Cancer Treatment BSN 3rd Semester | TEST yourself

1. What are the six primary methods of cancer treatment listed?

1) Surgery, 2) Chemotherapy, 3) Radiation therapy, 4) Hormonal therapy, 5) Targeted therapy, 6) Synthetic lethality.

2. What is the main goal of cancer surgery?

To cure non-hematological cancers by entirely removing the tumor.

3. Why might surgery not be curative even if the primary tumor is removed?

Because the cancer may have already metastasized (spread) to other sites in the body prior to surgery.

4. What is the term for when a single cancer cell regrows into a new tumor after surgery?

Recurrence.

5. What is the primary purpose of chemotherapy?

To kill cancer cells or stop them from growing and spreading.

6. Name a class of chemotherapy drugs known as "antimetabolites."

Drugs like 5-fluorouracil, 6-mercaptopurine, cytarabine, gemcitabine, and methotrexate.

7. How do Anthracycline chemotherapy drugs work?

They attack the enzymes inside cancer cells' DNA that help them divide and grow.

8. What is another name for Radiation Therapy?

Radiotherapy, X-ray therapy, or irradiation.

9. How does radiation therapy damage cancer cells?

It uses high-energy particles to make tiny breaks in the DNA of cancer cells to destroy or damage them, preventing them from dividing.

10. What is the goal of palliative radiation therapy?

To shrink tumors and ease symptoms of the disease when a cure is not possible.

11. What are the two main types of radiation therapy?

1. External beam radiation therapy (EBRT), 2. Internal radiation therapy (Brachytherapy).

12. Name two common side effects of radiation therapy.

Fatigue and temporary hair loss. (Also: skin changes, sexual/fertility problems, blurry vision).

13. What is the mechanism of Hormonal Therapy?

It slows or stops the growth of cancer that uses hormones to grow.

14. What is a surgical method of hormonal therapy for prostate cancer?

Surgical removal of the testicles (orchiectomy).

15. How is Targeted Therapy different from traditional Chemotherapy?

Targeted therapy blocks specific proteins or genes that help cancers grow, making it more precise than chemotherapy, which can affect all rapidly dividing cells.

16. What are the two main types of Targeted Therapies?

1) Small molecule medicines, 2) Monoclonal antibodies.

17. How can you often identify a small molecule medicine by its name?

Their generic name often ends in "-ib" (e.g., imatinib).

18. Why can't Monoclonal Antibodies enter cells like small molecule drugs can?

Because they are too big to get into the cells.

19. What is Synthetic Lethality?

A situation where a combination of deficiencies in two or more genes leads to cell death, but a deficiency in only one does not.

20. Why is Synthetic Lethality a promising strategy for killing cancer cells?

Cancer cells often have a pre-existing DNA repair defect. By inhibiting a compensating repair pathway, the cancer cells can be selectively killed without harming healthy cells.

21. What is a key nursing intervention for a patient receiving chemotherapy regarding hydration?

Ensure patients are well-hydrated before and after chemotherapy to minimize the risk of kidney damage.

22. What should a nurse administer before chemotherapy to manage a common side effect?

Antiemetic medications (to prevent or alleviate nausea and vomiting).

23. What is a crucial patient education topic for someone undergoing radiotherapy?

Skin care to manage radiation-induced skin changes, such as redness and peeling.

24. For a patient on hormonal therapy, what are two side effects a nurse should monitor for?

Hot flashes, mood changes, and/or bone density loss.

25. What is a key difference between Palliative Care and Hospice Care regarding timing?

Palliative care can be initiated at any stage of a serious illness. Hospice care is for individuals with a prognosis of six months or less to live.

26. A mastectomy is a surgical procedure for which type of cancer?

Breast cancer.

27. True or False: Chemotherapy only kills cancerous cells and does not affect healthy cells.

False. Many chemotherapy drugs kill both cancerous and healthy cells (especially rapidly dividing ones).

28. Brachytherapy is a form of which type of radiation therapy?

Internal radiation therapy.

29. What does the term "performance status" refer to in cancer treatment?

The general state of the patient's health and wellbeing, which influences treatment choices.

30. Immunotherapy is a subset of which broader treatment category?

Targeted therapy.

31. What is the role of gene expression modulators in targeted therapy?

They change the proteins that control how the instructions of genes in cancer cells get carried out (expressed).

32. Name a plant compound being studied for its potential synthetic lethality effects.

Resveratrol (found in red wine).

33. What is a primary nursing responsibility for a patient with a central line receiving chemo?

Ensure proper care and monitoring to prevent infections and complications.

34. Beyond physical symptoms, what other type of support is a key goal of palliative care?

Emotional and psychological support for patients and their families.

35. Hospice care prioritizes _____ over curative treatment.

Comfort and dignity.

36. The Hatstedian model describes cancer progression from a local tumor to the _____.

Lymph nodes, and then to the rest of the body.

37. What type of therapy uses drugs like Bortezomib (Velcade) for blood cancers?

Immunotherapy (a type of targeted therapy).

38. True or False: A patient can be discharged from hospice care if their condition improves.

True.

39. What is the main route of administration for Monoclonal Antibodies?

Intravenous (IV) infusion (through a vein).

40. Name a DNA repair pathway deficiency that can be exploited by synthetic lethality.

Any one of the seven DNA repair pathways (e.g., Homologous Recombination, Base Excision Repair, etc.). The text mentions there are seven but doesn't list them all.

41. What is a key pre-operative nursing intervention?

Provide information (education) about the procedure, recovery, and necessary preparations.

42. What is the purpose of "neoadjuvant" chemotherapy or radiation?

To shrink a tumor *before* the main treatment (usually surgery).

43. Hormone therapy for prostate cancer can be given orally or by _____.

Injection.

44. What vital signs and values should a nurse regularly assess during chemotherapy?

Vital signs and lab values (e.g., blood counts, kidney function).

45. The goal of "adjuvant" therapy is to prevent _____.

Recurrence (the cancer coming back after primary treatment like surgery).

46. What type of therapy is Trastuzumab (Herceptin), used for HER2+ breast cancer?

A Monoclonal Antibody (Targeted Therapy).

47. Where is hospice care most commonly delivered?

In the patient's home.

48. What is a critical post-operative nursing care focus?

Monitoring for complications, managing pain, and wound care.

49. A prostatectomy is the surgical removal of the _____.

Prostate gland.

50. True or False: Palliative care is only for cancer patients.

False. It is for individuals with a wide range of serious illnesses (e.g., heart failure, COPD).