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Teratoma

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Pure Tone Audiometry

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Lung cancer (Histological classification)

Bronchogenic carcinomas of primary lung cancers can be classified as follows:

o Non small cell lung carcinomas (NSCLC) : This accounts for 70 -75% of bronchogenic carcinomas and can be further subdivided into:

§ Squamous cell carcinoma (25-30%)

§ Adenocarcinoma (30-35%)

§ Large cell carcinoma (10-15%)

o Small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) : This chalks up 20 – 25% of bronchogenic carcinomas and comprises mainly of a group of cancers called oat cell carcinomas.

o Combined patterns : this consists of the various types of combinations of NSCLC and SCLC e.g. combined squamous & adenocarcinomas and combined squamous cell carcinomas & SCLC.

Endometriosis

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Lung cancer (Incidents and risk factors)

- Lung cancer accounts for around 19% of all cancers and 27% of cancer deaths.

- The incidence is increasing in women (due to the increase in women smokers).

- The major risk factor for lung cancer is cigarette smoking.

- Other risk factors:

o Passive smoking - being near smokers and inhaling the smoke which is being exhaled by smokers increases the risk to twice that of non-smokers.

o Heavy metal exposure - exposure / working with heavy metals e.g. nickel, chromium, vinyl chloride, arsenic for prolonged periods of time.

o Asbestos exposure - increases the risk of non-smokers by 5 fold & 55 times greater in smokers.

o Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD) (check out my writings on COPD)

o Industrial carcinogens - products from factories that cause cancer e.g. chloromethyl ether.

o Lung scars - e.g. post-tuberculosis infection

o Air pollution - prolonged exposure

o Hereditary - genetic factors

Re: rachel

Hi rachel, I can't read your lecturer's mind but maybe this is what he's thinking...both asthma and COPD present clinically with breathlessness or acute exacerbations.

However, asthma usually presents with reversible symptoms and interference with normal activity of various degrees i.e. acute exacerbations of breathlessness +/- wheezing and after medication (short acting beta-2 agonist)will be normal.

COPD on the other hand is generally a partially reversible condition (this is a controversial issue for some doctors if you just mention it. You'll have to specify that the improvement of this disease can only be partially achieved if put on long term medication) thus their symptoms are persistent. But what I think your lecturer wants to hear (maybe) is the salient clinical feature of COPD which is the chronic bronchitis of blue bloaters and the emphysematous pink puffers.

A typical blue bloaters (not always seen) have CO2 retention, the picwickian syndrome (obesity, somnolence, hypoventilate, plethoric/red face), short neck, doesn't look breathless, an abnormal ABG (hypercapnic, hypoxic) & shallow breathing.

The pink puffer does not retain CO2, is usually thin, has a long neck, look really breathless, has a normal/ near normal ABG & pursed lips breathing.

That makes all the difference in my opinion for these 2 conditions.