Cancer treatments (oncology) Flashcards
3 treatments of cancer?
surgery
radiation
chemo
which is the most frequent treatment method for cancer?
surgery
what is surgery used in conjuction with?
chemo or radiation
to prevent diagnose stage and treat
what is important to know for surgery and chemo?
we will wait for either chemo or surgery (2 months) because of delayed healing
Types of surgery:
diagnostic: biopsy
primary
prophylactic: preventative surgery
palliative: helps w quality and end of life
reconstructive: augmentation
Diagnostic surgery includes what?
tissue biopsy:
shave
punch
incisional
excisional
fine needle
core needle
surgery as primary treatment:
debulking: removes as much as tumor as possible
radical excisions: disfiguring and alter function
salvage surgery: extensive surgery to site at which previous therapies have failed
Prophylactic surgery:
removal of non vital tissue or organs that may develop cancer
what are considerations for prophylactic surgery? 6
fam history
genetic predisposition
presence or absence of symptoms
risk vs benefits
ability to detect cancer early
pt acceptance of post op outcomes
Palliative surgery: 4
pain relief
not intended to treat or cure
high quality of life
alleviate disease without curing it
reconstructive surgery:
plastic surgery
repair injury or loss of function from curative or radical surgeries
may take several procedures
Radiation and chemo therapy GOALS:
to eliminate cancerous cells
affects rapidly proliferating cells
can cause wide range of symptoms
death can result from symptoms
benefits outweigh the risks….. in some cases
Radiation therapy
choice of treatment for localized cancer which is cancer that is contained in one organ
- energy to kill tumors, shrink tumors, to eliminate cancer cells
-damages cells dna
- healthy cells can also be damages
what are the factors effecting radiation therapy dosing?
- radio sensitivity of the tumor: dependent on presence of oxygen
- normal tissue tolerance: point at which normal tissues are irreparably damage
- volume of tissue to be irradiated: total proscribed dose usually divided into several smaller doses
treatments are given daily 5x per week for an average of 25 to 30 treatments.q
Benefits of radiation therapy:
- used before surgery to shrink tumors
- intra-operative radiation: during surgery
- given before during or after chemo
- palliative: shrink, reduce pressure pain and other symptoms