Cancer Treatment Overview

These flashcards cover key concepts related to cancer treatment, symptoms, types, and their implications.

What are the two types of gene mutated in cancer?

Proto-oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes.

What is the difference between benign and malignant tumours?

Malignant tumours invade healthy tissue and can metastasize, while benign tumours do not.

Name 3 treatments for cancer.

Surgery, Chemotherapy, and Radiotherapy.

What is an oncology unit?

The unit where cancer is diagnosed and treated.

What is metastasis?

The spread of cancer cells from the original tumour to other parts of the body.

What does it mean when malignant tumours invade healthy tissue?

Cancer cells push into normal tissue and can break down normal cells as they grow.

What is chemotherapy?

A treatment that attacks cancer cells during specific parts of the cell cycle.

How do chemotherapy drugs trigger cancer cells to self-destruct?

By inducing apoptosis during the cell cycle.

What are common side effects of chemotherapy?

Hair loss, nausea, vomiting, and an increased vulnerability to infections.

What is external beam radiation therapy (EBRT)?

A method that destroys cancer cell DNA by directing beams of high-energy radiation toward the tumour.

What is monoclonal antibody therapy?

A treatment that uses antibodies to specifically target and kill cancer cells.

What mental health issues can arise due to cancer?

Anxiety, depression, and PTSD.

What is the advantage of using monoclonal antibody treatment compared to simple chemotherapy?

It targets toxins specifically against the tumour with fewer side effects.

What are the most common types of invasive breast cancer?

Invasive ductal carcinoma and invasive lobular carcinoma.

What is the most common cancer in the UK?

Breast cancer.

What are typical symptoms of breast cancer?

A lump in the breast, changes in size or appearance, and fluid discharge from the nipple.

What is a mastectomy?

Surgery to remove all or part of the breast.

What is acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)?

An aggressive cancer of the monocyte or granulocyte cells in the bone marrow.

What are symptoms of AML?

Pale appearance, unusual bruising, frequent infections, and unexplained weight loss.

What is Peripheral Blood Stem Cell donation?

A nonsurgical procedure to collect stem cells from the blood.