Urological Cancers Flashcards
What are some risk factors for bladder cancer ?
Smoking
Occupational and environmental exposures ( aromatic amines - dyes )
Chronic bladder irritation
schistomiasis infection
Age
Family history
How does bladder cancer present ?
Painless visible haematuria
Irritative voiding
Obstructive symptoms
Abdominal and pelvic pain
Constipation
What investigations would be required if suspecting bladder cancer ?
Urinalysis and cytology
CT of urinary tract
Renal USS
Ureteroscopy
What tests are performed when staging bladder cancer ?
CT or MRI abdomen
TURBT with biopsy
CXR
Bone scan if ALP is elevated
What is the recurrence of bladder cancer like ?
Non-muscle invasive bladder cancer has a high recurrence after TURBT.
What is the management of non-muscle invasive bladder cancer ?
Transurethral resection of the bladder tumour
Surveillance
Intravesical chemotherapy or BCG to reduce the risk of progression to muscle-invasive bladder cancer
What is the management of non-metastatic muscle invasive bladder cancer ?
Surgery - cystectomy
Chemotherapy
Radiation therapy
How is metastatic bladder cancer managed ?
Systemic therapy - cisplatin based chemotherapy is the gold standard
What are the major functions of the kidney ?
Water and electrolyte regulation
Excretion of waste
Acid base regulation
Blood pressure regulation
Regulation of erythrocyte production
What are some risk factors for kidney cancer ?
Smoking
Hypertension
Obesity
CKD
Occupational exposure
Chronic hepatitis C infections
Kidney stones
How does kidney cancer present locally ?
Flank pain
Palpable mass
Visible haematuria
What are some paraneoplastic syndromes associated with kidney cancer ?
Anaemia
Hepatic dysfunction
Hypercalcaemia
Polycythaemia
Hypertension
What are some differentials for a renal mass ?
Renal cysts
Renal adenoma
Renal cell carcinoma
Nephroblastoma
What are some features of a renal cyst ?
Can be asymptomatic
Abdominal flank pain
Palpable mass
Haematuria
( similar to malignant causes )
What are some risk factors for renal cysts ?
Age
Male
HTN
Renal dysfunction
What is the most common renal malignancy ?
Renal cell carcinoma
What are the types of renal cell carcinoma ?
Clear cell
Papillary
Chromophobe
What is clear cell renal cell carcinoma ?
A malignancy arising from the lining of the proximal convoluted tubule and is composed of cells with clear or granular cytoplasm
What is clear cell renal cell carcinoma associated with ?
Von Hippel-Lindau disease
What is von Hippel-Lindau disease ?
An autosomal dominant multisystem neoplasm disorder that arises to due the deletion of the VHL gene ( a tumour suppressor gene ).
When is Wilms tumour ( nephroblastoma ) most commonly seen ?
In children
How does wilms tumour present ?
Asymptomatic mass
Abdominal pain
Fever
Haematuria
HTN
What is the management of wilms tumour ?
Combination of :
- chemotherapy
- radiation
- surgery
How is a diagnosis of renal cell carcinoma made ?
Imaging - renal USS is performed first then a CT
Biopsy
What is the definition of a localised cancer ?
Is one that is limited to the tissue or organ where it began and has not spread to nearby lymph nodes or other organs. ( stage 1-2 )
What is the general definition of an advanced cancer ?
Is one that is unlikely to be cured or controlled by treatment secondary to features such as : spread to surrounding lymph nodes, tissues or other organs ( stage 3-4 ).
What is the management of a localised renal cell carcinoma ?
Radical nephrectomy - larger tumour
Partial nephrectomy
Active surveillance - if low rate of metastasis