Treatments, Toxicities and CRF Flashcards
What are the primary treatments for cancer?
Surgery, radiation, chemotherapy and other(hormone and immuno)
What is the aim of surgery?
Remove the cancerous cells
What grade of tumors is surgery typically very successful at treating?
Lower grades
How does surgery benefit the patient?
Reduces bulk of disease and allows for chemo to be more effective
What type of emergency would result in surgery for a cancer patient?
Oncological emergencies
How does surgery improve the quality of life for cancer patients?
Relief of pain
Reconstruction promoting “normal” structure
Rehabilitation
Can surgery be done preventatively for cancer patients?
Yes, to remove organ or growth which could become malignant(based off of family hx, gene presence etc..)
How does radiotherapy work?
Charged particles or photons(x rays, gamma rays) are administered to the cancerous site to destroy the malignant cancer cells
What cells does radiation therapy target?
All! Will kill all cells
What types of radiation are there?
external beam and internal
What types of internal radiation are there?
systemic(oral), IMRT, 3D Conformal etc…
What stages of cancer is radiation most beneficial for?
3 or 4( but can be used for all)
What are chemotherapy drugs?
Anti-tumor drugs that target malignant tumor cells
What would be a research objective regarding chemotherapy?
To be able to target cancer cells to be destroyed while preserving healthy/normal cells
How do chemotherapy drugs work?
Alter the cell life cycle and stop growth
What categories of chemotherapy drugs are there?
Alkylating agents, antimetabolites, anti-tumor antibiotics(anthracyclines) and mitotic inhibitors(alkaloids)
What part of the cell cycle does an alkylating agent target?
All phases. Directly damages the DNA.
What part of the cell cycle does an antimetabolite target?
S phase specifically. Interferes w/ DNA and RNA by substituting themselves in its place
What part of the cell cycle does an Anthracycline target?
All phases. Interfere w/ enzymes involved in DNA replication
What part of the cell cycle does a Mitotic Inhibitor target?
Mitosis. Stop mitosis or inhibit enzymes needed for protein synthesis.
What structure do alkylating agents damage?
Bone marrow
What is a known side effect of an alkylating agent?
Peripheral neuropathy
What are examples of an alkylating agent?
cytoxan, temodar and platinum drugs
What is an example of an antimetabolite?
5-FU, Xeloda, Floxuridine and Gemzar
What is the main side effect of anthracyclines?
extremely cardiotoxic
What are examples of anthracyclines?
doxorubicin and daunorubicin
What is a known side effect of mitotic inhibitors?
Peripheral neuropathy
What are examples of mitotic inhibitors?
Taxol, Taxotere, Velban and Oncovin
Other treatments include
Immunotherapies, hormonal therapies, bone marrow and blood stem cell transplantation
How does immunotherapy work?
Activates own immune system to fight disease. MAB(monoclonal antibodies) block activation of known receptors to limit cell gene expansion and cell proliferation
Is hormonal therapy gender specific?
Yes, and based on the type of cancer which is induced by hormones
What is an example of male hormonal therapy and the coinciding cancer?
Androgren deprivation therapy for prostate cancer
What is an example of female hormonal therapy and the coinciding caner?
Estrogen blocking therapy for breast cancer
What is a possible side-effect with hormonal therapies?
Inducing physical changes associated with the hormone. Example: Females may have induced menses d/t estrogen blocking therapy
How is treatment determined?
TNM classification, Tumor grade, Pathologic classification and Personal factors(age, co-morbidities, tolerance of side effects and patient, family and physician opinion)
What age would likely be more tolerable to aggressive treatments?
Younger age groups
What is cardiotoxicity in terms of chemotherapy?
Direct damage to the heart
Cardiotoxicity may include inflammation of the sac surrounding the heart, what is this called?
Pericarditis