18.3 – Oncology Diseases, Disorders, Treatment
Cancers within Body Systems
Carcinomas make up most of all cancers and are malignant tumours of epithelial tissues. Epithelial tissue line the body surfaces, including those of glands and organs, therefore, carcinomas make up most glandular cancers and are often found in the breast, stomach, uterus, tongue, and skin. The tumours are labelled according to where the malignancy or the primary tumour is housed.
Leukemias are cancer of blood-forming tissues. Lymphomas are cancerous tumours of the lymph nodes. In comparison, myeloma is a cancerous tumour arising from the hematopoietic portion of the bone marrow.
Endocrine system
Cancers commonly occur in the endocrine system. Many such as thyroid cancer, can be treated by surgically removing the gland. The client must take a synthetic version of the necessary hormones.
Pancreatic cancer is almost always fatal because no effective treatments are currently available (McDonnell et al., 2019).
Female Reproductive system
When looking at the female reproductive system, many organs can be susceptible to cancer: breast, uterine, ovarian, and cervical cancer.
Fibroids tend to be benign (non-cancerous) but should be monitored to ensure their growth does not change. A hormonal disturbance usually causes these growths.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer is common in females; however, males can get breast cancer, and make up less than 1% of all breast cancers. Breast cancer may be detected through breast self-examination. Breast self-examination (BSE) is crucial in determining if a person’s breast lumps or bumps are growing or have changed (Sessa et al., 2023).
There are different types of breast cancers, including:
- Cancer which begins in the milk ducts (ductal carcinoma). Most male breast cancer is ductal carcinoma.
- Cancer which begins in the milk-producing glands (lobular carcinoma). This type is rare in men because they have few lobules in their breast tissue.
- Other rarer types of breast cancer include Paget’s disease of the nipple and inflammatory breast cancer.
Gastrointestinal
The gastrointestinal system has many different types of cancer. They include the esophagus, the stomach, the pancreas, the rectum, or the liver (Faigel & Rodriguez, 2022). A typical test conducted is the fecal occult blood test (FOBT). It is a test done on the stool. It is looking for hidden or occult blood within the fecal matter.
Integumentary System
Skin cancer is quite common due to exposure to the sun and other radiation. When looking at the ABCDE of cancer:
- A is the lesion is asymmetrical
- B is the rough-edged borders, which determines if the lesion has spread
- C is the colour. What colour is the tumour?
- D is the diameter. Is the lesion growing in width?
- E is the lesion elevated or evolving
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common type of skin cancer.
Squamous cell carcinoma affects the squamous epithelium layer of the skin.
Melanoma, often called malignant melanoma is a deadly cancer. The colour black means melan/o, -oma means tumour.
People who are at the highest risk tend to be those who are fair-skinned. Light skin contains less melanin, which allows the absorption of radiation. The elderly, who have endured a lifetime of sunlight exposure, are also at higher risk. The use of sunscreen and avoidance of prolonged exposure to the sun not only reduces the damage to the skin but prevents the development of skin cancer (Thanh et al., 2020).
Dermatofibroma is a fibrous tumour of the skin.
Lymphatic System
Lymphoma is any tumour or a mass within the lymph node. Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a malignant disease of the lymph nodes.
Male Reproductive System
When looking at the male reproductive system, a male may have cancer of the testicles, penis, or prostate gland.
Testicular self-examinations (TSE) are essential to determine a tumour and its growth.
As men age, their prostate will overgrow, and it is important to have a biopsy done to determine if the prostate is benign or cancerous. Prostate cancer is typically slow-growing, and most men will die with the cancer, not from cancer.
As men age as early as 40 years of age, they may experience the symptoms of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), which is extremely common. It is a benign, non-cancerous growth which may have the same symptoms as prostate cancer, therefore, a biopsy should be conducted to determine if the enlargement is malignant or benign.
The treatment for testicular cancer is to perform an orchidectomy. It is an aggressive and primary surgical approach to treating testicular cancer. If the patient wants to father children, several semen samples can be stored for possible future use before the orchidectomy (Kaufman et al., 2019)
Musculoskeletal
Sarc/o is connective tissue
Oste/o is bone.
Leimy/o is smooth muscle, such as areas within the abdomen, uterus and blood vessels.
The musculoskeletal carcinomas treatment varies and can include a bone marrow transplant, radiation, and chemotherapy.
Urinary System
Within the urinary system, a person may have kidney or bladder cancer.
A congenital kidney cancer called a Wilms tumour is not detected until a child grows. The child is born with a tumour, and as the toddler grows and starts to walk, it is noted that the child’s abdomen is protruding significantly. That is because the kidneys, which are at the back of the body, have enlarged due to the tumour. The enlarged kidneys push the abdomen forward. The child may have a low-grade fever without a known cause. This cancer can be deadly if not caught early, and often children will die from this disease (Aldrink et al., 2019)
Pharmacology
There are many different types of cancer medications. These include alkylating agents, antimetabolites, and plant alkaloids.
Physicians use cancer medications alone or in combination with other treatments, such as radiation therapy. The best type and combination will depend on several factors, including the disease progression and the patient’s overall health.
Treatment for cancer
The most commonly used methods for cancer treatment include surgery, radiation therapy, and chemotherapy (treatment with chemicals). Newer methods of immunotherapy use substances that stimulate the immune system. Hormone therapy may be effective against certain types of tumours. When there are no active signs of the disease, the cancer is said to be in remission.
Attribution
This page “Oncology Diseases, Disorders, Treatment” by Connie Stevens and Marie Rutherford is licensed under CC BY 4.0.