulcers in the mouth when you’re a bit run down.
- The lining of the mouth renews itself every 2 weeks or so, which is why ulcers usually heal within this time.
- But an ulcer that doesn’t heal after 3 weeks should be reviewed.
