Leiomyoma (Pg. 489 FA 2011)

[kaleerkalut]

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It states that these are "most common of all tumors in females". Does this statement really mean most common benign growth? It seems to conflict with the "breast, lung, colon" triad that has been pounded into all of us. TIA to everyone 🙂

 

[missmedschool]

A tumor can technically be benign or malignant, so a leiomyoma is the most common tumor period in women. Leiomyomas are frequently found in women, to the tune of multiple leiomyomas at the same time on the uterus (I'm sure we can all remember that one picture of it). If the question asks about the most common malignant tumor in women then the answer would be breast cancer.

 

[Convalaria]

It states that these are "most common of all tumors in females". Does this statement really mean most common benign growth? It seems to conflict with the "breast, lung, colon" triad that has been pounded into all of us. TIA to everyone 🙂

Goljan says it is 'most frequently diagnosed benign gynecologic tumor'

 

[MrBeauregard]

From Robbins --> The Female Genital Tract --> Body of Uterus and Endometrium --> Tumors of the Myometrium (the very first sentence): "Uterine leiomyomas (commonly called fibroids) are perhaps the most common tumor in women." It doesn't say most common primary, most common benign, most common malignant, most common uterine, etc; it is simply the most common tumor in women.

I genuinely hate 'most common' statements.

 

[NightSwim]

It states that these are "most common of all tumors in females". Does this statement really mean most common benign growth? It seems to conflict with the "breast, lung, colon" triad that has been pounded into all of us. TIA to everyone 🙂

Fibroids (non-fancy name for leiomyomas) almost never turn malignant. Moreover, they're more often asymptomatic than not. Only once they get super large is when they start causing problems.

Remember cancer = malignant tumor/neoplasm

The "breast, lung, colon" triad refers to CANCERS. Fibroids are tumors... but benign tumors.

 

[Convalaria]

I genuinely hate 'most common' statements.

same thing)) 'most frequent, most benign, most painful, most this, most that'..never been able to remember all 'mosts'


And question, as I'm new here... what does 'TIA to everyone' mean? )) the only thing I could think of 'transient ischemic attack'..)))

 

[MrBeauregard]

TIA = Thanks in advance

 

[Convalaria]

TIA = Thanks in advance

ooh...ok, thanks))

 

[Phloston]

In women,

most common tumor overall: leiomyoma
most common cancer: breast
most common gynecological cancer: endometrial
most common cause of cancer death: always lung

 

[iCY]

considering benign tumors are more common than malignant tumor, its safe to say that the most common benign tumor will be the most common tumor overall (i.e., benign or malignant).

 

[kaleerkalut]

In women,

most common tumor overall: leiomyoma
most common cancer: breast
most common gynecological cancer: endometrial
most common cause of cancer death: always lung

Where does skin cancer fit into all of this? The triad of "breast, lung, colon" always seems to have the attached statement of "aside from skin cancer". I never quite understood why this is excluded but oh well.

 

[missmedschool]

Where does skin cancer fit into all of this? The triad of "breast, lung, colon" always seems to have the attached statement of "aside from skin cancer". I never quite understood why this is excluded but oh well.

Yup in one of my course lectures there was the question "what is the most common cancer in men (aside from skin cancer)" ... the answer was clearly prostate but the whole question made me shake my head. I guess skin cancer doesn't matter...? SMH

 

[Phloston]

My guess would be because skin cancer rates fluctuate depending on one's location within a country and in the world, whereas, in general, sex-specific and lung cancer rates are comparable with respect to intra- and international locations.

Therefore, the mentioning of skin cancer is implicit of the fact that there are some locations where it is way more prevalent than other cancers.

Coincidentally, I'm currently living in Brisbane, Australia, and skin cancer rates here are higher than anywhere else in the world (even higher than in the northernmost of Australia), and just about every elderly Caucasian person's got an actinic keratosis or some sort of pearly, telangiectasic lesion.

SPF50, vitamin E and wide-brimmed hats!

 

[NightSwim]

In the U.S., the incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer (Basal Cell Carcinoma and Squamous Cell Carcinoma) is much higher than Prostate/Breast, Lung, Colon. On the order of 3.5 million new annual cases of non-melanoma skin cancer compared to 240,000 new cases of Prostate cancer.

I was under the assumption that non-melanoma skin cancer is excluded from the cancer lists because their risk of metastasis is low. SCC having higher metastatic risk than BCC. Melanoma, on the other hand, definitely has high metastatic potential, and is always on the list of the annual incidence/deaths from cancer.

 

[ijn]

Yup in one of my course lectures there was the question "what is the most common cancer in men (aside from skin cancer)" ... the answer was clearly prostate but the whole question made me shake my head. I guess skin cancer doesn't matter...? SMH

I think because basal cell is pretty benign in terms of mortality rates since it doesn't metastasize. Melanoma isn't included in the "skin cancer" group and is separated out on its own in all of those statistics.

 

[Phloston]

I think because basal cell is pretty benign in terms of mortality rates since it doesn't metastasize.

Probably. It's the same reason that leiomyomas (fibroids), although technically the most common tumor in women, aren't listed as #1 for cancer because they're benign. My guess would be that BCC/SCC are included in the "skin cancer" tally alongside melanoma if they demonstrate invasion, which obviously falls more on the rare-side. Otherwise, the estimates just become arbitrary.