ONCOLOGY DX

• Survivors may also develop second malignancies not related to treatment (genetic mutation, environmental exposure, lifestyle factors)
• Survivors are assessed for the development of second malignancies due to treatment (Chemotherapy and Radiation)
• Non-specific, Generalized Signs and Symptoms of Cancer include pain, fatigue, a lump or area of thickening that can be felt under the skin, weight changes, skin changes, changes in bowel or bladder habits, and persistent cough or trouble breathing.
• Specific, Non-cancerous Conditions that can cause similar symptoms to Cancer include benign tumors, infections, and autoimmune diseases.
• Pain is considered the 5th Vital Sign and must be advocated and implemented.
• Pain is an unpleasant sensory and emotional experience associated with actual or potential tissue damage, or described in terms of such damage.
• Pain is always subjective.
• Up to 90% of cancer patients can have their pain relieved, yet fewer than 50% receive adequate treatment.
• The burden of pain can be relieved in up to 90% of cancer patients, yet fewer than 50% receive adequate treatment.
• Access to pain management is a fundamental human right.
• Healthcare professionals have an obligation to offer a patient in pain the management that they deserve.
• Assessment is the vital first step in pain management.
• Patient self-report is the single most reliable indicator of the existence and intensity of acute pain and any concomitant affective discomfort or distress.
• Pain Intensity Scales include the Simple Descriptive Pain Scale, Numeric Pain Intensity Scale, and Visual Analog Scale.
• Diagnosis of Cancer is based on assessment of physiologic and functional changes and results of the diagnostic evaluation.
• Diagnostic tests for Cancer include physical exam, laboratory tests, imaging tests, and biopsy.
• Early detection of testicular cancer can be done through testicular self-examination.
• Early detection of colorectal cancer can be done through digital rectal examination and PSA testing.
• Early detection of cervical cancer can be done through Pap smear and HPV testing.
• Grade I tumors, also known as well-differentiated tumors, closely resemble the tissue of origin in structure and function.
• The TNM System stages the tumor by measuring its size and determining if there are clinical positive nodes and evidence of metastasis.
• Pathologic classification of tumor is used to define the type of tissue from which the tumor originated and the degree to which the tumor cells retain the functional and histologic characteristics of the tissue of origin, known as differentiation.
• Secondary prevention of cancer involves screening and early detection activities to identify precancerous lesions and early-stage cancer in individuals who lack signs and symptoms of cancer.
• Samples of cells used to establish the tumor grade may be obtained from tissue scrapings, body fluids, secretions, washings, biopsy, or surgical excision.
• Early detection of breast cancer can be done through breast self-examination, clinical breast examination, and mammography.
• Tertiary prevention of cancer involves health counseling and chemoprevention strategies to monitor for and prevent recurrence of the primary cancer and screen for the development of second malignancies in cancer survivors.
• Grading helps providers predict the behavior and prognosis of various tumors, with a numeric value ranging from I to IV.
• Primary prevention of cancer involves health promotion and health protection strategies such as health counseling, cessation of smoking, limiting alcohol intake, diet, exercise, and immunization.
• Grade IV tumors do not clearly resemble the tissue of origin in structure and are associated with poor differentiation, poor function, and are often more aggressive and less responsive to treatment.
• Tumor Marker Identification involves the analysis of biochemical mediators found in tumor tissue, blood, or other body fluids that are indicative of cancer cells or specific characteristics of cancer cells.
• Needle biopsy is a procedure where samples of suspicious masses that are easily and safely accessible are obtained on an outpatient basis.
• Regional lymph nodes (N) stage includes Nx, N0, N1, N2, N3 which indicate the increasing involvement of regional lymph nodes.
• The TNM Classification System is the most common system used to describe the stage of many solid tumors.
• Fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNA) is a procedure where cells are aspirated through a needle and the specimen can only be analyzed by cytologic examination.
• Primary tumor (T) stage includes Tx, T0, Tis, T1, T2, T3, T4 which indicate the increasing size or local extent of the primary tumor.
• Distant metastasis (M) stage includes Mx, M0, M1, M2, M3 which indicate the ascending degree of distant metastasis, including metastasis to distant lymph nodes.
• If the specimen does not contain representative tissue and cells, negative biopsy results do not guarantee the absence of cancer.
• A surgical procedure may be required to determine the anatomic extent or stage of the tumor.
• Core needle biopsy is a procedure where a specially designed needle is used to obtain a small core of tissue that permits histologic analysis.
• Carcinoma in situ is a group of abnormal cells that have not spread from the location where they first formed, although they may later spread into normal tissue and become cancer.