Non-operative management of lung cancer

Question 1

what are the side effects of radiotherapy of lung cancer?

Answer 1

radio therapy to the chest may damage your lungs and cause a cough, problems breathing and shortness of breath,
can also cause long term inflammation and fibrosis of the lungs

these side effects usually improve after treatment is over, although sometimes they may not go away completely

Question 2

what are the side effects of chemotherapy treating lung cancer?

Answer 2

hair loss
mouth sores
loss of appetite
nausea and vomiting
diarrhoea or constipation
increased chance of infections, from having too few white blood cells
easy bruising or bleeding, from having too few blood platelets
fatigue, from having too red blood cells

Question 3

what are the outcomes of chemotherapy drugs usually being given into a vein?

Answer 3

after many treatments these veins may collapse or may become hard and uncomfortable

Question 4

what may treatment of extensive stage small cell lung cancer include?

Answer 4

combination chemotherapy, radiation therapy to the brain, spine, bone or other body parts where the cancer has spread, as palliative therapy relieve symptoms and improves quality of life

Question 5

what is the purpose of palliative care?

Answer 5

to help reduce symptoms such as pain, fatigue and emotional issues, as palliative care doesn’t treat the lung cancer itself

Question 6

when may palliative care be recommended?

Answer 6

if treatment options have been exhausted

Question 7

where may palliative care be given?

Answer 7

at home, in hospital or in a hospice

Question 8

when chemotherapy is part of your lung cancer treatment what may palliative care manage?

Answer 8

side effects such as nausea, vomiting, pain, fatigue, constipation, diarrhoea, depression and insomnia

Question 9

can having both radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments at the same time increase side effects?

Answer 9

yes

Question 10

name an endoscopic technique

Answer 10

bronchoscopy

Question 11

what is bronchoscopy?

Answer 11

a technique which visualises the inside of the airways for diagnostic and therapeutic purposes

Question 12

what is a bronchoscope?

Answer 12

it is an instrument inserted into the airways usually through the nose or mouth

Question 13

what can be examined through the use of a bronchoscope?

Answer 13

the pharynx, larynx, trachea and lower airways can be examined

Question 14

what else can a bronchoscope be used for apart from examination?

Answer 14

removal of small tissue samples, this is a biopsy, you need to gain a decent sized biopsy to determine whether lung cancer is present

Question 15

what is tracheostomy?

Answer 15

an incision in the windpipe made to relieve an obstruction to breathing

Question 16

what is usually the first test used to diagnose lung cancer?

Answer 16

a chest x-ray

Question 17

what does lung cancer appear as on a chest x-ray?

Answer 17

lung cancer appears as a mass or as an area of consolidation on a chest x ray, most tumours show up on chest x-rays as a white-grey mass

Question 18

why can’t chest x-rays give a definitive diagnosis of lung cancer?

Answer 18

because they often can’t distinguish between cancer and other conditions, for example a lung abscess

Question 19

what are the stages of non small cell lung cancer where surgery is a typically treatment option?

Answer 19

stage 1 to stage 3A,

however fewer than 50% of patients are still alive 5 years after surgery

Question 20

state an neo-adjuvant therapy of non small cell lung cancer?

Answer 20

neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, patients with early stage 1B to 3A non small cell lung cancer,

provides a 5% survival benefit at 5 years post surgery

Question 21

what is adjuvant chemotherapy?

Answer 21

chemotherapy given after surgery to reduce the chance of the cancer returning

Question 22

what is an advantage of adjuvant chemotherapy?

Answer 22

the 5 year survival rate post surgery can improve

Question 23

what is a disadvantage of adjuvant chemotherapy?

Answer 23

it is quite a toxic treatment

Question 24

state an adjuvant therapy of non small cell lung cancer?

Answer 24

adjuvant chemotherapy

Question 25

what is the management of non small cell lung cancer advanced disease?

Answer 25

systemic therapy should be considered
patients are no longer amenable to local therapies
non-operable
palliative chemotherapy treatment

Question 26

what is radical radiotherapy?

Answer 26

high energy x-rays, dose 55Gy+, it is non-surgical treatment

Question 27

what stage of non small cell lung cancer is radical radiotherapy used to treat?

Answer 27

stage 3, pulmonary function tests are essential prior to radical radiotherapy of stage 3 non small cell lung cancer

Question 28

what is among the most common treatments of stage 3 and 4 non small cell lung cancer?

Answer 28

chemotherapy

Question 29

what is stage 4 non small cell lung cancer?

Answer 29

it is the most advanced form of the disease, the cancer has metastasised, this stage results in the cancer being incurable, palliation is essential

Question 30

what stage are 40% of patients with non small cell lung cancer diagnosed at?

Answer 30

stage 4

Question 31

what is the fast growing type of lung cancer

Answer 31

small cell lung cancer, this form of cancer spreads more quickly

Question 32

what are almost all cases of small cell lung cancer due to?

Answer 32

cigarette smoking

Question 33

what is the most aggressive form of lung cancer?

Answer 33

small cell lung cancer

Question 34

where does small cell lung cancer usually start?

Answer 34

in the bronchi

Question 35

what is the treatment of small cell lung cancer limited disease?

Answer 35

chemotherapy

Question 36

what does it mean by lung cancer limited disease?

Answer 36

when cancer is only in one lung

Question 37

what is extensive stage small cell lung cancer?

Answer 37

when the cancer has spread to tissue outside of the originally affected lung