Week 3 - Oncology Flashcards
What is prevalence?
Number of persons with cancer at a given point in time divided by total population living at that time = prevalence
What is incidence?
It is defined as number of persons developing cancer in a specified period of time divided by total population living at that time = incidence
What is mortality?
It is defined as number of persons dying of cancer in a specified period of time divided by total population living at that time = mortality
What is cancer?
The term ‘Cancer’ refers to malignant neoplasms. Cancer is a term used for diseases in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells are derived from normal cells that have undergone neoplastic transformation, that is, an irreversible process leading to the transformation of a healthy cell into a cancer cell. These cancerous cells can invade and destroy surrounding tissue and spread to distant parts of the body.
What does the cell cycle consist of?
> Gap 1 - Post Mitotic/Pre synthesis phase
Synthesis
Gap 2 - Post Synthetic/pre-mitotic phase
Mitosis
Go (resting) phase
Cell Cycle: Gap 1 - Post Mitotic/ Pre Synthesis Phase
- Lasts from 18-30 hours
- Time from the end of mitosis to DNA synthesis
- Primarily a stage of ‘readiness’, in which cells start to make enzymes for DNA synthesis and prepare for entry into the synthesis phase
Cell Cycle: Synthesis
- Lasts 7-20 hours
- Proteins containing DNA are copied
- Synthesis of DNA leads to doubling of the total amount (DNA is replicated)
- Normal cell reproduction is dependant upon orderly synthesis of genetic material
- Cells are most vulnerable to damage during the synthesis phase
Cell Cycle: Gap 2 - Post Synthetic/Pre-Mitotic Phase
- 2nd gap period
- Lasts from 2-10 hours
- Errors in replication are corrected
- Specialised proteins and RNA are synthesised
- Cells are basically awaiting entry into the mitotic phase
Cell Cycle: Mitosis
- Lasts 30 mins to 2 hours
- Cell division occurs
- Duplication of the DNA MUST be complete before cells enter the mitotic phase
- 4 sub phases: (Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, Telophase)
Cell Cycle: Go (resting) phase
- There is an additional phase in the cell cycle
- Some cells do not enter the gap 1 pool, but enter the Go state, where they become temporarily quiescent
- In the Go, cells are not active in the cell cycle
- Lasts from a few hours to a few years
- Since at any given time, only 15-30% of cells are cycling, the Go cells are the largest population
What is a tumour growth fraction?
The growth fraction is the ratio of the total number of cells to the number of dividing cells.
What does it mean when cancer cells have the capacity to ‘intravasate’ and ‘extravasate’?
This means that cancer cells have the ability to enter and leave the circulatory and lymphatic systems.
What are the 8 stages of the metastatic cascade?
- Tumour initiation
- Progression
- Proliferation
- Angiogenesis
- Invasion/ Intravasation
- Extravasation
- Colony formation
- Evasion of host defences
Emotional responses following cancer diagnosis include:
- Shock
- Disbelief
- Anger
- Confusion
- Depression
- Despair
- Grief
- Anxiety
Physical / behavioural responses following cancer diagnosis include:
- Sleep disturbance
- Appetite changes
- Altered sexual interest
- Headaches
- Heart Palpitations
- Feeling ‘stressed’ and ‘on edge’
- Wanting to be around others/ social withdrawal
- Substance use / abuse
What is metastatic cascade?
The metastatic cascade describes the process whereby aggressive cancer cells leave the primary tumor, travel through the bloodstream, and eventually reach distant organs to develop one or several metastases.
What is clinical distress related to?
- Disease status
- Treatment tolerance
- Symptom intensity
- Symptom intensity and frequency
- Lifestyle effects of symptom intensity and frequency
- Quality of life
Examples of psycho social problems:
- Adjustment disorders to illness and/or changes in care
- Feelings of isolation from family
- Family conflict
- Decreased quality of life
- Decisions surrounding advanced directives
- Abuse/neglect
Treatments for mild psycho-social problems include the following :
- Education materials
- Support and education groups
- Resource lists (interdisciplinary referrals)
- Community resources
- Relationship counselling
- Grief counselling
Treatments for more severe psycho-social problems may include:
- Patient counselling / psychotherapy / +/- Medication
- Family counselling / psychotherapy
- Sexual counselling
- Grief counselling
- Assistance in strengthening coping styles: Relaxation techniques, meditation techniques
- Community resources
- Assistance with problem resolution
- Patient advocacy
- Education regarding coping skills
Pastoral and spiritual support for psychosocial problems may include the following discussions:
- Questioning one’s belief system
- Loss of faith
- Questions regarding life’s purpose
- Isolation from religious community
- Issues with treatment suggestions and religious beliefs
- Ritual requests
Examples of practical problems:
- Transportation issues and parking costs
- Transport and accommodation for rural families receiving treatment at a venue far from their home
- Financial issues
- Occupational problems
- School problems
- Food/clothing problems
- Assistance with daily routine
- Cultural barriers
- Identifying caregiver and family resources