Treatment of Lung Cancer (DISEASE MECHANISMS) Flashcards Preview

Respiratory Anatomy & Disease Mechanisms > Treatment of Lung Cancer (DISEASE MECHANISMS) > Flashcards

Flashcards in Treatment of Lung Cancer (DISEASE MECHANISMS) Deck (25)
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1
Q

What is treatment of choice for small cell lung cancer?

A

Cytotoxic chemotherapy, often back with radiotherapy

2
Q

Why is SCLC suitable for chemotherapy?

A

Very rapid cell growth makes it susceptible

3
Q

Why is surgery rarely an option for SCLC?

A

Early metastases

4
Q

What are the curative treatment options for NSCLC?

A

Surgery or radical radiotherapy

5
Q

What does “radical” mean in terms of cancer treatment?

A

With the intent to cure

6
Q

What are the different treatment options for bronchial carcinoma?

A

Surgery
Radiotherapy
Chemotherapy
Palliative care

7
Q

Surgery significantly ______ the median survival rates

A

increases

8
Q

What tools are used to stage for surgery?

A

Bronchoscopy
Mediastinoscopy
CT scan of brain/thorax
PET scan

9
Q

How far from the carina must the tumour be to be operable?

A

> 2 cm

10
Q

What is a pneumonectomy?

A

Surgical removal of a lung / part of a lung

11
Q

What is a lung lobectomy?

A

Surgical removal of a lung lobe

12
Q

Which surgical methods can be used to remove lung cancer?

A

Thoracotomy (very invasive)

Minimal access VATS (Video-assisted thoracic surgery)

13
Q

What must be considered when debating surgery as a treatment option?

A

Peri-operative mortality and post-operative morbidity

14
Q

What methods can be used to stage for chemotherapy?

A

Bronchoscopy / Tissue sampling
CT scan (size/local invasion/nodes/metastases)
Performance status ECOG score

15
Q

What do the different ECOG scores represent?

A
0 = no symptoms
1 = some symptoms but no affect on daily life 
2 = >50% out of bed/chair
3 = <50% out of bed/chair
4 = housebound
16
Q

Where is chemotherapy most responsive?

A

Small cell lung cancer

17
Q

What side effects are associated with chemotherapy?

A
Nausea and Vomiting 
Tiredness
Bone marrow suppression (possibility of neutropenic sepsis) 
Hair loss 
Pulmonary fibrosis
18
Q

Radiotherapy is usually _______ treatment

A

palliative

19
Q

What are the issues with radiotherapy as a treatment option?

A
Maximum cumulative dose
Collateral damage (spinal cord / oesophagus / adjacent ling tissue)
Only has local effects (doesn't work for subclinical metastases except cranial irradiation)
20
Q

What are the different options for endobronchial therapy?

A

Stent insertion for stridor
Photodynamic therapy
Outer-laser therapy
Radioactive pellets

21
Q

What does photodynamic therapy involve?

A

Photo-sensitising drug –> exposure of tumour to certain light frequency –> tumour attacked by photo-sensitive drugs

22
Q

Endobronchial therapies are ______ treatment

A

palliative

23
Q

What determined the treatment of lung cancer?

A

Cell type
Extent of disease
Co-morbitidy
Patient’s wishes

24
Q

What is meant by co-morbidity in terms of lung cancer treatment?

A

Other smoking related diseases such as COPD or IHD

25
Q

Palliative care addresses (5)

A
Pain
Breathlessness
Cough
Anxiety 
Poor mobility