Antineoplastic Agents Prep-U

Risk for Infection related to suppressed bone marrow function

A patient with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) will be starting a course of doxorubicin shortly. When planning this patient's care, what nursing diagnosis should the nurse prioritize?

Liver function

A male patient has been on long-term bicalutamide (Casodex) therapy. In order to assess adverse effects of the drug therapy, the nurse will closely monitor:

Targeted therapies have the potential to damage cancerous cells while leaving normal body cells less affected

A nurse educator who coordinates the staff education on an oncology unit is conducting an inservice on targeted therapies. What potential benefit of targeted therapies should the nurse highlight in this education session?

Bleomycin (Blenoxane) Dactinomycin (Cosmegen) Daunorubicin (DaunoXome)

Which antineoplastic drugs are classified as antineoplastic antibiotics? (Select all that apply.)

Mitomycin

Which would the nurse identify as an antineoplastic antibiotic?

"Your hair will grow back, but the new hair may be a different color or texture."

A patient having chemotherapy is losing her hair. She asks the nurse if her hair will come back as it originally was. What is the best response by the nurse?

daily weights

A patient with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is receiving imatinib on an inpatient basis. When planning the care of this patient, what assessment should be specified in the patient's plan of nursing care?

use an effective contraceptive

A 25-year-old female client is prescribed methotrexate to treat rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The nurse should teach the client to:

cell cycle

A client has been diagnosed with a brain tumor and is dealing with this diagnosis by seeking detailed information about cancer. The nurse would explain to the client that cancer is essentially a result of the disruption of the:

Oral

A nurse is preparing to administer imatinib to a client. The nurse expects to administer this drug by which route?

"We can relieve your nausea and vomiting with antiemetic drug therapy. You should ask for these medications whenever you need them."

A patient who will begin chemotherapy voices concern to the nurse about the accompanying nausea and vomiting. What is the best response by the nurse?

M phase

During which phase of the cell cycle would a nurse expect a mitotic inhibitor to act?

false

No cancer cells have been identified that can remain dormant for more than 2 years.

They affect cancerous cells during a particular phase of cellular reproduction.

Prior to administering a dose of 5-FU to a patient with pancreatic cancer, the nurse is conducting the necessary drug research. The nurse is aware that 5-FU is a cell cycle-specific chemotherapeutic agent. Which statement best describes cell cycle-specific drugs?

slowing the growth of cancer cells

Tamoxifen achieves a therapeutic effect by which means?

Bleeding gums Petechiae Hematuria

The client is instructed to return to the clinic after calling and reporting various concerns. The nurse alerts the primary health care provider after noting which signs on the assessment? Select all that apply.

Allopurinol

The nurse may be asked to administer which medications to a client to counteract the increase in uric acid and subsequent hyperuricemia resulting from the metabolic waste buildup from rapid tumor lysis?

nerve cell

The purpose of antineoplastic drugs is to affect cells that rapidly divide and reproduce; however, the adverse effects produced by antineoplastic drugs result from their systemic use, which exposes nonmalignant cells in the body that are rapidly dividing and reproducing. Which is not an example of a rapidly dividing and reproducing cell in the body?

What potential benefit is unique to biologic agent therapies?

What potential benefit is unique to biologic agent therapies?

creatinine clearance

When assessing a client for adverse effects related to methotrexate (MTX) therapy, the nurse should prioritize what laboratory findings?

extravasates

seeps into the tissues surrounding the IV line

Higher tumor response rate

A 26-year-old man with testicular cancer is prescribed combination chemotherapy that involves using two drugs that are effective against testicular tumors. Combination drug therapy is superior to single-drug therapy because of:

cancer cells have an uncontrollable growth

A 49-year-old client is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. What is a characteristic of malignant cells that differentiates them from normal body cells?

dyspnea

A 63-year-old male patient has just begun treatment with IV paclitaxel. About 10 minutes into the infusion, the nurse becomes concerned about a possible anaphylactic reaction to the drug because the patient is experiencing:

Ensure that all staff and visitors adhere to infection control precautions.

A client with leukemia is being treated with a combination of antineoplastics, including methotrexate. The client's most recent laboratory results indicate the client is experiencing bone marrow suppression. What is the nurse's priority action?

Hodgkin lymphoma

A client's chemotherapeutic regimen includes procarbazine. What is the client's most likely diagnosis?

BUN and creatinine

An adult client has recently begun cancer treatment with methotrexate (MTX). When reviewing this client's laboratory work, the nurse should consequently prioritize assessment of which of the following?

administer a combination of antiemetics prior to the administration of the drug.

An adult client who has been diagnosed with a rectal tumor is scheduled to begin treatment with cisplatin.The nurse has conducted client teaching about the possibility of nausea and vomiting. In order to reduce the client's risk of severe nausea, the nurse should:

weight

The dosages of the chemotherapy agents that will be administered are based primarily on what client variable?

thoroughly rinse the mouth often, especially before and after meals

The nurse should encourage the client to implement which intervention in order to minimize the risk of developing chemotherapy-triggered mucositis?

Emetogenic

The nurse understands that when administering cisplatin, the drug has a high potential for causing severe nausea and vomiting. What term is used to describe this group of antineoplastic drug?

cell cycle-specific

The oncology nurse understands that chemotherapeutic agents are most effective during a particular phase of the cell cycle. This means the agents are:

techniques for safely handling the drug

What health education topic should the community health nurse emphasize when planning care for a client who will be prescribed an oral chemotherapy drug for the next several months while recovering at home?

Time is needed to replace many of the healthy body cells killed by chemotherapy

What rationale should the nurse provide to the client when describing the necessity of recovery periods between treatment cycles of chemotherapy?

The drug will be effective through all phases of the cell cycle.

What should the oncology nurse understand when administering a cell cycle-nonspecific chemotherapeutic agent about its effect?

The process of creating new blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients to the cells

When describing the process of cancer cell growth to a client, the nurse addresses angiogenesis. Which description would the nurse include?

Chemoreceptor trigger zone

When describing the use of the various agents for combating chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting, the nurse understands that the majority of these agents block:

Tamoxifen

A postmenopausal woman with breast cancer will most likely be treated with which anti-estrogen drug?

Methotrexate

Which agent would the nurse expect to be administered orally?

Imatinib

Which drug would have the least effect on healthy human cells?

Question the prescriber about the route

A client has been prescribed cabazitaxel 25 mg/m2 PO every three weeks for the treatment of prostate cancer. What is the nurse's priority response to this prescription?

menopausal effects

A client is receiving tamoxifen. Which adverse effect would be most specific to the action of this drug?

drink a lot of water

A female patient is taking oral cyclophosphamide therapy for breast cancer. Because of possible adverse effects of the drug, the nurse will instruct the patient to:

teniposide

An antineoplastic extravasates, and the antidote is administered. The nurse would apply warmth to the site if extravasation involved which drug?

skin

When describing the various effects of antineoplastic agents, the nurse explains that antineoplastic drugs primarily affect human cells that are rapidly multiplying, going through the cell cycle quickly. The nurse would identify which cells as an example?

alkylating agents

Which agents would be considered cancer non-cell cycle specific agents?

Inspect the site frequently for redness or swelling

A nurse is administering an antineoplastic extravasation occurs. How can the nurse best prevent tissue damage caused by extravasation?

Cells that have a rapid mitotic rate

An oncology nurse is reviewing the pathophysiology of cancer and is discussing with a colleague the factors that contribute to the success or failure of a patient's chemotherapy. Which cancerous cell is most susceptible to the effects of chemotherapeutic drugs?

Erythropoietin

A male client is receiving parenteral cytotoxic medications in the home. Adjunct therapy may include what substance?

It is fed by the hormones produced by the ovaries.

A patient is diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Why is considered to be an aggressive form of cancer?

true

Cancer is considered the second leading cause of death in the United States.

Salicylates

A nurse is providing client education to a 50-year-old woman who is taking methotrexate (MTX) for breast cancer. The nurse will instruct the client to avoid which drug?

IV

A patient is receiving carboplatin. The nurse would expect to administer this drug by which route?

Prostate cancer

An elderly man has been admitted to a residential care facility and the nurse has conducted a medication reconciliation. The man has taken numerous drugs in the past, including a course of bicalutamide (Casodex) several years earlier. The nurse recognizes this drug as being an antiandrogen and is consequently justified in presuming that the man has a history of what disease?

breast cancer

A 79-year-old woman has recently moved to a long-term care facility, and the nurse at the facility is conducting a medication reconciliation. The nurse notes that the woman has recently been taking tamoxifen. The nurse is justified in concluding that the woman has a history of what malignancy?

Reassure the patient that it is a harmless and expected response to the drug.

A client is prescribed doxorubicin drug therapy for carcinoma of the breast. On the second day of drug therapy, she calls in to report reddish urine. What should the nurse do?

The client's platelet count will decline

A client is undergoing a cytotoxic chemotherapy regimen for the treatment of stage III lung cancer. What effect will this regimen likely have on the client's hemostatic function?

"The reddish urine is an expected response to the drug."

A client received an injection of doxorubicin and is now observing a reddish urine. The client reports blood in the urine to the nurse. How should the nurse respond?

"It is a common adverse effect of the treatment"

A female client is ending an extensive chemotherapeutic regimen that included cytotoxic antineoplastic drugs. What does the nurse understand about bone marrow toxicity in this client?

Both classes of drugs have adverse effects, but targeted therapies tend to have less of an effect on healthy body cells

A female client will soon begin targeted therapy as a component of her treatment plan for chronic leukemia. The nurse is conducting health education about this new aspect of the client's drug regimen and the client has asked about the potential side effects of treatment. How should the nurse best respond?

Hormonal therapies

A male client is diagnosed with prostate cancer. The treatment modality of choice includes both surgery and chemotherapy. What does the chemotherapeutic option include?

Monitor the client closely and repeat LFTs routinely.

A male client is informed that the latest tests indicate that his cancer has spread to his liver. The client receives capecitabine as part of his treatment regimen. What would the nurse expect the health care provider to do?

it is important that you tell us if you experience any significant swelling or puffiness

A middle-aged patient has received a diagnosis of GI stromal tumor following an extensive diagnostic workup. Imatinib has been recommended as a component of the patient's drug regimen. What patient education should the nurse provide to this patient?

exposure to carcinogens

A nurse educator is discussing the role of protooncogenes in the pathophysiology of cancer. What typically triggers protooncogenes to differentiate into oncogenes?

Provide mouth care with normal saline every 4 hours Offer soft or liquid foods

A nurse is caring for a client who has received antineoplastic therapy. The client has developed inflammation of the oral mucous membrane, which is affecting his nutritional status. Which action by the nurse would be most appropriate? Select all that apply.

Imbalanced nutrition: less than body requirements

A client's chemotherapy regimen has been deemed successful, but the client is experiencing debilitating nausea and vomiting. These adverse effects should signal the nurse to the possibility of what nursing diagnosis?

see a wig specialist

A nurse is providing client education to a 35-year-old woman who has been prescribed cyclophosphamide therapy. When discussing possible hair loss, the nurse will advise the cliient to:

Risk for Infection related to bone marrow suppression

A patient has just received the first dose of imatinib and the nurse on the oncology unit is amending the patient's care plan accordingly. What nursing diagnosis is most appropriate in light of this addition to the patient's drug regimen?