Week 7: Oncology S/S, Diagnosis, Treatment

endometrial cancer early symptom

abnormal bleeding

laryngeal cancer early symptom

hoarse voice

what 2 cancers dont cause symptoms until late stages

lung and pancreatic

warning signs of cancer

bleeding/discharge, change in bowel/bladder, change in skin, sores, weight loss, anemia, cough, solid lumps, pain for no reason

cancer risk factors

age, previous cancer, lifestyle (alc/tobacco), virus, hormones, heridity, occupation, geographic location, previous radiaiton, ethnicity

who is most often to get colon cancer vs skin cancer

colon-urban areas

skin-farmers

dx of cancer

labs (cbc, tumor markers), radiography, endoscopy, biopsy

treatments of cancer

surgery, radition, chemo, proton beam, hematopoietic stem cell transplant, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, pain/fatigue

curative treatment

intent to cure

palliative treatment

provide symptomatic relief but does not cure

side effects of surgery

disfigurement, loss of function, infection, pain, deformity, bleeding, hemorrhage, scar tissue, fibrosis

radiation therapy

high energy ionizing radiation to kill cencer cells (destroys bonds between DNA strands to prevent cell replication)

clinical manifestation of radiation depends on

location and tumor type, radiation volume and fraction dose, organ systems involved

2 types of radiation therapy

internal and external

external beam radiation

outside body, diff forms of EBRT allow for localization of tumor margins and gradation of radiation dose

internal radiation

brachytherapy, placed in a tumor bed or into tissue, can be used alone or with EBRT

what cancers use internal radiation

gynecologic, breast, lung, esophageal, head, neck, brain, prostate, types of melanoma

neoadjuvant treatment

improve chances of successful surgical resection (given before surgery)

adjuvant treatment

improve local control of cancer growth after chemotherapy or surgery (after surgery

prophylactic treatment

prevent growth of cancer in asymptomatic

side effects of radiation therapy

skin reaction, fatigue, myelosuppression, site specific toxicities

radiation fibrosis syndrome

develop years after radiation treatment that causes fibrosis in nerves/mm, tendons, ligaments, skin, bones lymphatics

3 main effects of radiation fibrosis syndrome

decreased skin distensibility, decreased AROM/PROM, muscle weaknsss

action of chemo

interfere with cellular function and division

goal of chemo

destroy malignant cells with the least harm to normal cells or host

tissues more suseptible to adverse effects of chemo

-those with high mitotic rates

-hepatic, epithelial, bone marrow, hair

proton beam therapy

protons to disrupt and destroy cancer cells, better targeting, used for tumors of brain/heart/spine

hematopoietic stem cell transplant

stem. cells from donor hip bone, mixed with anticlotting agent, given VI iv into chest

immunotherapy/biotherapy

relies on biologic response modifiers to change or modify relationship bewtween tumor and host

4 agents for immunetherapy

interferons, IL2, monoclonal antibodies, CAR t Cell

hormonal therapys use

in certain types of cancers that are hormone sensitive (block estrogen receptors in breast tumors)

cancer related pain

depends, microscopic infiltration leads to sharp pain, neuropathic pain is side effect, interferes with blood so causes ischemic pain (throbs), metastasis to bone causes fractures

cancer related fatigue

distressing and persistent sense of tiredness/exhaustion thats not persistent with activity

cancer related fatigue is result of

anemia, deconditioning, cytokines, psychosocial factors