Week 5: Chapter 12 Flashcards
Which personal factor is the most common cause of cancer development?
Advancing age
How do most cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs rid the body of cancer cells?
Interfering with cancer cell division
Which chemotherapy has the highest potential to induce nausea and vomiting?
cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
Which agents for targeted therapy belong to the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGRFI) class of drug?
- cetuximab (Erbitux)
- gefitinib (Iressa)
- trastuzumab (Herceptin)
Which class of chemotherapy drugs exert their effects by preventing the actions needed for proper DNA mx so that DNA breakage occurs leading to cancer cell death?
Topoisomerase inhibitors
Which of the following chemotherapy agents listed belong to the alkylating agent class?
- busulfan (Busulfex)
- cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
- oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
- temozolomide (Temodar)
Which action is most important to prevent nausea and vomiting in the patient prescribed IV cytotoxic chemotherapy?
Administering antiemetic medications before administering chemotherapy
A patient asks why cancer cell growth is considered “uncontrolled”. What is your best response?
Cancer cells divide almost continuously
A patient with breast cancer asks why so many drugs are used together to treat her cancer. What is your best response?
Each drug works against cancer cells in different ways, and using several increases the likelihood that the cancer will be cured
You are monitoring a patient rx an IV chemotherapy that was started by a chemotherapy certified nurse. After 2 hours the patient reports burning and pain at the IV site. Lowering the IV results in an observable brisk blood return. What is your best first action?
Discontinue the infusion, remove the IV, and document the site condition
A patient rx tamoxifen (Nolvadex) asks how this therapy helps fight breast cancer. In addition to telling her that the breast cancer cell need estrogen to continue growing, what is your best response?
This agent reduces the availability of estrogen to your cancer cells
A patient who has just been diagnosed with lymphoma asks you why the treatment plan does not include the drug rituximab (Rituxan) about which he has read. What is your best response?
You lymphoma cells do not have the protein on which this drug works, so you would not benefit from this therapy
How is therapy with biological response modifiers (BRMs) different from targeted therapy?
BRMs can affect the general immune response of anyone who takes the drug, and targeted therapies affect only the cancer cell that has a specific target.
The oncology nurse knows that colony-stimulating factors are a type of biological response modifiers (BRMs). For what type of cancer is this therapy contraindicated?
Leukemia
The nurse is caring for a patient receiving hormonal therapy. The nurse knows that this type of therapy is recommended for which types of cancers? (select all that apply)
- Breast
2. Prostate
The nurse is caring for a patient receiving high-dose biologic response mediators (BRMs) therapy. Where should the patient receive this type of cancer treatment?
Intensive care unit
A specialized oncology nurse is assessing the learning needs of an oncology patient and family and coordinating the highly complex patient/family education. What cancer therapy side effect can be life threatening and is the most common reason for changing the therapy’s dose or schedule?
Bone marrow blood cell formation suppression
A patient with breast cancer asks the oncology nurse why she can’t have the same targeted therapy her friend, who is having great results, is receiving. What is the nurse’s best response?
“Not all cells have enough of a target for the therapy to work.”
The nurse is caring for a patient receiving intravenous therapy (IV). The nurse knows that what is the most important intervention to prevent (IV) extravasation?
Checking IV flow rate and the infusion site
A patient receiving hormone manipulation with estrogen for cancer therapy has all of the following side effects. For which one should the prescriber be notified immediately?
Redness, pain, and swelling of the calf
A patient with multiple myeloma asks the nurse, “How does thalidomide (Thalomid) work?” What is the nurse’s best response?
“With thalidomide, tumor blood vessels are reduced.”
The cancer center knows that what groups of people who have completed an approved chemotherapy course can safely and legally administer chemotherapy drugs intravenously? (select all that apply)
RNs
APN (advance practice nurses)
The oncology nurse is caring for a cancer patient receiving treatment. The nurse knows that what less-than-normal patient assessment can delay the administration of chemotherapy the morning of a scheduled treatment?
Low white blood cell (WBC) count (neutropenia)
The oncology nurse is caring for a group of cancer patients. What factors does the nurse know determine the types of cancer therapies that will most likely benefit a patient? (select all that apply)
- Type of cancer
- Metastasis
- Health of the patient
The oncology nurse knows that what cancer treatments actually kill cancer cells?
Chemotherapy
A patient admitted to rule out cancer asks the nurse what are some of the risk factors for cancer. The nurse knows that what is the most important risk factor for cancer?
A person’s age
A patient asks the nurse about the difference between cancerous tumors and benign tumors. What statement by the nurse is true?
Benign tumors grow by expansion.
The nurse is caring for a patient with cancer. The nurse knows that what is the main reason healthy cells change into cancer cells?
Loss of balance between cell division and death
A patient with lung cancer asks the nurse why a brain scan has been scheduled. The nurse’s response should be based on what knowledge?
To rule out any metastasis to the brain
