Deck 18: Caring for Clients With Cancer

Question 1

You are a clinic nurse. One of your clients has found they are at high risk for breast cancer. They ask you what can be done to reduce their risk. What is a means of reducing the risk for breast cancer?

A) Palliative surgery
B) Prophylactic surgery
C) Curative surgery
D) Reduction surgery

Answer 1

Prophylactic surgery

Question 2

You are providing client teaching for a client undergoing chemotherapy. What dietary modifications should you advise?

A) Eat wholesome meals.
B) Avoid spicy and fatty foods.
C) Avoid intake of fluids.
D) Eat warm or hot foods.

Answer 2

Avoid spicy and fatty foods.

Question 3

While doing a health history, a client tells you that their mother, their grandmother, and their sister died of cancer. The client wants to know what they can do to keep from getting cancer. What would be your best response?

A) "You can't prevent cancer, but you can have your blood analyzed for tumor markers to see what your risk level is."
B) "If you eat right, exercise, and get enough rest you can prevent breast cancer."
C) "With your family history, there is nothing you can do to prevent getting cancer."
D) "Cancer often skips a generation, so don't worry about it."

Answer 3

"You can't prevent cancer, but you can have your blood analyzed for tumor markers to see what your risk level is."

Question 4

You are the nurse caring for a client with cancer. The client complains of pain and nausea. When assessed, you note that the client appears fearful. What other factor must you consider when a client with cancer indicates signs of pain, nausea, and fear?

A) Infection
B) Fatigue
C) Ulceration
D) High cholesterol levels

Question 5

The clinic nurse is caring for a client who has just been diagnosed with a tumor. The client says to the nurse "The doctor says my tumor is benign. What does that mean?" What is the nurse's best response?

A) "Benign tumors don't usually cause death."
B) "Benign tumors grow very rapidly."
C) "Benign tumors can spread from one place to another."
D) "Benign tumors invade surrounding tissue."

Question 6

Your client is receiving radiation therapy. The client asks you about oral hygiene. What advice regarding oral hygiene should you offer?

A) Gargle after each meal.
B) Floss before going to bed.
C) Treat cavities immediately.
D) Use a soft toothbrush and avoid an electronic toothbrush.

Question 7

The nursing instructor is discussing the diagnosis of cancer with their nursing class. The instructor tells her students that scientists have predicted that gene therapy will one day play a large role in the prediction, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. What cancer is gene therapy currently being investigated in the treatment of?

A) Pancreatic
B) Osteosarcomas
C) Leukemia
D) Melanoma

Question 8

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 bone marrow transplant?

A) Monitor the client's toilet patterns.
B) Monitor the client closely to prevent infection.
C) Monitor the client's physical condition.
D) Monitor the client's heart rate.

Question 9

Which of the following advice does the nurse offer clients who are undergoing unsealed radiation therapy to reduce exposure?

A) Avoid drinking plenty of fluids.
B) Avoid eating for 3 hours after therapy.
C) Avoid applying skin moisturizers.
D) Avoid kissing and sexual contact.

Question 10

You are presenting a class on cancer for a local community group. You inform the attendees that chemical agents in the environment are believed to account for 75% of all cancers. Which organs are most susceptible to cancer caused by these chemical agents?

A) Bone, breast, and thyroid
B) Prostate, colon, and breast
C) Eyes, breast, and prostrate
D) Lungs, liver, and kidneys

Question 11

You are a public health nurse giving a talk on the warning signals of cancer to a local community group. What are the warning signals of cancer? Select all that apply.

A) Sores that don't heal
B) Unusual bleeding or discharge
C) Yellow discoloration of body area
D) Tenderness or pain
E) Persistent indigestion

Question 12

The physician recommends that you have your daughter vaccinated with HPV vaccine. What is this vaccine for?

A) Help prevent lung cancer
B) Help prevent breast cancer
C) Help prevent cervical cancer
D) Help prevent leukemia

Question 13

The nurse is caring for a client newly diagnosed with cancer. Which of the following therapies is used to treat something other than cancer?

A) Surgery
B) Radiation therapy
C) Electroconvulsive therapy
D) Chemotherapy

Question 14

You are an oncology nurse caring for a client who is taking antineoplastic agents. What symptoms must you consider when monitoring this client?

A) Symptoms of gout
B) Symptoms of hypertension
C) Symptoms of diarrhea
D) Symptoms of anemia

Question 15

You are admitting a client to your unit. While assessing the client. you find out that the client has had hoarseness of approximately 4 months duration. Why would you report this to the attending physician?

A) The client may have chronic laryngitis.
B) The client is a smoker and has denied it.
C) Persistent hoarseness means the client talks to much.
D) Persistent hoarseness is a warning sign of cancer.

Question 16

You are an oncology nurse caring for a client who tells you that their tastes have changed. They go on to say that "meat tastes bad". What is a nursing intervention to increase protein intake for a client with taste changes?

A) Stay away from protein beverages.
B) Encourage maximum fluid intake.
C) Encourage cheese and sandwiches.
D) Suck on hard candy during treatment.

Question 17

You are doing client teaching in the oncology clinic. One of your clients will undergo sealed radiation therapy. What should you teach this client and their family?

A) Clients must avoid contact with other people for at least 2 months after the implant.
B) Clients must isolate themselves when the radiation is most active.
C) Clients may interact with other people freely.
D) Clients must maintain a vegetarian diet.

Question 18

Cancer has many characteristics. What is one of the most discouraging characteristics of cancer?

A) Large size
B) Carcinogenesis
C) Metastasis
D) Slow growth

Question 19

You are studying to take your certification test in oncology nursing. What tumor classifications would you need to know about? Select all that apply.

A) Carcinomas
B) Sarcomas
C) Osteomas
D) Lymphomas
E) Leukemias

Question 20

What are considered carcinogens?

A) Parasites
B) Medical procedures
C) Dietary substances
D) Infective genes

Question 21

You are an oncology nurse giving chemotherapy in a short stay area. One client confides to you that they are very depressed. What is depression?

A) A psychiatric diagnosis everyone has at one time or another.
B) A side effect of the neoplastic drugs.
C) A normal reaction to the diagnosis of cancer.
D) An aberrant psychologic reaction to the chemotherapy.

Question 22

The nurse is caring for a client who has had a nuclear scan to aid in the diagnosis of possible cancer. The scan showed a "hot spot". What does this mean?

A) An area of increased concentrations of the tracer used in the scan.
B) Distinguishes areas of tissue that are normal.
C) An area of decreased concentrations of the tracer used in the scan.
D) Distinguishes abnormal areas of tumor

Question 23

Your client has just been diagnosed with cancer. What emotions would you expect your client to have? Select all that apply.

A) Anger
B) Fear
C) Anxiety
D) Depression
E) Inability to be in control

Question 24

You are caring for a client who has just been told that they have stage IV colon cancer. The client asks you what "stage IV" means. What would be your best response?

A) "It means the cancer cells are well-differentiated."
B) "It means the cancer cells are undifferentiated cells."
C) "Stage IV means that the cancer can be easily cured."
D) "Stage IV means that the cancer has spread to other organs of the body."

Question 25

A client diagnosed with cancer has their tumor staged and graded based on what?

A) How they tend to grow and the cell type
B) How they spread and tend to grow
C) How they differentiate the cell type
D) How they spread and differentiate