HLST200 7-12 Flashcards
Final review (188 cards)
Define ‘‘Cancer’’
the uncontrolled growth and spread of abnormal cells. Term cancer refers to a group of more than 100 diseases characterized by abnormal cell growth.
How does cancer (general) progress?
Normal cells follow the code of instructions embedded in DNA, cancer cells do not. If the DNA within the nucleus becomes altered, the cells become out of control. The nucleus no longer regulates growth. The abnormal cell divides to create other abnormal cells, which again divide, eventually forming neoplasms or tumours, which can either be benign (slightly abnormal, not considered life-threatening) or malignant (cancerous).
What are the 4 types of cancer?
●Carcinoma: most common kind, starts in the epithelium, the layers of cells that cover the body’s surface or line internal organs and glands
● Sarcoma: forms in the supporting or connective tissues of the body: bones, muscles, blood vessels
●Leukemia: begins in the blood-forming tissues (bone marrow, lymph nodes, and the spleen)
●Lymphoma: arises in the cells of the lymph system, the network that filters out impurities
Define neoplasm
a new abnormal growth of a tissue in the body which can be cancerous
What are the risk factors for breast cancer?
risk increases with age.
-age at menarche, age at birth of first child, breast biopsies, estrogen, family history
How can breast cancer be detected?
Combo of clinical breast exams and mammograms, routine BSE no longer recommended but should check for abnormalities.
What is the treatment for breast cancer?
Surgery, radiation, drugs
Lumpectomy, modified radial mastectomy, exemestane
What is cervical cancer?
- starts in the cells of the cervix
- Squamous cell cancer, the most common cervical cancer, starts in cells that line the surface of the cervix
What are the risk factors for cervical cancer?
Infection with certain types of HPV (not every HPV becomes cervical cancer), early age of first intercourse, multiple sex partners, genital herpes, significant exposure to second hand smoke
How can you prevent cervical cancer?
HPV vaccine and regular Pap tests
What are the risk factors for colon and rectal cancer?
age (especially those over 50), polyps (small growths on the inner wall of the colon and rectum), a family history, diet, obesity, physical inactivity, heavy alcohol consumption, smoking, and living with inflammatory bowel disease
What are colon polyps and what are the risks?
fleshy growths that usually begin growing in the epithelium lining of the bowel, common especially in older adults, many are benign, but when some are left untreated they can grow into the muscle layers underneath the epithelial lining, go through the bowel wall, and develop into an adenoma, special type of polyp that is likely to become cancerous
What is an adenocarcinoma?
malignant tumour in the epithelial tissue
Symptoms of colorectal cancer are..?
bleeding from the rectum, blood in the stool, or a change in bowel habits
Screening methods for colorectal cancer
the fecal occult blood test, detects blood in a person’s stool.
The flexible sigmoidoscopy, can detect between 50 and 65 percent of colon rectal cancers (CRC). This test examines the sigmoid colon, where 60 percent of colorectal cancers are found. A colonoscopy examines the entire colon. During this procedure, lesions or polyps can be removed. This screening method is advised for people who are at a high risk for CRC
Treatment of colorectal cancer
surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy
What is lung cancer
begins with development of abnormal cells in the lungs, cells form lumps and can grow into tumours, which can be benign or malignant.
What are the 2 types of lung cancer
1) non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC): most common type and grows slowly
2) small cell lung cancer (SCLC): which grows quickly and can spread to other parts of the body
Risk factors for lung cancer
smoking, others include air pollution, family history of lung cancer, previous diagnosis of lung cancer, exposure to asbestos, arsenic, chromium, nickel, radon gas
symptoms of lung cancer
early stages usually show no symptoms but as it progresses symptoms may include:
- cough that wont go away
- shortness of breath or wheezing
- constant chest pain, especially when you cough
- frequent chest infections
- coughing up blood
- deep sense of fatigue
- loss of appetite/ unexplained weight loss
How is lung cancer diagnosed?
x-rays, ultrasounds, CT scans, MRIs, sputum cytology, biopsies of the tumour site, blood tests
Treatment of lung cancer
- Surgery is most common for non-small cell lung cancers that have not grown to a large size and have not spread to other tissues. Surgeon can remove a wedge section, the lobe of the lung containing the tumour, or the entire lung.
- Radiation treatment is used to treat a tumour. Radiation damages the cancerous cells. Unfortunately, the beam of radiation can also damage any cells in the path of the external beam. Other side effects include fatigue and skin damage where the treatment was given. Chemotherapy may also be used as a treatment option. Pills or injection are the two most common chemotherapy options
What is the leading cause of death from gynaecological cancers?
ovarian cancer
what are the 3 types of ovarian cancer?
Epithelial cell cancer: begins in the cells that cover the outer surface of the ovary.
Germ cell tumours: begin in the egg cells within the ovary. This type is more common in young women and can even develop in young children.
Stromal tumours: start in the connective tissue cells that hold the ovary together