Question

Lorie discovered a lump in her breast while taking a shower. She made an appointment for the following day to have it checked. The end of the week brought bad news as Lorie was diagnosed with breast cancer. Lorie then learned that there was lymph node involvement, metastasis, anaplasia and the cells were no longer breast tissue cells in nature (highly undifferentiated).

What stage of breast cancer would you say Lorie was in and why?

How would you grade this tumor and why?

Lorie’s condition rapidly deteriorated and she is hospitalized with complications of the cancer that caused her to hypoventilate. What acid base disorder could result from such a condition?

How could Lorie’s body attempt to compensate for this disorder? (what system would cause the compensation and what would it do?)

The cancer then caused Lorie’s body to have multiple blood clots, and she had severe pain and abnormal production of several hormones that causes her health to further deteriorate.What is the name of the phenomenon that causes all these problems?

Answer 1

1.Staging of breast cancer Lorie was in:- stage IV; because metastasis was present which denotes stage IV breast cancer.

( For answering the staging and grading of any cancer, you must know the staging allotted to that particular cancer)

2.Grading of this tumour:- Grade 3; because anaplasia was present and the cells were no longer breast tissue cells in nature (highly undifferentiated).

3. Since the patient started hypoventilating , she would soon suffer from respiratory acidosis since carbon dioxide wasn't being adequately excreted via ventilation process and thus pH level decreased.

4. Since respiratory acidosis has developed, as a compensatory response initially cellular buffering occured followed by kidney which would come to rescue and it would start excreting excess carbon dioxide dissolved in blood along with increased reabsorption of bicarbonate.

Hope you have understood this.

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