A patient who has a brain tumor will receive a nitrosourea agent. A nursing student asks why this type of drug is used for this type of cancer. The nurse will tell the student that nitrosoureas are useful because they:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Nitrosoureas are lipophilic and thus are able to cross the blood-brain barrier, making them more effective against solid tumors in the brain. They are alkylating agents with a broad spectrum of antineoplastic activity, but these are not the deciding factors in their use for brain tumors. Delayed bone marrow suppression is their major dose-limiting toxicity.

A Patient Who Has a Brain Tumor Will Receive a Nitrosourea