Oncology Flashcards
what does TNM mean
Tumor Node Metastasis
What does 0-4 mean with TMN
T0: No evidence of primary tumor T1: Tumor invades mucosa T2: Tumor invades tissue T3: Tumor invades lymph system T4 Tumor invades other organs
What is the leading cause of cancer death in the US
Lung Cancer
what is the main cause of lung cancer
smoking, environment, radon gas
how should a person be taught to avoid skin cancer
don’t get sun burned, wear sun screen, don’t go tanning
What are common warning signs of some cancers
Change in bowel or bladder habits A sore that doesn't heal Unusual bleeding/discharge Thickening/lump in breast/other tissue Indigestion/swallowing difficulties Obvious change in wart or mole Nagging cough or hoarseness
Normal platelet level
150,000-450,000
normal WBC
5,000-10,000
normal RBC
4-6 million
normal Hg
12-18
normal Hct
38%-48%
too few of the blood cells
penia
too many blood cells
osis
What is extravasation
leaking into surrounding tissues - eating into tissue
what are symptoms of extravasation
pain, swelling, blistering, tenderness, erythema
what is the first step when a nurse notices this
stop the infusion
what are treatments for extravasation
stop infusion!
antidote
DMSO - soothes, helps with healing
what is the most common side effect of chemotherapy
vomiting, nausea
what are treatments for vomiting
antiemetics
What are other common side effects of chemo
less saliva: fluids, swabs, frequent mouth care, don’t floss
Anemia: bleeding precautions
Alopecia (hairloss): wig, hats, vitamin E
Vomiting: antiemetic - zofran, replenish fluids, soft foods, suck on hard candy
How would you instruct a chemo/radiation client to complete oral hygiene
frequent mouth care, saliva substitute, use a neutral mouth wash
what does palliative care mean
helps relieve uncomfortable symptoms or prolongs life
can a patient receive chemo, radiation or surgery on hospice
yes, but discouraged
How does a nurse protect himself from cytotoxic drugs when preparing to give them to a patient
Oral: wear chemo safety gloves, never crush, cut
IV: prepare under a hood - wear gown, glove, mask
When a patient is receiving chemo, how should his secretions be handled
sit to void, flush toilet with lid down, proper disposal of chemo wastes
What is HPV vaccine called
Gardasul
what is the HPV vaccine given to prevent
cervical cancer
what does metastasis mean
growth of cancer away from primary site
what is benign cancer
doesn’t spread - slow growing, not life threatening
what is malignant cancer
spreads, invasive
What are the 4 main stages of cancer
Stage 1: localized
Stage 2: early local tissue
Stage 3: advanced local lymph nodes
Stage 4: Metastasized
What should the client be told about pregnancy and reproduction while receiving chemo or radiation
don’t get pregnant or use birth control
What are radiation precautions when caring for a client admitted to the hospital with a radioactive implant
time - spend little time with them
distance - far away 3-6 ft
protection - lead barrier
If a person expresses concern about dying, what should the nurse do
let them talk about it, be there to support them
what is the best intervention when a nurse has a client that does not understand english very well
get a translator
what is the main concern when a person is preparing to receive a bone marrow transplant
very susceptible to infection
also have low WBC, RBC, and Platelets
what are signs of kidney failure
high BUN and Creatinine, less urine output
what lab tests are done to determine kidney failure
BUN an Creatinine
what are signs of liver failure
jaundice, high liver enzymes, high bilirubin
what lab tests are done to determine liver failure
liver enzymes, bilirubin
what class of medication is Epoeitin Alpha (Epogen, Procrit)
colony stimulating factor
what does epoeitin alpha do
makes red blood cells
