Surg Flashcards
Q: What is Tamoxifen and its mechanism of action?
Selective oEstrogen Receptor Modulator (SERM)
Acts as an oestrogen receptor antagonist and partial agonist
Used for oestrogen receptor-positive breast cancer
Q: What are the adverse effects of Tamoxifen?
Menstrual disturbance: vaginal bleeding, amenorrhoea
Hot flushes (3% stop due to climacteric side effects)
Venous thromboembolism
Endometrial cancer
Q: What are Anastrozole and Letrozole, and how do they work?
Aromatase inhibitors
Reduce peripheral oestrogen synthesis
Important for postmenopausal women as aromatisation is the main source of oestrogen
Used for ER-positive breast cancer in postmenopausal women
Q: What are the adverse effects of aromatase inhibitors?
Osteoporosis
Hot flushes
Arthralgia, myalgia
Insomnia
Q: What does NICE recommend when starting a patient on aromatase inhibitors?
Perform a DEXA scan to assess bone density
Q: What are the features and treatment for Fibroadenoma?
Develops from a whole lobule
Mobile, firm breast lumps
12% of all breast masses
Over 2 years, up to 30% may get smaller
No increase in risk of malignancy
If >3cm, surgical excision is usual
Phyllodes tumours should be widely excised (mastectomy if large)
Q: What are the features and treatment for Breast Cyst?
7% of all Western females present with a breast cyst
Smooth, discrete lump (may be fluctuant)
Small increased risk of breast cancer (especially in younger women)
Cysts should be aspirated
Blood-stained or persistently refilling cysts should be biopsied or excised
Q: What are the features and treatment for Sclerosing Adenosis?
Presents as a breast lump or pain
Causes mammographic changes mimicking carcinoma
Distorts the distal lobular unit without hyperplasia (complex lesions show hyperplasia)
Considered a disorder of involution
No increased risk of malignancy
Biopsy of lesions is recommended; excision not mandatory
Q: What are the features and treatment for Epithelial Hyperplasia?
Variable clinical presentation: from generalized lumpiness to discrete lump
Increased cellularity of the terminal lobular unit; atypical features may be present
Atypical features and family history of breast cancer greatly increase malignancy risk
If no atypical features, conservative management
With atypical features, either close monitoring or surgical resection
Q: What are the features and treatment for Fat Necrosis?
Up to 40% of cases have a traumatic aetiology
Physical features mimic carcinoma
Mass may initially increase in size
Diagnosis by imaging and core biopsy
Q: What are the features and treatment for Duct Papilloma?
Usually presents with nipple discharge
Large papillomas may present with a mass
Discharge originates from a single duct
No increased risk of malignancy
Treatment: Microdochectomy
Q: What is the most common type of breast cancer, and what may it arise from?
Invasive ductal carcinoma
May arise from ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS)
Q: What factors are involved in the pathological assessment of breast cancer?
Tumour assessment
Lymph node assessment
Sentinel lymph node biopsy to minimize morbidity of axillary dissection
Q: What surgical options are available for breast cancer treatment?
Wide local excision
Mastectomy
Q: What factors influence the choice between mastectomy and wide local excision?
Mastectomy is preferred for multifocal tumours, central tumours, and large lesions in small breasts
Wide local excision is preferred for solitary lesions, peripheral tumours, and small lesions in large breasts
DCIS >4cm tends to require mastectomy, whereas DCIS <4cm may be treated with wide local excision
Patient choice
Q: When is surgery generally offered for breast cancer?
The vast majority of patients diagnosed with breast cancer
Exception: Very frail, elderly patients with metastatic disease (managed with hormonal therapy)
Q: How is axillary lymphadenopathy managed prior to breast cancer surgery?
No palpable axillary lymphadenopathy:
Pre-operative axillary ultrasound
If negative → sentinel node biopsy
Clinically palpable lymphadenopathy:
Axillary node clearance at primary surgery
May lead to arm lymphedema and functional impairment
Q: What are the surgical options for breast cancer and their indications?
Mastectomy:
Multifocal tumour
Central tumour
Large lesion in a small breast
DCIS >4cm
Wide Local Excision:
Solitary lesion
Peripheral tumour
Small lesion in a large breast
DCIS <4cm
Q: When is radiotherapy recommended for breast cancer?
After wide-local excision to reduce recurrence risk (~two-thirds reduction)
After mastectomy for:
T3-T4 tumours
Four or more positive axillary nodes
Q: When is hormonal therapy used in breast cancer treatment?
Offered if tumours are hormone receptor-positive
Tamoxifen:
Used for pre- and peri-menopausal women
Aromatase inhibitors (e.g., Anastrozole):
Used for postmenopausal women
Targets peripheral oestrogen synthesis
Q: What is the most common biological therapy used for breast cancer, and when is it effective?
Trastuzumab (Herceptin)
Effective only in 20-25% of HER2-positive tumours
Q: What are the NICE referral guidelines for suspected breast cancer for a 2-week pathway referral?
Age ≥30 with an unexplained breast lump (with or without pain)
Age ≥50 with any of the following symptoms in one nipple only:
Discharge
Retraction
Other concerning changes
Q: When should a suspected cancer referral be considered for breast cancer?
Skin changes suggesting breast cancer
Age ≥30 with an unexplained lump in the axilla
Q: When is a non-urgent referral recommended for suspected breast cancer?
Age <30 with an unexplained breast lump (with or without pain)