Chapter 12: Oncologic Management PrepU

The nurse working on a bone marrow unit knows that it is a priority to monitor which of the following in a client who has just undergone a stem cell transplant?

Monitor the client closely to prevent infection.

A client with cancer is being evaluated for possible metastasis. What is one of the most common metastasis sites for cancer cells?

Liver

What should the nurse tell a client who is about to begin chemotherapy and is anxious about hair loss?

The client should consider getting a wig or cap prior to beginning treatment.

The physician is attending to a 72-year-old client with a malignant brain tumor. The physician recommends immediate radiation therapy. What is a reason for the physician's recommendation?

To prevent the formation of new cancer cells

A client is recovering from a craniotomy with tumor debulking. Which comment by the client indicates to the nurse a correct understanding of what the surgery entailed?

"I guess the doctor could not remove the entire tumor."

The nurse is caring for a client is scheduled for chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplant. Which of the following statements by the client indicates a need for further teaching?

"I hope they find a bone marrow donor who matches."

The client is diagnosed with a benign brain tumor. Which of the following features of a benign tumor is of most concern to the nurse?

Tumor pressure against normal tissues

After cancer chemotherapy, a client experiences nausea and vomiting. The nurse should assign highest priority to which intervention?

Administering metoclopramide and dexamethasone as ordered

A client is receiving chemotherapy to treat breast cancer. Which assessment finding indicates a chemotherapy-induced complication?

Serum potassium level of 2.6 mEq/L

A nurse is assessing a 75-year-old woman who had a total hysterectomy when she was 30 years old and normal Pap test results for the past 10 years. The client asks about continuing the Pap test. What is the best response by the nurse?

"You may choose to discontinue this test."

During a client's examination and consultation, the physician keeps telling the client, "You have an abdominal neoplasm." Which statements accurately paraphrase the physician's statement? Select all that apply.

"You have a new growth of abnormal tissue in your abdomen." "You have an abdominal tumor."

The nurse is caring for a client with a benign breast tumor. The tumor may have which characteristic?

Slow rate of growth

The nurse is conducting a screening for familial predisposition to cancer. Which element should the nurse note as a possible indication of hereditary cancer syndrome?

An aunt and uncle diagnosed with cancer

Which type of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is characterized by cells from a donor other than the patient?

Allogeneic

A nurse is caring for a client who is receiving chemotherapy and has a platelet count of 30,000/mm3. Which statement by the client indicates a need for additional teaching?

"I floss my teeth every morning."

The nurse is caring for a client who is scheduled for chemotherapy. Which is the best statement the nurse can make about the client experiencing chemotherapy-induced alopecia?

"The hair loss is usually temporary."

A patient is scheduled for cryoablation for cervical cancer and tells the nurse, "I am not exactly sure what the surgeon is going to do." What is the best response by the nurse?

"The surgeon is going to use liquid nitrogen to freeze the area."

A young female client has received chemotherapeutic medications and asks about any effects the treatments will have related to her sexual health. The most appropriate statement by the nurse is

"You will need to practice birth control measures."

The oncology nurse is giving chemotherapy to a client in a short stay area. The client confides that they are very depressed. The nurse recognizes depression as which of the following?

A normal reaction to the diagnosis of cancer.

Which class of antineoplastic agents is cell cycle-specific?

Antimetabolites (5-FU)

Which of the following is a term used to describe the process of programmed cell death?

Apoptosis

Which type of vaccine uses the client's own cancer cells, which are killed and prepared for injection back into the client?

Autologous

A client is receiving external radiation to the left thorax to treat lung cancer. Which intervention should be part of this client's care plan?

Avoiding using soap on the irradiated areas

Which does a nurse thoroughly evaluate before a hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT) procedure?

Blood studies

A client undergoes a biopsy of a suspicious lesion. The biopsy report classifies the lesion according to the TNM staging system as follows: Tis, N0, M0. What does this classification mean?

Carcinoma in situ, no abnormal regional lymph nodes, and no evidence of distant metastasis

Which oncologic emergency involves the accumulation of fluid in the pericardial space?

Cardiac tamponade

Which primary cancer treatment goal is prolonged survival and containment of cancer cell growth?

Control

The drug interleukin-2 is an example of which type of biologic response modifier?

Cytokine

A nurse is caring for a client receiving chemotherapy. Which assessment finding places the client at the greatest risk for an infection?

Stage 3 pressure ulcer on the left heel

A client being treated for breast cancer reports pain as being 7 on a scale from 0 to 10. Which type of pain indicates to the nurse that the client is experiencing lymph obstruction from the disease?

Dull, aching, tightness

A side-effect of chemotherapy is renal damage. To prevent this, the nurse should:

Encourage fluid intake, if possible, to dilute the urine.

A patient will be having an endoscopic procedure with a diagnostic biopsy. What type of biopsy does the nurse explain will remove an entire piece of suspicious tissue?

Excisional biopsy

A nurse is administering daunorubicin through a peripheral I.V. line when the client complains of burning at the insertion site. The nurse notes no blood return from the catheter and redness at the I.V. site. The client is most likely experiencing which complication?

Extravasation

The client is receiving a vesicant antineoplastic for treatment of cancer. Which assessment finding would require the nurse to take immediate action?

Extravasation

While completing an admission assessment, the client reports a family history of breast cancer among a maternal grandmother, aunt, and sister. The nurse knows that these cancers are most likely associated with what etiology?

Inherited gene mutation

For a client newly diagnosed with radiation-induced thrombocytopenia, the nurse should include which intervention in the care plan?

Inspecting the skin for petechiae once every shift

A nurse is teaching a client about the rationale for administering allopurinol with chemotherapy. Which example would be the best teaching by the nurse?

It lowers serum and uric acid levels.

What disadvantages of chemotherapy should the patient be informed about prior to starting the regimen?

It targets normal body cells as well as cancer cells.

A decrease in circulating white blood cells (WBCs) is referred to as?

Leukopenia

In which phase of the cell cycle does cell division occur?

Mitosis

According to the tumor-node-metastasis (TNM) classification system, T0 means there is

No evidence of primary tumor

A nurse is teaching a community class about how to decrease the risk of cancer. Which food should the nurse recommend?

Oranges

You are a clinic nurse. One of your clients has found she is at high risk for breast cancer. She asks you what can be done to reduce her risk. What is a means of reducing the risk for breast cancer?

Prophylactic surgery

A nurse assesses an oncology client with stomatitis during a chemotherapy session. Which nursing intervention would most likely decrease the pain associated with stomatitis?

Provide a solution of viscous lidocaine for use as a mouth rinse.

A patient is admitted for an excisional biopsy of a breast lesion. What intervention should the nurse provide for the care of this patient?

Provide time for the patient to discuss her concerns.

A client has been receiving chemotherapy to treat cancer. Which assessment finding suggests that the client has developed stomatitis?

Red, open sores on the oral mucosa

A client with a brain tumor is undergoing radiation and chemotherapy for treatment of cancer. The client has recently reported swelling in the gums, tongue, and lips. Which is the most likely cause of these symptoms?

Stomatitis

A nurse is administering daunorubicin (DaunoXome) to a patient with lung cancer. Which situation requires immediate intervention?

The I.V. site is red and swollen.

Which statement is true about malignant tumors?

They gain access to the blood and lymphatic channels.

A client with metastatic pancreatic cancer underwent surgery to remove a malignant tumor in the pancreas. Despite the tumor being removed, the physician informs the client that chemotherapy must be started. Why might the physician opt for chemotherapy?

To prevent metastasis

Which of the following would be inconsistent as a common side effect of chemotherapy?

Weight gain

A client returns to the surgeon's office for a report on a diagnostic procedure to determine the cell composition of the client's abdominal neoplasm. Which term is significant to indicate the likelihood of the tumor spreading?

benign

A client without symptoms receives a diagnosis of prostate cancer after a routine physical. What factors contributed to this diagnosis? Select all that apply.

client history risk factors tumor markers

The root cause of cancer is damage to cellular deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) which can be caused by many factors, or carcinogens. What factors can be carcinogenic? Select all that apply.

dietary substances environmental factors viruses

The nurse is evaluating the client's risk for cancer. The nurse should recommend the client change which lifestyle choice?

eats red meat such as steaks or hamburgers every day

The nurse is working with a client who has had an allo-hematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). The nurse notices a diffuse rash and diarrhea. The nurse contacts the physician to report that the client has symptoms of

graft-versus-host disease.

Following surgery for adenocarcinoma, the client learns the tumor stage is T3,N1,M0. What treatment mode should the nurse anticipate?

Adjuvant therapy is likely.

Which is a sign or symptom of septic shock?

Altered mental status

A client is scheduled for a nerve-sparing prostatectomy. The emotional spouse confides in the nurse that the client will not talk about the cancer and/or upcoming surgery. Which nursing diagnosis will the nurse choose as primary diagnosis for this client?

Fear

Which type of surgery is used in an attempt to relieve complications of cancer?

Palliative

During which step of cellular carcinogenesis do cellular changes exhibit increased malignant behavior?

Progression

The nurse at the clinic explains to the patient that the surgeon will be removing a mole on the patient's back that has the potential to develop into cancer. The nurse informs the patient that this is what type of procedure?

Prophylactic

The nurse instructs a client receiving chemotherapy on actions to prevent the development of stomatitis. Which client statement indicates to the nurse that teaching has been effective?

"I will brush my teeth after every meal."

The nurse should teach the patient who is being radiated about protecting his skin and oral mucosa. An important teaching point would be to tell the patient to:

Cleanse the skin with a mild soap, using his fingertips, not a rough wash cloth.

A client diagnosed with acute myelocytic leukemia has been receiving chemotherapy. During the last 2 cycles of chemotherapy, the client developed severe thrombocytopenia requiring multiple platelet transfusions. The client is now scheduled to receive a third cycle. How can the nurse best detect early signs and symptoms of thrombocytopenia?

Closely observe the client's skin for petechiae and bruising.