2. Objectives of the lecture
• Epidemiology
• Definition of relevant terms
• Carcinogenesis and biology
• Etiology
• Work-up for cancer (screening, diagnosis, staging)
• Treatment
• Palliation
8. Oncogenes & TSGs
Gene Function
HER-2 Membrane mitosis signal receptor
p53 Prevents the accumulation of oncogenic mutations
kRas Intracellular signaling for mitosis and response to growth inhibitors
C-myc master regulator of cellular metabolism and proliferation
Bcl 2 Mediates apoptosis
MMRs Repair mismatched neuclotides (leads to MSI*)
10. Screening
• Risk stratification
• Gail model for ca breast: age,(menarche, first live birth), relatives with ca breast, previous
biopsy , atypical ductal hyperplasia)
• Mammography
• PSA/DRE
• FOBT or FIT
• Pap smear
• UGI and LGI scope
11. Diagnosis
• History and physical examination
• Definitive diagnosis by tissue biopsy
• Endoscopic, incisional, punch, excisional, core(image guided)*, ?FNA
• Enables grading and histochemistry
• Ensure consistency between histology and clinical picture
• Excisional Bx is aimed at curative intent
• Orient incision to allow for later scar excision if necessary
• Direct access to tumor to preserve planes and limit spread
• Lymph nodes should be excised whole to allow architectural assessment
*risk of sampling error ~20%
12. Tumor markers
• Present in high amounts in certain cancers: predictive vs prognostic
• Can be in the serum or in the tissue
• Serum markers:
• PSA
• CEA - colon
• AFP - liver
• Cancer Antigens (CA) 19-9 (colon, pancreas), 15-3 (breast), 27-29(breast,colon,stomach)
• Tissue markers
• HER-2, E2, P2, Ki67, p23, p53, oncotype DX
13. Staging
• Assesses anatomical extent – can be clinical cTNM
• Assists in: Prognostication, evaluation of treatments, exchange of information, treatment
selection
• Incorporates pre-op radiological assessment of lesion, nodes &
distant organs rTNM
• US, XR, CT, MRI, PET, Bone scan
• Post excisional assessment gives a pathological staging pTNM
• Distant staging for patients at high risk for mets
• T evaluates size/extent of primary tumor, N – nodal mets*, M - distant
14.
15. Surgical treatment
• Goal is to achieve cure – wide negative margins, removal of draining nodes
• Optimal margins varies among tumors
• Role of sentinel node biopsy to determine LND
• Patient performance status/fitness for surgery
• Operability MUST be determined pre-op
• Multiple distant metastases
• Bulky disease with extensive nodal spread
• Encasement of vital structures preventing en bloc resection
• Role of palliative resections
• Metastasectomy
16. Chemotherapy
• Adjuvant vs neoadjuvant
• Goals
• Eradication of micrometastatic disease
• Decrease local/distance recurrence
• Achieve/improve operability
• Reduce (or eradicate) disease burden and prolong survival
• Assessment of response
• Complete
• Partial
• Stable
• Progression
• Choice and combination of CTA
Shrink tumor for better/lesser surgery
Treatment of micromets without delay of
post op recovery
Assess effectiveness of CTA
18. Administration/combination
• Systemic IV or enteral vs direct delivery (e.g. TACE)
• Intermittent vs continuous administration
• Anticipate toxicity and mitigate
• Pulsing or reduce dose
• Combination of agents
• Coadminister cytoprotectants, CSF, EPO
• Combination
• Maximum cell kill within toxicity range for each drug
• Broader range of coverage
• Prevents or delays the emergence of drug-resistance
19. Radiotherapy
• External beam or internal (probes/implants/liquid isotope)
• Mostly for primary post-op clearance of remnant micro mets
• Can be used for isolated distant mets
• Used in combination with chemo in neo-adjuvant setting
• Fractionation is used to minimize toxicity (Total Gy/# sessions)
• Operate within the limits of
• Repair
• Reoxygenation
• Repopulation
• Redistribution
• Radiosensitivity (and role of radiosensitizers)
20. Other therapy
• Hormonal therapy
• For hormone dependent malignancies: breast, prostate
• Tamoxifen, leuprolide, DES
• Targeted therapy
• Inhibits angiogenesis or points of aggressiveness
• Anti VEGF (Bevacizumab), anti HER2 (Trastuzumab), anti c-kit (Imatinib)
• Immunotherapy
• Potentiate inherent antitumor immunity
• Gene therapy
• Aims to replace/repair mutated TSG
21. Follow-up and tumor markers
• Outcome measures
• Overall survival
• Progression/Disease free survival
• Interval of follow ups
• Indicators of recurrence
• Signs and symptoms
• Radiology/scope
• Tumor markers; PSA, CEA, Ca 125, 19-9, 13-3
22. Palliation
• Relieving symptoms without aim of cure
• In metastatic or bulky unresectable disease
• Low performance score (for the type of surgery)
• Ideally should be as minimally invasive as possible
• Analgesics
• Cytoreductive chemo to reduce mass effect
• Palliative recanalization of blocked lumens (stents, lasers, cryoablation)
• Palliative interventions to control mass effect, bleeding (APC, embolization)
• Palliative bypasses, resections for infection or bleeding, decompression
23. Review
• Epidemiology
• Definition of relevant terms
• Carcinogenesis and biology
• Etiology
• Work-up for cancer (screening, diagnosis, staging)
• Treatment
• Palliation