Deck 22: Cytotoxic Agents and Immune Modulation

Question 1

Resistance to cytotoxic drug treatment can occur when cancer cells _______________.

A)are exposed to one instead of multiple drugs
B)develop mechanisms to quickly expel the drug from their cells
C)increase DNA repair mechanisms
D)All of the above

Answer 1

All of the above

Question 2

Which of the following therapeutic interventions would you most likely be using with a patient taking a tubulin-binding agent for bladder cancer?

A)Measurement of the VO₂mₐₓ on a treadmill
B)Whirlpool
C)Extension splinting of the wrist
D)Ultrasound to the knee

Answer 2

Extension splinting of the wrist

Question 3

The effects of exercise on the outcome of chemotherapy have not been rigorously studied but some general conclusions can be drawn.Which one of the following is one of these conclusions?

A)The effect of exercise seems to depend strongly on the drugs used
B)The effect depends on the status of the patient
C)The effect is independent of the intensity of the exercise
D)The effect depends on the type of exercise

Answer 3

The effect depends on the status of the patient

Question 4

A patient receiving a transplant develops an immune response to the transplant which intends to reject the foreign organ.Among the many immune factors involved in this response,the most important one seems to be _______________.

A)T cells
B)B cells
C)interferons
D)immunoglobulins

Question 5

Cancer chemotherapy while reducing primary cancers can promote the later occurrence of secondary cancers.Which of the following anti-cancer drug classes are mostly associated with a secondary cancer?

A)Alkylating agents
B)Antimetabolites
C)Tubulin binding drugs
D)All of the above

Question 6

Choice of a cytotoxic drug depends mostly on_______________.

A)the tissue of cancer origin
B)the age of the patient
C)the size of the tumor
D)the growth of the tumor

Question 7

The occurrence of secondary cancers after treatment with anticancer drugs _______________.

A)is greatest in young individuals
B)occurs mostly after treatment of breast cancer
C)occurs between 20-40 years after primary therapy
D)occurs more often if chemotherapy was combined with radiation

Question 8

A patient presents with loss of reflexes,foot drop and ataxia.The drugs most likely to cause these problems are the _______________.

A)vinca alkaloids
B)antimetabolites
C)alkylating agents
D)topoisomerases inhibitors

Question 9

The tubulin-binding drugs _______________.

A)are cell cycle unspecific
B)interfere with the synthesis of DNA strands
C)bind to the protein tubulin
D)are especially useful for hormone sensitive tumors

Question 10

A patient on cancer chemotherapy shows a suppressed blood cell profile.He might be treated with _______________.

A)epoetin to increase white blood cell
B)filgrastim to stimulate platelets
C)sargramostim to stimulate white blood cells
D)All of the above

Question 11

A patient on cancer chemotherapy will unfortunately experience a number of mild to severe adverse reactions.Some of them can be treated such as _______________.

A)nausea with anti-adrenergic drugs
B)diarrhea with opioids
C)hypersensitivity reactions with antibiotics
D)bone pain with bisphosphonates

Question 12

Alkylating agents interfere with DNA function or synthesis by _______________.

A)cross-linking DNA strands
B)alkylating and inhibiting DNA synthesizing enzymes
C)alkylating purine bases forming "false" bases
D)interfering with RNA synthesis

Question 13

Adverse reactions to the treatment with cytotoxic drugs are mostly seen in healthy cells which _______________.

A)are closest to the tumor cells
B)divide rapidly
C)have a large blood vessel supply
D)are largest in the body

Question 14

Cytotoxic drugs _______________.

A)act on all phases of the cell cycle
B)will kill a certain fraction of the growing tumor cells
C)can kill all tumor cells if given in combination
D)are more effective in slow growing than in fast growing tumors

Question 15

Monoclonal antibodies _______________.

A)are now used solely for the treatment of leukemias
B)can easily be recognized since they end in -cab
C)have more selective actions
D)show a large number of adverse reactions

Question 16

A patient with a transplant is treated with an immunosuppressant drug.to help reduce the risk of _______________.

A)infections
B)hepatotoxicity
C)nephrotoxicity
D)neurotoxicity

Question 17

A patient tells you that his urine looks red after starting cancer chemotherapy.This is most likely caused by _______________.

A)doxorubicin
B)methotrexate
C)cyclophosphamide
D)All of the above

Question 18

Combination drug therapy is based on the principle that all drugs must _______________.

A)reach the cancer target
B)have different modes of therapeutic action
C)show different toxic reactions
D)All of the above

Question 19

Late complications of cancer therapy include _________.

A)alopecia
B)GI upset
C)secondary cancers
D)bone marrow suppression

Question 20

Cytotoxic antimetabolites _______________.

A)interfere with the synthesis of DNA bases
B)are known to cause cardiac toxicity
C)include leucovorin as the most efficacious drug
D)are used for tumors with a slow growth rate