Lung Carcinoma Lecture

Vocabulary-style flashcards covering the classification, pathophysiology, symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of lung carcinoma based on the lecture notes.

Lung carcinoma

Also called bronchogenic carcinoma or lung cancer, these tumors arise from the epithelium of the respiratory tract.

Small cell lung cancer (SCLC)

A highly aggressive cancer almost always occurring in smokers, staged as either limited or extensive disease.

Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)

A category of lung cancer whose clinical behavior is more variable and includes subtypes like squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma.

Squamous cell carcinoma

A type of NSCLC most commonly found in men and closely correlated with smoking; histologically characterized by keratinization or intercellular bridges.

Adenocarcinoma

The most common type of lung cancer in women and nonsmokers, usually peripherally located and arising from glands.

Large cell carcinoma

An undifferentiated malignant epithelial tumor that lacks features of small cell, glandular, or squamous differentiation.

K-RAS and MYC

Specific genes that, when mutated, stimulate cell growth and contribute to the development of lung carcinoma.

EGFR and HER2/neu

Genes that code for growth factor receptors and can contribute to the proliferation of abnormal cells when mutated.

P53 and APC

Tumor-suppressor genes that, when inhibited by mutations, allow for the development of lung cancer.

Superior Vena Cava (SVC) Syndrome

A condition characterized by facial/upper extremity swelling and dilated neck veins, more common in patients with SCLC.

Pancoast's syndrome

Pain and weakness in the shoulder and upper extremity caused by apical tumors (usually NSCLC) invading the brachial plexus, pleura, or ribs.

Horner's syndrome

A clinical cluster consisting of ptosis, miosis, enophthalmos, and anhidrosis resulting from involvement of the paravertebral sympathetic chain.

Paraneoplastic syndromes

Symptoms not caused directly by the cancer, such as hypercalcemia, SIADH, finger clubbing, or Eaton-Lambert syndrome.

Trousseau's syndrome

Hypercoagulability leading to migratory superficial thrombophlebitis, associated with lung carcinoma.

Bronchoscopy

The procedure of choice for obtaining tissue via washing, brushing, or fine-needle aspiration to diagnose lung carcinoma.

Mediastinoscopy

A higher-risk procedure used before surgery to confirm or exclude tumor presence in enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes.

TNM Staging System

The international system for staging lung cancer based on the Primary Tumor (T), Regional Lymph Nodes (N), and Distant Metastasis (M).

Pneumonectomy

The surgical removal of an entire lung, generally tolerated by patients with a preoperative FEV1 $> 2\,L$.

Pleurodesis

A procedure where a substance like talc is infused into the pleural space to scar the pleura and eliminate the space, treating recurrent effusions.

Limited-disease SCLC

Small cell lung cancer confined to a hemithorax, often treated with cisplatin-based regimes and thoracic radiotherapy.

Extensive-disease SCLC

Small cell lung cancer that has spread beyond the hemithorax, possessing a 5-year survival rate of $< 1\%$.