Week 5: Chapter 12

Question 1

Which personal factor is the most common cause of cancer development?

Answer 1

Advancing age

Question 2

How do most cytotoxic chemotherapy drugs rid the body of cancer cells?

Answer 2

Interfering with cancer cell division

Question 3

Which chemotherapy has the highest potential to induce nausea and vomiting?

Answer 3

cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)

Question 4

Which agents for targeted therapy belong to the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitor (EGRFI) class of drug?

Answer 4

1. cetuximab (Erbitux)
2. gefitinib (Iressa)
3. trastuzumab (Herceptin)

Question 5

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?

Answer 5

Topoisomerase inhibitors

Question 6

Which of the following chemotherapy agents listed belong to the alkylating agent class?

Answer 6

1. busulfan (Busulfex)
2. cyclophosphamide (Cytoxan)
3. oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)
4. temozolomide (Temodar)

Question 7

Which action is most important to prevent nausea and vomiting in the patient prescribed IV cytotoxic chemotherapy?

Answer 7

Administering antiemetic medications before administering chemotherapy

Question 8

A patient asks why cancer cell growth is considered “uncontrolled”. What is your best response?

Answer 8

Cancer cells divide almost continuously

Question 9

A patient with breast cancer asks why so many drugs are used together to treat her cancer. What is your best response?

Answer 9

Each drug works against cancer cells in different ways, and using several increases the likelihood that the cancer will be cured

Question 10

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?

Answer 10

Discontinue the infusion, remove the IV, and document the site condition

Question 11

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?

Answer 11

This agent reduces the availability of estrogen to your cancer cells

Question 12

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?

Answer 12

You lymphoma cells do not have the protein on which this drug works, so you would not benefit from this therapy

Question 13

How is therapy with biological response modifiers (BRMs) different from targeted therapy?

Answer 13

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.

Question 14

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?

Answer 14

Leukemia

Question 15

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)

Answer 15

1. Breast

2. Prostate

Question 16

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?

Answer 16

Intensive care unit

Question 17

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?

Answer 17

Bone marrow blood cell formation suppression

Question 18

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?

Answer 18

“Not all cells have enough of a target for the therapy to work.”

Question 19

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?

Answer 19

Checking IV flow rate and the infusion site

Question 20

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?

Answer 20

Redness, pain, and swelling of the calf

Question 21

A patient with multiple myeloma asks the nurse, “How does thalidomide (Thalomid) work?” What is the nurse’s best response?

Answer 21

“With thalidomide, tumor blood vessels are reduced.”

Question 22

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)

Answer 22

RNs

APN (advance practice nurses)

Question 23

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?

Answer 23

Low white blood cell (WBC) count (neutropenia)

Question 24

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)

Answer 24

1. Type of cancer
2. Metastasis
3. Health of the patient

Question 25

The oncology nurse knows that what cancer treatments actually kill cancer cells?

Answer 25

Chemotherapy

Question 26

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?

Answer 26

A person’s age

Question 27

A patient asks the nurse about the difference between cancerous tumors and benign tumors. What statement by the nurse is true?

Answer 27

Benign tumors grow by expansion.

Question 28

The nurse is caring for a patient with cancer. The nurse knows that what is the main reason healthy cells change into cancer cells?

Answer 28

Loss of balance between cell division and death

Question 29

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?

Answer 29

To rule out any metastasis to the brain