Common palliative care conditions Flashcards
(28 cards)
What are the incidence stats for cancer?
1 in 2 will develop cancer
1 in 4 will die from cancer
4 in 10 deaths are due to cancer
What are the most common cancers in the UK?
Breast
Bowel
Prostate
Lung
What are the prognosis survival stats for cancer?
50% of people diagnosed with cancer will live more than 10 years
Cancer survival is higher in women than in men
Cancer survival has doubled in the last 40 years
Common site of spread for stomach and bowel cancer
Liver
Common site of spread for breast, lung and prostate cancer
Bone
Common site of spread for breast and kidney cancer
Lung
Common site of spread for Lung and Breast cancer
Brain
Define Cancer of unknown primary
Cancer that presents with metastatic disease and the primary source cannot be identified
What are the four main types of motor neurone disease?
AML (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis)
Progressive bulbar palsy
Progressive muscular atrophy
Primary lateral sclerosis
Common symptoms for ALS?
Progressive weakness and wasting in limbs
Tripping
Dropping things
Muscle cramps
Stiffness
ALS Prognosis
2-5 years from symptom onset
Common symptoms for Progressive bulbar palsy
Affects muscles controlling face, throat and tongue
- Slurring of speech
- Difficulty swallowing
Progressive bulbar palsy prognosis
3 months to 6 years
Progressive muscular atrophy - common symptoms
Affects lower motor neurones (control muscle movement). Symptoms depend on which areas are affected
- Weakness of clumsiness
- Fatigue
- muscle cramps and pain
- weight loss
- breathing difficulties
Progressive muscular atrophy prognosis
usually more than 5 years
Primary lateral sclerosis - common symptoms
Usually being in lower limbs, causing walking nad balance issues.
Often progresses more slowly than other forms of MND.
Rarest forms of MND (3/100 MND cases)
Primary lateral sclerosis prognosis
10-20 years
Prognosis stats for MND
A third of people die within the year.
More than half die within 2 years
What are the types of MS?
Relapsing remitting
secondary progressive
primary progressive
progressive relapsing
When does MS commonly present?
In 20s and 30s
Main type of MS seen?
Relapsing remitting
What are the common presenting symptoms in MS?
- Visual disturbances (loss/reduction in vision, painful eye movements, optic neuritis)
- Ascending motor/sensory dysfunction in limbs/face
- loss of balance, vertigo
- pain and spasticity
- fatigue
- tingling/numbness
- sexual dysfunction
- loss of continence
How can ataxia and tremor be managed in MS?
Early OT invovlement
- pelvic and thoracic support for sitting.
- equipment to support feeding/other ADLs
How can muscle spasticity be managed in MS?
1st line = Baclofen, 5mg TDS, up to max daily of 100mg (60mg is often enough)
Gabapentin 300mg ON, increasing by 300mg every 2-3 days until improvement/max dose reached
2nd line = Dantrolene Sodium 25mg. (Max dose 100mg, but 75mg usually enough, increase weekly)
3rd line = Benzodiazepines
