chemo

Question 1

why chemo

Answer 1

• treatment of choice
• neo-adjuvant
• adjuvant
• combined modality
• palliation - advanced/recurring
• high dose chemo with bone marrow transplant or stem cell support

Question 2

how is chemo administered

Answer 2

• intravenous
• oral
• injection
• port
• topical cream

Question 3

why combined chemo treatments

Answer 3

• each agent must be effective against tumour when used alone
• each agent should have a different mechanism of action
• agents should work synergistically
• agents should have minimal overlapping toxicites

Question 4

CMF

Answer 4

• cyclophosphamide, methotrexate, 5-fluorouracil

- used for breast

Question 5

AC

Answer 5

• adriamycin, cyclophosphamide

- breast

Question 6

TC

Answer 6

• taxotere, cyclophosphamide

- breast

Question 7

MOPP

Answer 7

mustine, vincristine, procarbazine, prednisolone

- Hodgkins disease

Question 8

ABVD

Answer 8

doxorubicin, bleomycin, vinblastine, dacarbazine

Hodgkins disease

Question 9

R-CHOP

Answer 9

rituximab cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, prednisolone
Non-hodgkins lymphoma

Question 10

BEP

Answer 10

bleomycin, etoposide, cisplatin

-germ cell tumour

Question 11

ECF

Answer 11

epirubicin, cisplatin, 5-flurouracil

-stomach

Question 12

ECX

Answer 12

epirubicin, cisplatin, capecitabine

-stomach

Question 13

MVAC

Answer 13

-Methotrexate, vincristine, doxorubicin, cisplatin

bladder

Question 14

CAV

Answer 14

Cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine

- lung

Question 15

XELOX

Answer 15

Capecitabine, and Oxaliplatin (this is administered after the course
of RT and Capecitabine)
-colorectal

Question 16

tissue with high growth factor

Answer 16

• bone marrow
• hair follicle
• skin
• gastro-intestinal mucosa

Question 17

common side effects of chemo

Answer 17

decreased wbc, rbc and platelets
alopecia
stomatitis and/ or mucositis

Question 18

effect of decreased blood cells

Answer 18

regular blood tests required

blood transfusions

Question 19

how to manage alopecia

Answer 19

scarfs, wigs, hats, beanies

Question 20

how to manage stomatitis and mucositis

Answer 20

antifungal agents - nystatin

Question 21

why is nausea and vomiting side effects

Answer 21

caused by stimulation of the vomiting centre in the CNS and stimulation of the nerves in the GI tract

Question 22

Decreases the feeling of vomiting

Answer 22

an antiemetic called ondansetron (zofran)

Question 23

Chemo neurological damage

Answer 23

confusion
difficulty concentrating
unusually disorganized
short attention span 
difficulty multitasking
difficultly learning new skills 
feeling of mental fog

Question 24

what is peripheral neuropathy

Answer 24

numbness and tingling which is a result of damage to peripheral nerves

Question 25

which chemo drugs cause peripheral neuropathy that takes 18months to 5 years

Answer 25

• vinca alkaloids (vincristine)
• cisplatin, paclitaxel (taxol)
• etoposide and tenoposide

Question 26

common symptoms of peripheral neuropathy

Answer 26

tingling
numbness
weakness
cramping
burning 
pain 
not being able to feel things when touched
not being heat sensitive
too heat sensitive
feeling off balance
dizziness
having trouble walking
constipation

Question 27

chemo agents that cause cardiac damage

Answer 27

• Adrimycin (doxorubicin)

- Capecitabine (Xeloda)

Question 28

chemo agents that cause lung damage

Answer 28

• Bleomycin, Methotrexate, Cyclophosphamide (pulmonary toxicity)
• lung tumours would not be treated with these drugs

Question 29

a dose limiting side effect is tumour lysis syndrome - what is this?

Answer 29

when a large number of cells die within a short period, releasing their contents in to the blood. Causing a change in blood levels of uric acid, potassium, phosporus, calcium which effects the organ function. the kidneys, heart, brain, muscles, GI tract

Question 30

what does a chemotherapy leak

Answer 30

very toxic so very harmful,

Question 31

chemo drugs classification

Answer 31

• Alkylating Agents
• Antimetabolites
• Topoisomerase Inhibitors
• Anti- tumour antibiotics
• Mitotic Inhibitors