Week 8 Colon Cancer Flashcards
(43 cards)
Colon cancer or Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a disease of what organ?
Cancer of the Large bowel (and rectum).
What interventional imaging methods can be used to view CRC?
Colonoscopy or Sigmoidoscopy
Mutation of what particular gene are present in most sporadic CRC tumours and inherited bowel cancer syndromes?
APC (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli) protein
Why is the Colon a good predisposing origin for cancer to strike?
The cells of the bowel sit very close in contact with eachother, and there is a high cell turnover.
APC is a multifunctional protein, name some of the roles of APC:
Promotes cell migration
Regulates Migrotubule function (cell division)
Promotes cell maturation/differentiation (through B-catenin regulation)
Obviously APC mutations will act to inhibit any/all of the above
HNPCC involves changes in MMR - what are these abbreviations?
Hereditary Non-Polyposis Colon Cancer
Mismatch Repair
APC has huge domains and cellular functions in the maturation of cells - what particular dual function protein does it regulate?
B-catenin
APC is it a oncogene or tumour suppresor gene?
Tumour suppressor gene
If there is a mutation in the APC gene (usually frameshift) what inherited condition thats is a predisposition to cancer can arise - and what is the phenotype?
FAP - familial adenomatous polyposis
and the phenotype is polyps which increases the risk of cancer
CRC is the ….. most common cancer in the world
3rd
what are the 4 most common cancers worldwide?
Breast,
Lung,
CRC,
and Prostate
Comparing with incidence CRC is third most common cancer in the world, but where does it rank in terms of most common death?
2nd in the world, with Lung cancer way ahead - because of lack of effective therapies.
Name the parts of the Large colon (left to right).
(appendix) Caecum, Asc Colon, Transverse Colon, desc Colon, Sigmoid Colon and Rectum
What side do the majority of cancer arise in the large colon?
the L.H.S (patients left)
Name some risks for increase in CRC:
Age,
Weight (obesity)
Increase Alcohol intake
Smoking
Diet
High fat, increase red meat, processed meats
Genetics (FAP (1%) - lots of polyps increased risk of benign to malignant, HNPCC (Lynch Syndrome)
Inflammation
Crohns disease, U.Colitis
Why are processed meats thought to increase the risk of CRC?
Because of the additives and preservatives within them, that keep the meat for longer. Haem and Iron alterations.. and free-radicals
What diet and lifestyle would decrease your risk of CRC?
Low fat, low intake red meat/processed, high fibre, vegtarian, non-smoker, exercise
Why does inflammation play a key role in Cancer? - Discuss with group
- A lot to mention here
NSAIDs help in treating conditions of Inflammation, what is the name of the trial that looks to add NSAIDs into CRC patient regimes.
ADD-Aspirin trial (UCL)
Why would some places such as India have a decrease in CRC than places such as New zealand or North America?
because of being a less economically developed country, there amy be less carcinogens, diet containing less red meat, less processed food, obesity is less
FAP is characterised by what phenotypically?
multiple polyps, like multiple benign lesions that are predisposition for cancer
name some symptoms of bowel cancer
abdominal pain blood in stool weight loss diarrhoea bloated feeling loss of hunger mucus altered bowel habits
A physician on palpating would find some organomegaly of the large intestine in the lower abdomen. They would find a palpable lump.
what surgical imaging would they use to observe? (intervention)
(flex) sigmoidoscopy or colonoscopy - these would also be fitted with pincers if wanting to do a biopsy
what type of enema would you use to observe the colorectal cancer
Barium salt enema, which would allow xray of the bowel to see the shape.
