Week 8 - Respiratory Flashcards
Which types of lung cancer are most strongly associated with smoking?
Squamous cell carcinoma
Small cell lung cancer
Give examples of risk factors for lung cancer other than actively smoking
Passive smoking Ionising radiation - radon, uranium Air pollution Asbestos Fibrotic lung disease HPV
Name the 6 main signs and symptoms of lung cancer
Cough Haemoptysis SOB Chest pain Weight loss General malaise
Give 3 symptoms specific to central lung cancer
Haemoptysis
Bronchial obstruction leading to SOB and rentention pneumonia
Cough
What is a clinical sign of SVC obstruction?
Visible veins on chest wall
Oedema in face, neck and upper chest
Why do people with lung cancer sometimes present with hoarness in their voice?
The lung tumour is compressing the recurrent laryngeal nerve which provides innervation to the larynx
What are the common symptoms of pancoast tumour?
Horner’s syndrome
Branchial plexus palsy
How would phrenic nerve paralysis look on a CXR?
Elevated hemi-diaphragm
What is Horner’s syndrome?
Ipsilateral meiosis - constricted pupil
Ipsilateral anhydrosis - lack of sweating
Ipsilateral ptosis - drooping of eyelid
Where does lung cancer tend to metastasise to?
Liver
Bone
Brain
Adrenal
Give some examples of endocrine non-metastatic effects
ACTH secretion –> Cushing’s syndrome
ADH secretion (SIADH) –> dilutional hyponatreamia
PTHrP secretion –> hypercalcaemia
Name a rare syndrome associated with lung cancer
Eaton Lambert myasthenia-like syndrome
Why is it important to differentiate between small cell and non-small cell lung cancer?
Small cell is usually advanced at diagnosis and responds to chemotherapy
Non-small cell may be localised at diagnosis and can be treated by surgery or radiotherapy
