Cancer

Question 1

what are the 4 characteristics of cancer?

Answer 1

1. abnormality
2. uncontrollability
3. invasiveness
4. group

Question 2

what is a neoplasm?

Answer 2

Abnormal tissue that grows by cellular proliferation more rapidly than normal and continue to grow after initiation

Question 3

what is carcinoma?

Answer 3

Skin/tissues that line or cover internal organs

Question 4

what is sarcoma?

Answer 4

Supportive or connective tissue

Bones, tendons, cartilage, muscle, fat

Question 5

what is myeloma?

Answer 5

Plasma cells of bone marrow

Question 6

what is leukemia?

Answer 6

Blood forming tissue (bone marrow)

Question 7

what is lymphoma?

Answer 7

Glands/nodes of lymph system

Question 8

how are cancer cells different from normal cells?

Answer 8

Cancer cells have defects in normal cellular fx that allow them to divide, invade the surrounding tissue, and spread by way of vascular or lymphatic systems

Question 9

what are anaplastic growths?

Answer 9

growths without form

Question 10

what is the TNM scale?

Answer 10

scale to describe the Tumor size, location, and extent of metastasis as a guide to determine a plan the care for the patient whether it be chemo, radiation, or surgery

Question 11

what does T-N-M stand for?

Answer 11

T = Tumor size
N = lymph node involvement
M = metastasis

Question 12

what are the stages of cancer?

Answer 12

Stage I: T1 N0 M0
Stage II: T2 N1 M0
Stage III: T3 N2 M0
Stage IV: T4 N3 M1

Question 13

what is tumor grading?

Answer 13

How abnormal they look under a microscope
How quickly the tumor is likely to grow and spread.
GX-G4 scale

Question 14

what is determined after stage of cancer?

Answer 14

categorization

I-early to IV-advanced

Question 15

what is cancer “in situ”?

Answer 15

stage 0 premetastasis

Question 16

risk factors of cancer

Answer 16

smoking, diet, alcohol, sexual activity, genetics, viral infection, occupational hazards, pollution, radiation

Question 17

what does diagnosis determine?

Answer 17

Primary site of malignancy
Tissue type
Extent of disease
Possibility of tumor recurrence

Question 18

what are diagnosis techniques?

Answer 18

Screening tests
Family/Social background
Physical exams
Laboratory tests (Tumor markers)
Pathology reports (Biopsy)

Question 19

what are the curative goals of cancer tx?

Answer 19

to restore to prior health

Question 20

what are the palliative goals of cancer tx?

Answer 20

Optimize comfort
Decrease caregiver burden
Patient centered goals

Question 21

what are the different txs for cancer?

Answer 21

Surgery (local)
Radiation Therapy
Chemotherapy (systematic)
Hormone Therapy (systematic)
Stem Cell Transplantation
Clinical Trials

Question 22

what is the goal of surgery?

Answer 22

to “achieve clean margins” of tumor and may also include LN removal

used to be diagnostic, curative, or palliative or for debulking

Question 23

what is radiation therapy?

Answer 23

Local treatment uses ionizing radiation to disrupt cell DNA

Goals
Cure or shrink early stage cancer
Prophylactic
Palliative

Question 24

what is the goal of chemotherapy?

Answer 24

Interfere with DNA replication
Damage DNA
Cytoskeletal interference

Question 25

how does chemotherapy work?

Answer 25

affects any rapidly growing/dividing cells

Question 26

what does hormone therapy do?

Answer 26

Add, blocks or removes hormones in hormone dependent cancers Prostate and breast cancer

Question 27

how are blood cancers treated? | leukemia, lymphoma, myeloma

Answer 27

immunotherapy like Allogenic or Autogenic Bone Marrow Transplants, and Stem cell transplants

Question 28

what is the most common cancer in the US?

Answer 28

skin cancer

Question 29

where are melanocytes found in the skin?

Answer 29

layer of basal cells in the deepest layer

Question 30

what are the signs of melanoma?

Answer 30

1. asymmetry 2. border irregularity 3. mottled color 4. bigger than 1/4 inch 5. change in size, shape, symptoms, color

Question 31

what is ewings sarcoma?

Answer 31

Not contained, eats away at the bone Fatal Tx: amputation Typically happens to children

Question 32

what is osteosarcoma?

Answer 32

cancer of the bone

Question 33

what is the continuum status of cancer?

Answer 33

includes pre-treatment in which the patient has not yet received treatment post-care in which there is no evidence of disease palliation is a stage where patients are treated to manage pain for incurable cancer

Question 34

what is the behavior of benign tumors?

Answer 34

Not Cancer Slow growing Rarely life threatening Grow locally, no invasion

Question 35

what is the behavior of malignant tumors?

Answer 35

Cancer Rapid growth May be life threatening Capable of spreading by invasion or metastasis

Question 36

how do tumors spread?

Answer 36

1. Direct invasion of contiguous organs or **local spread 2. Metastasis to distant organs via blood or lymph systems 3. Metastasis by implantation

Question 37

what is a circulating tumor?

Answer 37

Genomic DNA released from a tumor cell into the bloodstream and can be distinguished from DNA arising from normal cells by somatic mutations

Question 38

how does surgical removal of tumor affect cancer that has metastasized?

Answer 38

Removing primary tumor does NOT affect distant site

Question 39

how do lung tumors metastasize?

Answer 39

Pulmonary vein, left ventricle to multiple organs including brain

Question 40

how do testicular tumors metastasize?

Answer 40

Lymph system to lung, liver

Question 41

how do breast tumors metastasize?

Answer 41

Lymph to bones (skeleton), lungs

Question 42

how do ovarian tumors metastasize?

Answer 42

Direct extension to peritoneal surfaces, diaphragm

Question 43

what are the 7 warning signs of cancer?

Answer 43

``` C = change, bowel/bladder Colon/bladder A = a sore not healing Skin U = unusual bleeding/discharge Breast, intestinal, cervical, uterine T = thickening/lump Breast or other I = indigestion, difficulty swallowing Throat, esophageal O = obvious change in wart, mole Melanoma N = nagging cough, hoarseness Lung, laryngeal ```