Week 3- Oral Cancer Flashcards
What is the mortality rate for small, treatable oral tumours?
25% do not survive 5 years
What is sclerous?
Hardened/bony
What defines a malignant tumour?
Its behaviour, appearance and histology
What is the appearance of cancer?
- Ulcerated/non-healing
- Colour- white or red
- Cirrous (card)
What is the behaviour of cancer?
- Grows locally (invasive)
- Spreads regionally
- Spreads distant
- Parasitic
- Anarchistic
What is the primary mode of spread of oral cancer?
Lymphatic
What is the role of lymph nodes?
Lymph nodes are drainage ports, packed full of lymphocytes
What is cachexia?
Extreme weight loss and muscle wasting
What happens to basement membrane cells when cancer occurs?
When basement membrane is compromised, the cells switch to mesenchymal cells.
What is this?
Salivary gland adenocarcinoma
What are the principles of management for oral oncology?
- Establish diagnosis
- Establish extent of disease
- Classification
- Staging
- Then treatment
What are the three parameters of cancer staging?
- Tumour size
- Lymph node involvement
- Metastasis
Why use staging for oncology?
- Standardisation
- Disease progression and management
- Prognostication
- Risk stratification*
