Anatomy and Cell Biology 4461B Lecture Notes - Microtubule, Ca-125, Hobnail
Document Summary
Heritability: more than 600 different mutations in brca1 and 450 different mutations in brca2 have been identified. This makes genetic screening difficult: some populations (ex. French canadians) have a higher frequency of certain mutations in br- Ca1 and brca2 due to the founder effect. Clinical management: stages ii-iv are treated with surgery and chemotherapy (metastatic disease, stage i is treated with surgery alone. Ca2 mutations: often confused with cancer of the appendix, especially when both ovaries are involved, clear-cell, most chemoresistant; characterized by hobnail shaped tumor cells with cleared out cy- toplasm, sometimes associated with endometriosis, hypercalcemia or both. Chemotherapy: adjuvant chemotherapy administered after surgical debulking (usually 6 cycles, neoadjuvant (prior to surgery) followed by interval debulking, intraperitoneal chemotherapy involves carboplatin administered via catheter. Paclitaxel is also administered, it is a microtubule stabilizer. 75% of women will respond to this therapy and proceed past six month marker of recurrence.