Treatment of Bronchial Carcinoma

Question 1

What treatments are available?

Answer 1

Surgery
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Palliative

Question 2

Which cancer type has the poorest prognosis?

Answer 2

Small cell

Question 3

Which cancers can be operated on?

Answer 3

Localised disease

Little comorbidity

Question 4

How do you stage for surgery?

Answer 4

Bronchoscopy - must be more than 2cm from carina
Mediostinoscopy
CT scan
PET Scan- position emission tomograhy

Question 5

What surgeries are possible?

Answer 5

Pneumonectomy or lobectomy
Thoracetomy- incision around 6th rib
VATS (video assisted thoracoscopic surgery

Question 6

How do you stage the suitibilty for chemotherapy?

Answer 6

Bronchoscopy
CT
ECOG score

Question 7

Which type of cancer is best suited to chemotherapy?

Answer 7

Small cell

Question 8

What are potential side effects of chemo?

Answer 8

Nausea 
Vomiting
Bone marrow suppresion- anaemia and infections
Hair loss
Pulmonary fibrosis
Neutropenic sepsis

Question 9

In what two ways can radiotherapy be used?

Answer 9

Radical- curative aim less than 5 cm diam
Palliative- delays
-metastisis

Question 10

What are the side effects of radiotherapy?

Answer 10

Collateral damage to spinal cord, oesophagus and lung tissue

Not good for subclinical metastisis

Question 11

What is prophylactic cranial irradiation?

Answer 11

Prophylactic cranial radiotherapy is when radiotherapy (x-ray treatment) is given to a person’s head to prevent or delay the spread of a cancer to the brain

Question 12

What palliative options are available via endobronchial therapy?

Answer 12

Stent for stidor
Photodynamic therapy
Laser therapy
Radioactive pellets

Question 13

What co morbidities are associated with lung cancer?

Answer 13

COPD
FEV1 less than 1 litre
Ischaemic heart disease