Chapter 50: Antineoplastic Drugs

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?

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

A client with a diagnosis of non-small-cell lung cancer is currently undergoing chemotherapy. At the encouragement of a family member, the client has announced to the nurse the intention to complement this treatment with a regimen of herbal remedies. How should the nurse respond to this client's statement?

"It's important to discuss what herbs you'll be taking with your health care provider or the pharmacist to make sure there aren't any interactions."

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

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

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

Cancerous cells grow in an uncontrollable fashion.

A client is receiving idarubicin. What is the nurse's priority assessment?

Cardiac function

A patient who is receiving methotrexate is also receiving leucovorin. The nurse understands that this drug is being given for which reason?

Counteract effects of methotrexate

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?

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

A client with breast cancer being treated with tamoxifin is also taking the oral anticoagulant coumadin for chronic atrial fibrillation. What is important to monitor in this client?

Prothrombin time

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.

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

The oncology nurse is administering a chemotherapy agent that arrests mitosis by promoting the formation of abnormal spindle fibers and mitotic asters. What classification of drug is the nurse administering?

Taxane

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?

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

A pediatric patient with leukemia is being followed by a nurse. Prior to the administration of chemotherapy, the patient receives rasburicase (Elitek). The nurse's follow-up care after administration of the drug will involve monitoring what?

Uric acid levels

The nurse is preparing to administer doxorubicin for a client who has a diagnosis of neuroblastoma. What action should the nurse perform?

Wear personal protective equipment

The mitotic inhibitors interfere with the ability of a cell to divide, and they block or alter DNA synthesis, thus causing cell death. For clients taking these drugs, the nurse should:

avoid any skin, eye, or mucous membrane contact with the drug.

A nurse is preparing an antineoplastic agent for a 9-year-old cancer patient. Before administering an antineoplastic agent, the nurse's most important action should be to:

check indexes of bone marrow functioning.

Many times a combination of antineoplastic medications are used to:

decrease the development of cell resistance

Many times a combination of antineoplastic medications are used to

decrease the development of cell resistance.

Fewer adverse effects are associated with monoclonal antibody therapy than those of cytotoxic drugs. However, some of the potential adverse effects of monoclonal antibodies can be life threatening, including which effect?

heart failure and bleeding problems

In caring for clients undergoing chemotherapy, the nurse should monitor for what adverse effective triggered by the cytotoxic effect of the antineoplastic medication therapy? Select all that apply.

mucositis nausea diarrhea

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?

nerve cell

A female client prescribed methotrexate for meningeal leukemia is asking the nurse about adverse effects of the drug. What would the nurse tell this client should be avoided while taking methotrexate?

pregnancy

An oncology nurse is reviewing the medication administration record of a client being treated for advanced prostate cancer. In addition to two chemotherapeutic agents, the nurse reads that the client has been ordered a cytoprotective agent. The goal of this agent is to:

reduce the incidence or severity of adverse drug effects.

Tamoxifen achieves a therapeutic effect by which means?

slowing the growth of cancer cells

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

weight