Unit 13 Cancer Screening Flashcards
What is Cancer?
What is a Tumor?
Cancer is the name given to a collection of related diseases. In all types of cancer, some of the body cells begin to divde without stopping and spreading to surrounding tissues
When cells become abnormal, old or damaged and they survive when they should die and new cells form without needing to. These extra cells can divide without stopping and may form growths called tumors
What does it mean that Cancerous tumors are malignant?
This means they can spread into or invade nearby tissues
What are some Non-Modifiable Cancer Risk Factors?
- Age
- Inheritied
- Family Hx
- Associated with congenital disease or autoimmune diseases
What are some Modifiable Cancer Risk Factors?
- Smoking
- Alcohol
- Radiation
- Obesity
- Lack of B12
- Lack of education
- Smoked foods, red meat, cold meat cuts, salty fish
What are the 4 Major Cancer Types?
- Carcinomas (80 to 90% of all cancers)
- Sarcomas
- Lymphomas
- Leukemias
Cancer Types
With Carcinomas, where do these cell types originate?
Arise from Epithelial Cells
- Breast (1st) (Ductal or Lubular carcinoma)
- Lung (2nd)
- Prostate (3rd)
- Colon/Rectal (4th)
- Skin (5th) (Basal Cell Carcinoma, Melanoma)
Cancar Types
With Sarcomas, where do these cell types originate?
Develope from Connective Tissue
- Muscle (Rhabdomyosarcoma)
- Bone (Osteosarcoma)
- Cartilage (Chondrosarcoma)
Metastasize Hematogenously
Cancer Types
With Lymphomas, where do these cell types originate?
Originate in Lymphoid Tissues (Hodkins and Non-Hodgkin Lymphomas
- Lymph Nodes
- Spleen
- Intestinal Lining
Spread by Infiltration
Cancer Types
With Leukemias, where do these cells types originate?
Cancers of the Hematologic System
- Bone Marrow (Myeloma); Invasion and infiltration
What are the Early Signs of Cancer?
“CAUTIONS”
- Changes in bowl and bladder habits
- A sore that does not heal in 6 weeks
- Unusual bleeding or discharge
- Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
- Indigestion or difficulty in swallowing
- Obvious change in a wart or mole
- Nagging cough or hoarseness
- Supplemetal s/s (rapid unintensional weight loss, changes in vital signs, frequent infections, night pain, proximal M. weakness, changes in DTRs)
Also,
- If patient does not improve with PT treatment
What are Early Signs of Cancer that the PT can observe?
- Changes in Vital Signs
- Proximal Muscle Weakness
(Troubke climbing stairs, getting up from sitting, positive trendelenburg, SOB) - Changes in DTRs
(Decreasesd or absent due to compression by tumors)
What systems should we observe for S/S of Cancer?
- Integumentary
- Pulmonary
- Neurologic
- MSK
- Hepatic
When screening the Integumentary system for cancer, what s/s should we look for?
- Skin and nail bed lesions
- Unusual mole
- Bleeding or discharge from mole, skin lesion, scar, or nipple
- Sores that dont heal
- Nail bed changes (Clubbing, can be lung Cx; Splinter hemorrhages, can be hematologic Cx)
When screening the Pulmonary system for cancer, what s/s should we look for?
- Pleural Pain
- Dyspnea
- Noew onset of wheezing
- Productive cough with rust, green, or yellow-tinged sputum
When screening the Neurologic system for cancer, what s/s should we look for?
- Changes in bowl and bladder function (cauda equina syndrome, saddle anesthesia, LE weakness)
- Changes in DTRs
- (+) Babinski reflex
- Clonus
- Balance/coordination problems
Cx screen of Neurological System
With a neuro screen, what are some s/s of Cauda Equina Syndrome?
- Sciatica
- Saddle and/or perianal hypesthesia or anesthesia
- Change or dysfunction in bowel and/or bladder habits
- LE weakness (variable); Gait distrubances
When screening the MSK system for cancer, what s/s should we look for?
This may present as an asymptomatic Soft Tissue Mass
- Bone pain
- Soft Tissue swelling
- Pathological Fractures
- Back or Rib pain
When screening the Hepatic system for cancer, what s/s should we look for?
- Abdominal Pain and Tenderness
- General malaise and fatigue
- Bilateral carpal/tarsal tunnle syndrome
- R shoulder pain
- Asterixis
What causes Oncologic Pain?
- Bone destruction
- Visceral obstruction
- Nerve compression
- Skin and Tissue distention
- Tissue inflammation, Infection and Necrosis
What is the Primary Cancer in the MSK system?
Sarcoma
What is the Main Cancer in the Neurologic System?
Neuroblastoma, Glioma
What is the Main Cancer in the Blood and Lymophatic Systems?
Leukemia and Lymphomas
Cx of the MSK System
What are S/S of Soft Tissue Sarcoma?
- Persistent swelling or lump in a muscle (most common finding)
- Pain
- Pathologic fracture
- Local swelling
- Warmth of overlying skin
An example of Soft Tissue Sarcoma is Rhabdomyosarcoma, and this develops in the muscle during childhood
Cx of the MSK System
What are the S/S of Osteosarcoma?
This is most commoin between the ages of 10 and 25 and in long bones
- Pain and swelling/involved parts
- Loss of motion and functional movement of adjacent joints
- Tender lump p
- Pathological fracture
- Malaise
Cancers of the Blood
What are the Clinical S/S of Leukemia?
- Infections, Fever
- Abnormal bleeding
- Anemia
- Bone and Joint pain
- Loss of appetite
- Nosebleeds
Cancers of the Lymph System
What are S/S of Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma?
- Lymph node enlargement (Painless) > size of a pee, firm, stuck/muscle/bone; often more than 2 cm
- Fever, night sweats, bleeding, itching, weight loss
What are the Most Common Cancer Treatments?
- Chemotherapy: Works against cancer by killing fast-growing cancer cells
- Radiation Therapy: Kills cancer cells or slows their growth by damaging their DNA
- Surgery: Is used to treat many types of cancer. It works best for solid tumors that are contained in one area
What are the Main Side Affects of Cancer?
- Fatigue
- Mouth sores
- Dyspnea
- Hair loss
- Bone Marrow suppression
- Nausea/Vomiting
What are the Guidelines for Physical Referral/Consultations for Cancer?
- Pain while weight bearing that is unrelieved by rest or change in position and does not respond to treatment, unrimitting pain at night, and a Hx of cancer
- Any recently discovered lumps or nodules
- Signs of skin lesions
What are the Guidelines for Immediate Physicians Referral for Cancer?
- Lumps or nodules or moles in patients with Hx of cancer or multiple risk factors
- Detection of palpable, fixed irregular mass in the breast, axilla or elsewhere
- Constitutional Symptoms in someone with hx of cancer
- Unexplained bleeding from any area
