Hepato-biliary-pancreatic neoplasia Flashcards
(78 cards)
1
Q
How common is hepatocellular cancer?
A
third most common cause of cancer worldwide
2
Q
What is the commonest cause of HCC worldwide?
A
chronic hepatitis B
3
Q
What is the most common cause of hepatocellular carcinoma in Europe?
A
chronic hepatitis C
4
Q
What is the main risk factor for developing hepatocellular carcinoma?
A
liver cirrhosis, e.g. secondary to hepatitis B and C, alcohol, haemochoromatosis, and primary biliary cirrhosis
5
Q
What are 12 causes of liver cirrhosis which can predispose to developing HCC?
A
- Hepatitis B+C
- Alcohol
- Haemochromatosis
- Primary biliary cholangitis
- Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- Hereditary tyrosinosis
- Glycogen storage disease
- Aflatoxin
- Drug: oral contraceptive pill, anabolic steroids
- Porphyria cutanea tarda
- Male sex
- Diabetes mellitus/ metabolic syndrome
6
Q
When in the course of hepatocellular carcinoma does the disease tend to present?
A
late
7
Q
What are 7 possible clinical features of a patient with hepatocellular carcinoma?
A
- Jaundice
- Ascites
- Right upper quadrant pain
- Hepatomegaly
- Pruritus
- Splenomegaly
- Could present as decompensation in a patient with chronic liver disease
8
Q
What tumour marker may be raised in hepatocellular carcinoma?
A
AFP (alpha feto protein)
9
Q
How is screening performed for hepatocellular carcinoma?
A
ultrasound with/without alpha fetoprotein
10
Q
What are 2 examples of high risk groups who should be considered for screening for hepatocellular carcinoma?
A
- Patients with liver cirrhosis secondary to hepatitis B & C or haemochromatosis
- Men with liver cirrhosis secondary to alcohol
11
Q
What are 5 management options for hepatocellular carcinoma?
A
- Early disease: surgical resection
- Liver transplantation
- Radiofrequency ablation
- Transarterial chemoembolisation
- Sorafenib: multikinase inhibitor
12
Q
At what point in the disease course is pancreatic cancer often diagnosed and why?
A
late, tends to present in a non-specific way
13
Q
What type of tumour is the vast majority of pancreatic cancers?
A
adenocarcinomas - 80%
14
Q
Where in the pancreas does the most common type of pancreatic cancer occur?
A
head of pancreas (adenocarcinomas)
15
Q
What are 8 things that pancreatic cancer is associated with?
A
- Increasing age
- Smoking
- Diabetes
- Chronic pancreatitis (alcohol doesn’t appear an independent risk factor though)
- Hereditary non-polyposis colorectal carcinoma
- Multiple endocrine neoplasia
- BRCA2 gene
- KRAS gene mutation
16
Q
What is the classic presentation of pancreatic cancer?
A
painless jaundice; pale stools, dark urine, pruritus
cholestatic LFTs
17
Q
What does Courvoisier’s law state in regards to pancreatic cancer?
A
in the presence of painless obstructive jaundice, a palpable gallbladder is unlikely to be due to gallstones
18
Q
What are 6 less common/atypical features of the presentation of pancreatic cancer?
A
- Anorexia
- Weight loss
- Epigastric pain
- Loss of exocrine function: steatorrhoea
- Loss of endocrine function: diabetes mellitus
- Atypical back pain
19
Q
What is a sign seen in pancreatic cancer that is more common than with other cancers?
A
migratory thrombophlebitis - Trousseau’s sign of malignancy
thrombophlebitis that travels/comes back in different part of body, often from one leg to other
20
Q
What are 2 types of cancers that Trousseau’s sign (migratory thrombophlebitis) is most commonly seen in?
A
pancreatic and lung
21
Q
What are 2 key investigations to perform to diagnose pancreatic cancer?
A
- Ultrasound
- High reslution CT scanning
22
Q
What is the investigation of choice if a diagnosis of pancreatic cancer is suspected?
A
high-resolution CT scanning
23
Q
What may be seen on imaging in pancreatic cancer?
A
double duct sign: presence of simultaneous dilatation of the common bile duct and pancreatic ducts
24
Q
What is the 5 year survival rate like of pancreatic cancer?
A
extremely poor: <5%
25
What is Courvoisier's sign in pancreatic cancer?
painless palpable gallbladder with jaundice
26
What are 3 sites where pancreatic cancer metastasises to?
lung, liver, bowel
| (haemoptysis, jaundice, constipation)
27
What are LFTs likely to show in pancreatic cancer?
raised bilirubin and raised ALP
28
What are the limitations of using ultrasound to investigate suspected pancreatic cancer?
good at detecting tumours within head of pancreas but poorer for tumours in **body** **or tail** and in determining **early** **disease** - so normal US doesn't rule out pancreatic carcinoma
29
What are 2 types of imaging that can give further information in pancreatic cancer (in addition to US and HRCT)
MRCP: information about biliary ducts but cannot show extension of tumour
Endoscopic USS: invasive test which can detect small lesions and can be used for biopsies
30
What is the only potentially curative treatment for pancreatic cancer?
resection of tumour
31
What proportion of patients will present with resectable pancreatic cancer?
only 15-20%
32
What are 2 examples of criteria for resection of pancreatic cancer?
1. No evidence of involvement of superior mesenteric artery (SMA) or coeliac arteries
2. No evidence of disant metastases
33
What is the most common procedure used to resect the pancreatic tumour if it's in the head of the pancreas?
pancreaticoduodenectomy (Kausch-Whipple procedure), adjuvant chemotherapy given after if recover from surgery well
34
What are 2 side effects of pancreaticoduodenectomy for pancreatic cancer (aka Whipple's resection/ Kausch-Whipple procedure)?
1. Dumping syndrome
2. Peptic ulcer disease
35
What adjuvant therapy is usually given following surgery for resectable pancreatic cancer?
chemotherapy
36
What are 4 options for palliative therapy for pancreatic cancer with locally advanced or metastatic disease?
1. Endoscopic stent insertion into bile duct
2. Palliative surgery if endoscopic stent insertion fails
3. Chemotherapy
4. Radiotherapy (only for localised advanced disease)
37
In addition to palliative therapeutic options what else must be provided for patients with non-resectable pancreatic cancer?
pain management and mental and emotional support - refer to palliative care
38
Why is the prognosis of gallbladder cancer poor?
non-specific symptoms so commonly diagnosed incidentally and at late stage
39
What type of cancer are the majority of gallbladder cancers?
adenocarcinomas (90%)
40
What patients groups is gallbladder cancer most common in?
increases with age - most common over age 75
more common in females
more common in certain ethnic groups: Caucasians, Native Americans, Koreans
41
What are 2 main groups of risk factors for gallbladder cancer?
1. gallbladder and biliary tree pathologies
2. environmental/lifestyle factors
42
What are 5 gallbladder/biliary tree pathology risk factors for gallbladder cancer?
1. **Gallstones** or history of gallstone disease
2. **Porcelain gallbladder**
3. **Gallbladder** **adenoma** (polyps)
4. **Abnormal bile duct anatomy**
5. **Primary sclerosing cholangitis**
43
What is meant by the term porcelain gallbladder?
intramural gallbladder wall calcification which occurs as a result of chronic cholecystitis
44
What is meant by abnormal bile duct anatomy which can increase the risk of gallbladder cancer?
certain people have congenital defect of bile ducts which allows reflux of pancreatic secretions into biliary tree, which can cause damage
45
What are 3 environmental/lifestyle factors which increase the risk of gallbladder cancer?
1. Obesity
2. Infection causing chronic cholangitis: salmonella typhi and Helicobacter
3. Carcinogen exposure: cigarette smoking and exposure to industrial chemicals
46
What are the 2 most common infections which can cause chronic cholangitis and predispose to gallbladder cancer?
1. Salmonella typhi
2. Helicobacter
47
How is early-stage gallbladder most often detected?
often asymptomatic and found incidentally during surgery
48
What proportion of gallbladder cancers are found incidentally during surgery?
20%
49
What proportion of all patients undergoing routine cholecystectomy will have gallbladder cancer?
1%
50
What are 6 of the symptoms of gallbladder cancer once it becomes symptomatic?
1. Right upper quadrant pain
2. Anorexia
3. Nausea and vomiting
4. Malaise
5. Weight loss
6. Palpable right upper quadrant mass
7. Obstructive jaundice (depending on tumour location): yellowing of skin and sclera, pale stools dark urine, pruritus
51
What may LFTs show in gallbladder cancer?
raised ALP and bilirubin
52
What are 2 types of tumour markers which may be raised in later-stage gallbladder cancer?
1. Ca-19-9
2. CEA
53
How useful are tumour markers for investigating gallbladder cancer?
may be elevated in later-stage disease but this is non-specific and cannot be relied upon for diagnosis
54
How useful is ultrasound scanning for diagnosing gallbladder cancer?
can appear as mass, polyp or thickening of gallbladder wall on USS, often fails to visualise early-stage disease
55
What is the most useful imaging modality for diagnosis and staging of GBC, that is the best first-line investigation?
CT scanning
56
Why is CT the best first-line investigation for gallbladder cancer?
can detect masses and identify lymphadenopathy and tumour invasion into adjacent structures
57
In addition to CT what other imaging modality can be used for gallbladder cancer pre-operatively and what for?
MRI: to assess extent of disease, good at detecting vascular invasion (MR angiography) and biliary tract involvement (MRCP) for staging
58
What is the gold standard investigation for gallbladder cancer staging and what does it allow?
endoscopic ultrasound - allows for fine-needle aspiration biopsy for histological analysis of the tumour
59
What is the staging system used for gallbladder cancer and what are the 5 stages?
TNM staging
* Tis: carcinoma in situ
* T1: tumour invades lamina propria and/or muscular layer of gallbladder
* T2: tumour invades perimuscular connective tissue without involvement of visceral peritoneum or liver
* T3: tumour invades visceral peritoneum and/or liver and/or one adjacent organ (e.g. stomach, pancreas, bile ducts, intestines)
* T4: tumour invades vascular structures (hepatic artery or portal vein) and/or invades two or more adjacent organs
60
What is the only curative therapy for gallbladder cancer?
surgical resection
61
What are 3 situations when surgical resection of gallbladder cancer is contraindicated?
1. Metastatic disease: liver, peritoneum and intestines most commonly affected
2. Malignant ascites
3. Vascular invasion: superior mesenteric artery, coeliac artery, hepatic artery, portal vein are common sites
62
What are 3 common sites of metastatic gallbladder cancer?
1. liver
2. peritoneum
3. intestines
63
What are 4 common sites of vascular invasion of gallbladder cancer?
1. Superior mesenteric artery
2. Coeliac artery
3. Hepatic artery
4. Portal vein
64
What therapy for gallbladder cancer do patients with surgically unresectable disease often receive?
chemoradiotherapy
65
What is the limitation of chemoradiotherapy for gallbladder cancer management?
mixed success; mainly useful for palliation
66
What are 2 types of palliative therapy for gallbladder cancer?
1. Chemoradiotherapy
2. Endoscopic common bile duct stents - if obstructive jaundice
67
What is the method of surgical resection for gallbladder of TNM stage Tis/T1?
simple cholecystectomy - removal of gallbladder
68
What is the method of surgical resection for gallbladder of TNM stage T2?
resection of gallbladder with surrounding 2cm resection of adjacent tissue. also includes removal of surrounding lymph nodes
69
What is the method of surgical resection for gallbladder of TNM stage T3?
extended cholecystectomy (surrounding 2cm and lymph nodes) plus resection of affected adjacent organ
70
Which types of gallbladder carcinoma are typically unresectable?
T4, M1
71
What management can be performed for T4 gallbaldder cancer?
chemoradiotherapy
72
What management can be performed for N1/2 gallbladder cancer?
local lymph node resection - all surrouding nodes (cystic duct, common bile duct, hepatic artery, portal vein, hepatoduodenal ligaments)
73
What is the prognosis of gallbladder cancer like?
poor; T1 87% 3 year suvrival but often diagnosed at late stage - T4 0% 3 year survival
74
What is cholangiocarcinoma?
bile duct cancer
75
What is the main risk factor for cholangiocarcinoma?
primary sclerosing cholangitis
76
What are 7 clinical features of cholangiocarcinoma?
1. Persistent biliary colic symptoms
2. Anorexia
3. Jaundice
4. Weight loss
5. Palpable mass in the right upper quadrant (Courvoisier sign)
6. Periumbilical lymphadenopathy (Sister Mary Joseph nodeS)
7. Left supraclavicular adenopathy (Virchow node)
77
What are Sister Mary Joseph nodes?
periumbilical lymphadenopathy
78
What is Virchow node?
supraclavicular lymphadenopathy
