WOMENS HEALTH - urogynae, gynae Flashcards
(323 cards)
is breast cancer the most common cancer type?
yes - it overtook lung
describe the aetiology of breast cancer
mix of genetic and environmental factors - BRCA1 and BRCA2
modifiable and non-modifiable RFs for breast cancer?
modifiable - obesity, alcohol
nonmodifiable - late first childbirth, heritability, early menarche (<12), late menopause (>55)
why are early menarche and late menopause RFs for breast cancer?
both increase the breast tissue’s exposure to oestrogen over a woman’s lifetime > oestrogen promotes the proliferation of breast cells
how is breast cancer screened?
mammogram every 3 YEARS to women aged 50-70
if women are high risk e.g. genetic, can get annual screening from age 30
signs and symptoms of breast cancer (general)
- asymptomatic!
- painless lump (hard, irregular, fixed)
- nipple inversion
- peau d’orange
- nipple discharge
- skin tethering
- Paget’s disease of the breast
signs/symptoms that breast cancer has become metastatic?
fractures, seizures
3 key signs/symptoms of inflammatory breast cancer
- peau d’orange
- inflamed breast
- nipple inversion
how is breast cancer investigated?
triple assessment
outline the triple assessment for breast cancer
- clinical assessment
- imaging assessment (mammography, USS or MRI)
if abnormal, go onto… - biopsy assessment (fine needle aspiration or core biopsy)
scored 1-5 in each (1 normal, 5 malignant)
when is MRI scanning useful for breast cancer in the imaging assessment?
- when patient has breast implants/in young patients with more dense breasts
- when patient has higher risk e.g. strong fhx
- to further assess size/features of tumour
what might a mammogram scan show if the patient has BC?
calcification, irregular mass
which chromosomes are BRCA1 and BRCA2 on, respectively?
brca1 = chromosome 17
brca2 = chromosome 13
what is triple-negative breast cancer?
the breast cancer cells do not express any cancer receptors (e.g. ER, PR, HER2) that treatments can target and act upon
common locations for breast cancer metastasis
REMEMBER 2Ls and 2Bs
L - lungs
L - liver
B - bones
B - brain
what are the 3 types of breast cancer receptors?
- oestrogen receptors (ER)
- progesterone receptors (PR)
- human epidermal growth factor (HER2)
what system is used to stage breast cancer?
TNM - tumour (T), nodes (N), metastasis (M)
what is the nottingham prognostic index?
a tool to predict survival after breast cancer surgery
uses tumour size, lymph node status and tumour grade
which breast cancer type tends to be grade 3?
triple negative
surgical management options for breast cancer and their indications
- breast conservation + radio therapy
indications = small tumour relative to breast size - mastectomy
indications = personal pref, large tumour relative to breast size, more than 1 cancer in same breast - axillary surgery (full or limited)
indications = if spread into axillary system - reconstructive surgery
indications = offered to all pts having mastectomy
common complication of axillary surgery?
lymphoedema
non-surgical management options for breast cancer
- chemo
- hormone treatment - tamoxifen if PREmenopausal and aromatase inhibitors e.g. anastrozole if POSTmenopausal
- targeted tx e.g. trastuzumab, pertuzumab
- chemoprevention (for high risk women) - tamoxifen for pre and anastrozole for postmenopause
when is chemotherapy indicated in breast cancer?
in HIGH RISK disease…
- young age
- high grade
- node +ve
- tumour size
- ER-ve, HER-2+ve
- Ki67 positive
which breast cancer is hormone treatment indicated for?
for patients with oestrogen-receptor (ER) positive breast cancer