Week 11 - Cancer and End-of-Life Care

Death Rattle

Noisy, wet-sounding respirations caused by the accumulation of mucus in the airway. Auditory on patient that is close to death.

Bereavement

period after the death of a loved one during which grief is experienced and mourning occurs

Proto-Oncogenes

Normal genes that regulate cell growth and division. When mutated, they can become oncogenes, promoting uncontrolled cell growth and leading to cancer.

Benign Neoplasms

Non-cancerous tumors that do not spread to other parts of the body. They grow slowly and are usually not life-threatening.

Malignant Neoplasms

Abnormal cell growth characterized by uncontrolled division and the ability to invade nearby tissues. Commonly referred to as cancer.

Initiation

Stage of cancer characterized by mutation in the cell’s genetic structure resulting from an inherited mutation, an error that occurs during DNA replication, or following exposure to a carcinogen. I

Promotion

Stage of cancer characterized by reversible proliferation of the altered cells II

Progression

Stage of cancer characterized by increased growth rate of the tumour, increased invasiveness, and spread of the cancer to a distant site (metastasis). III

Anatomical

Classification of tumour that looks at tissue of origin, anatomical site, and behavior (benign or malignant).

Histological grading

Classification of tumour that looks at the appearance of cells and the degree of differentiation are evaluated.

Staging

Classification of tumour that looks at the description of the extent of the disease rather than on cell appearance

Chemotherapy

Treatment of cancer aimed at reducing cancer cell number in primary and metastatic sites.

Administered via various routes, including central vascular access devices and peripherally inserted central venous catheters.

Radiation Therapy

Treatment of cancer that uses the emission and distribution of energy through space or material medium.

External (teletherapy) or internal (brachytherapy) delivery

Biological therapy

Cancer treatment involving the use of biological agents such as interferons, interleukins, monoclonal antibodies, and growth factors to modify the relationship between the host and the tumour.

Targeted Therapy

Cancer treatment that interferes with cancer growth by targeting specific cellular receptors and pathways that are important for tumour growth.

Allogenic

Bone marrow transplantation where fused bone marrow is acquired from a donor who has been determined to be human leukocyte antigen (HLA)–matched to the recipient

Autologous

Bone marrow transplantation where patients receive their own bone marrow.The marrow is removed, treated, stored, and re-infused

Syngenic

Bone marrow transplantation that involves obtaining stem cells from one identical twin and infusing them into the other.

TNM Staging

A system used to classify the extent of cancer. T refers to the size and extent of the primary tumor. N refers to the involvement of nearby lymph nodes. M indicates the presence of distant metastasis. The system helps determine the stage of cancer and guides treatment decisions.