Deck 8: Care of Patients with Cancer

Question 1

The nurse is advising a young college student who wants a tan before spring break.Which method is safest for the student to use?

A) Take advantage of morning sun while using sunscreen with an SPF of 30.
B) Use a spray-on tanning solution.
C) Use a sun lamp for a maximum of 20 minutes a day.
D) Use a tanning salon for no more than 10 minutes per visit.

Answer 1

Use a spray-on tanning solution.

Question 2

The nurse recognizes the staging T3,N2,M2 of the patient's cancer.Which interpretation is correct?

A) Small tumor with fewer than two lymph nodes involved.
B) Large tumor that is localized.
C) Small tumor with adjacent nodes involved.
D) Large tumor with extensive lymph node involvement.

Answer 2

Large tumor with extensive lymph node involvement.

Question 3

The nurse recognizes that smoking is a "promoter" that,although not a carcinogen itself,allows cancer to occur faster in the patients.Which factor is also a promoter of cancer?

A) Obesity
B) Occupational hazards
C) Cocaine abuse
D) Heavy alcohol intake

Answer 3

Heavy alcohol intake

Question 4

The nurse is instructing a patient who is on a biologic response modifier (BRM)colony-stimulating drug.The nurse teaches that about which desired action from this medication?

A) Increased appetite
B) Increased hair growth
C) Enhanced recovery of bone marrow
D) Decreased cholesterol

Question 5

The nurse is caring for a patient with cancer who is receiving vincristine.Which precaution is most important for the nurse to take?

A) Prevent the patient from getting chilled.
B) Administer a stool softener as ordered.
C) Offer the patient a soft toothbrush.
D) Feed the patient a snack during the infusion.

Question 6

The 40-year-old female who was diagnosed with a benign growth in her colon is concerned about the growth spreading.Which explanation best allays the patient's anxiety?

A) "Benign growths arrest their growth on their own."
B) "Benign growths never interfere with normal structures or functions."
C) "Benign growths are easily controlled with radiation."
D) "Benign growths are surrounded by fibrous tissue that prevents spread."

Question 7

The family becomes distressed when the dying 85-year-old patient becomes delirious and laughs and talks with old friends who have long since died.Which intervention is most appropriate?

A) Medicate the patient with the prescribed sedative.
B) Encourage a family member to talk to the patient calmly.
C) Stimulate and reorient the patient.
D) Suggest the family to leave the patient for a while.

Question 8

Which statement indicates to the nurse that the 50-year-old male recently diagnosed with early stage cancer of the prostate has begun to accept his diagnosis?

A) "Well, I guess this just about cancels any plans for a second honeymoon."
B) "I need to call my lawyer in order to update my will."
C) "Do you have any current information on prostate cancer?"
D) "My children should come home from college to visit."

Question 9

The nurse is caring for an x-ray technician who wears a badge that is monitored frequently to measure the amount of radiation he has absorbed.The nurse advises the technician that he has the highest risk for developing which type of cancer?

A) Bladder cancer
B) Leukemia
C) Melanoma
D) Lung cancer

Question 10

The nurse is outlining a diet that would be helpful in the prevention of cancer.Which instructions should the nurse include?

A) Eliminate all red meat.
B) Use margarine instead of butter.
C) Avoid foods with vitamin B complex.
D) Eat a variety of citrus fruits.

Question 11

A 32-year-old mother is undergoing radiation from a sealed-source modality and has been isolated in a private room for 3 days.How should the nurse best prepare for the patient's 8-year-old twins to visit?

A) Instruct the children to visit at the bedside one at a time.
B) Inform family that children cannot visit patients undergoing radiation.
C) Put chairs in the hall for "long-distance" visitation.
D) Allow visitation for no longer than 3 minutes without any physical contact.

Question 12

The patient on radiation therapy has developed diarrhea.Which food should the nurse suggest to help slow the diarrhea?

A) Broccoli
B) Cauliflower
C) Cheese and crackers
D) Apples and pears

Question 13

Following a visit from his family,the 55-year-old male patient with terminal cancer tearfully says,"I am so afraid" and begins to cry.Which response is most supportive?

A) "Would you like to have your pain medication now?"
B) "Let's talk about the things that make you afraid."
C) "Would you like for me to call the hospital chaplain."
D) "I will leave to give you some privacy."

Question 14

The nurse assesses several patients in the outpatient clinic.Which patient has the greatest risk for developing cancer?

A) 23-year-old car repairman who repaints cars
B) 30-year-old overweight certified public accountant in New York who has smoked for 4 years and rarely exercises
C) 45-year-old farmer from Texas who has worked on his family's cotton farm since the age of 12
D) 60-year-old ski instructor in Colorado

Question 15

The 26-year-old patient with a malignant neoplasm has experienced a 10-pound weight loss in 3 weeks.To which factor is this patient's rapid weight loss most likely related?

A) Disinterest in eating food in general
B) Changes in the nutritional content of the patient's diet
C) The malignancy's high nutritional demand
D) A self-imposed rigid diet regimen

Question 16

The nurse is planning care for the patient who is on a protocol of bleomycin.Since bleomycin is an antitumor antibiotic,which intervention should the nurse add to the care plan?

A) Assess hearing acuity.
B) Measure urinary output.
C) Weigh daily to assess fluid retention.
D) Monitor for cardiac arrhythmias.

Question 17

The nurse is teaching a 50-year-old male patient who is taking estrogens as treatment of prostate cancer.The nurse should educate the patient about which expected side effect?

A) Blurred vision
B) Gynecomastia
C) Enlarged gonads
D) Acne

Question 18

The nurse assesses a man who is scheduled for a prostate-specific antigen (PSA)test.The nurse understands that which situation could delay the test?

A) The patient reports he ate shellfish 48 hours previously.
B) The patient reports that he has a history of an enlarged prostate.
C) The patient reports having a recent urinary tract infection (UTI).
D) The patient's temperature is 99.0° F.

Question 19

The nurse is educating the 40-year-old female patient about the American Cancer Society (ACS)recommendations for early detection of cancer.Which information should she include when teaching?

A) Obtain a Pap smear every year.
B) Get an annual fecal occult blood examination.
C) Plan a sigmoidoscopy every 5 years.
D) Obtain a mammogram every year.

Question 20

The nurse is constructing a teaching plan about fatigue management for a patient who is taking radiation treatments.Which information should the nurse include?

A) Prioritize activities and alternate rest with periods of activity.
B) Plan to spend at least 4 to 5 hours of the day in bed.
C) Discontinue pain medications that may cause drowsiness.
D) Avoiding snacking in between meals.

Question 21

The nurse cautions that stress over a long period of time can contribute to the risk for cancer as prolonged stress suppresses the ____________.

Question 22

Which statement indicates that the patient understands teaching about diagnostic examinations for cancer?

A) "I will have less scarring if my surgeon uses an incision to biopsy my breast."
B) "My CEA level will be low if my pancreatic cancer returns."
C) "The doctor will monitor my ovarian cancer remission with the CA-125 test."
D) "My colonoscopy results were great, so I won't need another one for 5 years."

Question 23

The nurse is caring for a terminally ill cancer patient who is receiving palliative care.The patient's wife asks how her husband's pain will be controlled as he nears death.Which is the nurse's best response?

A) "Most of the time we can manage the pain with oral morphine and transdermal pain medication."
B) "We will probably have to start an IV to administer morphine to control the intense pain he may be experiencing."
C) "Dying patients typically do not have any pain, so this will not be an issue."
D) "I will have to check with your husband's physician to see how he wants us to handle pain control."

Question 24

Which description(s)is/are characteristic of a malignant neoplasm?

A) Very small nuclei
B) Disorganization
C) Altered DNA
D) Invasion of nearby organs
E) Travel through body fluid

Question 25

Which medications are biologic response modifier (BRM)drugs?

A) Interleukins
B) Colony-stimulating factors
C) Monoclonal antibodies
D) Cyclosporines
E) Gene therapies

Question 26

The nurse explains that metastasis from the original site to a new site can occur in a variety of ways.Which mechanisms do malignant cells use to metastasize?

A) Traveling through tissues.
B) "Transplantation" via surgical instruments during surgery.
C) Entering a body cavity and attaching to an organ.
D) Traveling through the lymphatic system.
E) "Relocation" from contaminated gloves during surgery.

Question 27

Which viruses are responsible for specific cancers?

A) Liver cancer from hepatitis B virus
B) Burkitt lymphoma from Epstein-Barr virus
C) Cervical cancer from human papillomavirus
D) Lung cancer from measles virus
E) Kaposi sarcoma from human immunodeficiency virus

Question 28

The student nurse is teaching a community group about risk factors for colorectal cancer.Based on risk factors,which patient has the highest risk for developing colorectal cancer?

A) 50-year-old male who has been exposed to arsenic in the workplace
B) 45-year-old female with a doctorate degree in psychology who smokes occasionally
C) 38-year-old female who had her first child 1 year ago
D) 29-year-old male who has had Crohn disease since the age of 13

Question 29

Which categories are classifications of malignant neoplasms?

A) Carcinomas
B) Lymphomas
C) Fibromas
D) Lipomas
E) Sarcomas