T6 - L2 Malignant lung pathology Flashcards
what are the 2 classifications of lung carcinomas?
small cell carcinoma
non-small cell carcinoma
what is the difference between small cell carcinoma and non-small cell carcinoma?
small cell:
- less cytoplasm
- nuclear chromatin fine
- less prominent/no nucleoli
non-small cell
- more cytoplasm
- more clumped/vesicular nuclei
- more prominent nucleoli
which is more dangerous, small cell carcinoma or non-small cell carcinoma?
small cell
what is the most common type of primary lung carcinoma?
squamous cell carcinoma (non-small cell)
what is a key feature of squamous cell carcinoma?
show keratinisation
what is a key feature of squamous cell adenocarcinoma?
gland formation and or mucin production
what is the treatment for a small cell carcinoma?
chemotherapy not surgery
often advanced with metastasis to many places
what is the treatment for a non-small cell carcinoma?
Advanced disease → usually a different chemotherapy
▪ Localised disease → can have surgery
what are Carcinoid tumours?
low grade malignant tumours, better survival
in which patients are primary lung lymphomas commonly seen in?
HIV/AIDS
- rare tumour
what is the most common type of lung malignancy, primary or secondary?
secondary
how is “pack years” worked out?
1 pack year – 20 cigarettes per day for 1 year
what local effects would occur due to a lung tumour?
- haemoptysis
- breathlessness or features of pneumonia (tumour obstructing airway
if a lung tumour infiltrated the pleura - what would be the effect of this?
pleural effusion presenting as breathlessness
if a lung tumour infiltrated the chest wall - what would be the effect of this?
pain
