Oncology Prep U

Adverse effects to chemotherapy are dealt with by patients and their caregivers every day. What would the nurse do to combat the most common adverse effects of chemotherapy?

Administer an antiemetic Antiemetics are used to treat nausea and vomiting, the most common adverse effects of chemotherapy. Antihistamines and certain steroids are also used to treat nausea and vomiting. Antimetabolites and tumor antibiotics are classes of chemotherapeutic medications. Anticoagulants slow blood clotting time, thereby helping to prevent thrombi and emboli.

The patient diagnosed with thrombocytopenia is at risk for which of the following adverse effects: a) Bleeding b) Stomatitis c) Diminished reflexes d) Headache

Bleeding The patient diagnosed with thrombocytopenia is at risk for bleeding and infection until blood cell counts return to normal. Headache, diminished reflexes, and stomatitis are not adverse effects related to the diagnosis.

You are a nurse working on a bone marrow transplant unit. Your patient is scheduled to receive a bone marrow transplant. What information will you provide to the patient's visitors? a) Take the patient to the cafeteria for meals. b) Wear hospital scrubs when entering the patient's room. c) Do not visit if you've had a recent infection. d) Bring plants to improve air quality.

Do not visit if you've had a recent infection. Before engraphment, patients are at a high risk for infection, sepsis, and bleeding. Visitors should not visit if they've had a recent illness or vaccination. Plants should not be brought to the BMT patient. The patient cannot go to the cafeteria for meals. Disposable hospital gowns are worn when entering the patient's room.

Your patient is receiving carmustine, a chemotherapy agent. A significant side effect of this medication is thrombocytopenia. Which symptom would the nurse assess for in patients at risk for thrombocytopenia? a) Hot flashes b) Interrupted sleep pattern c) Increased weight d) Nose bleed

Nose bleed Patients with thrombocytopenia are at risk for bleeding due to decreased platelet counts. A priority goal for this patient is to prevent trauma related to decreased platelet count. A soft toothbrush or an electric razor can be used. No invasive procedures should be performed. Patients with thrombocytopenia do not exhibit interrupted sleep pattern, hot flashes, or increased weight.

The client has received chemotherapy and 1 week later is at home experiencing nausea and vomiting. The first action of the nurse is to recommend a) Obtaining acupressure treatments b) Taking prescribed ondansetron (Zofran) c) Using imagery techniques d) Practicing relaxation techniques

Taking prescribed ondansetron (Zofran) Serotonin blockers, such as ondansetron, may decrease nausea and vomiting. Once these symptoms are relieved, the client can use other strategies, such as relaxation, imagery, and acupressure. These strategies, when used with serotonin blockers, provide improved anti-emetic protection.

While a patient is receiving intravenous doxorubicin hydrochloride, the nurse observes that there is swelling and pain at the IV site. The nurse should a) apply a warm compress to the site. b) stop the administration of the drug immediately. c) notify the patient's physician. d) continue to administer but decrease the rate of infusion.

stop the administration of the drug immediately. Doxorubicin hydrochloride is a chemotherapeutic vessicant that can cause severe tissue damage. The nurse should stop the administration of the drug immediately and then notify the patient's physician. Ice can be applied to the site once the drug therapy has stopped.

A client who will have his last chemotherapy cycle in 11 days becomes neutropenic. The client understands his condition when he states: a) "I love working in my garden; it gives me a lot of inner peace and tranquility." b) "I find that going out for a quiet dinner and a movie relieves the stress and anxiety of my cancer treatment." c) "I'll monitor my temperature frequently and go to the nearest emergency department if my temperature rises above 100.4° F." d) "I've found that eating fresh fruit and vegetables reduces the side effects of chemotherapy and also gives me more energy."

"I'll monitor my temperature frequently and go to the nearest emergency department if my temperature rises above 100.4° F." The client understands his neutropenic state when he states that he'll monitor his temperature frequently and go to the emergency department if his temperature rises above 100.4° F. Neutropenic clients should avoid crowds, eating fresh fruits and vegetables, and working in the garden — all of which place the client at risk for infection.

You are the clinic nurse in an oncology clinic. Your patient arrives for a 2-month follow-up appointment following chemotherapy. You note that the patient's skin appears yellow. Which blood tests should be done to further explore this clinical sign? a) Liver function test b) CBC c) Platelet count d) Electrolytes

Liver function test Surveillance for cancer spread, recurrence, or second cancers: colonoscopy post colon cancer, mammography post breast cancer, Liver function tests post colon cancer, prostate-specific antigen post prostate cancer. Yellow skin is a sign of jaundice. The liver is a common organ affected by metastatic disease. A liver function test should be done to determine if the liver is functioning. Option B is incorrect; a CBC would show an altered white blood cell count indicating possible infection. Option C is incorrect; a platelet count tells whether the blood sample has an adequate number of platelets, necessary for blood clotting. Option D is incorrect; a blood test for electrolytes would not identify the cause of the jaundice.

Cancer has many characteristics. What is one of the most discouraging characteristics of cancer? a) Slow growth b) Carcinogenesis c) Large size d) Metastasis

Metastasis Metastasis is one of cancer's most discouraging characteristics because even one malignant cell can give rise to a metastatic lesion in a distant part of the body. Not all cancerous tumors are large in size. Carcinogenesis is the process of malignant transformation and it is not a characteristic of cancer. Cancer grows rapidly, not slowly.

The clinic nurse is caring for a 42-year-old male oncology patient. He complains of extreme fatigue and weakness after his first week of radiation therapy. Which response by the nurse would best reassure this patient? a) "These symptoms are part of your disease and can't be helped." b) "This is a good sign. It means that only the cancer cells are dying." c) "These symptoms usually result from radiation therapy; however, we will continue to monitor your laboratory and X-ray studies." d) "Don't be concerned about these symptoms. Everybody feels this way after having radiation therapy."

These symptoms usually result from radiation therapy; however, we will continue to monitor your laboratory and X-ray studies." Fatigue and weakness result from radiation treatment and usually don't represent deterioration or disease progression. The symptoms associated with radiation therapy usually decrease after therapy ends. The symptoms may concern the patient and shouldn't be belittled. Radiation destroys both cancerous and normal cells