ATI RN
Oncology Test Bank
1. The patient is anxious about subjection to radiation therapy. Which of the following statements of the student nurse requires additional teaching?
- A. Teletherapy is radiation from an external source.
- B. Brachytherapy can be administered via oral or IV.
- C. Brachytherapy is a radiation from inside the patient's body.
- D. Chemotherapy is effective in killing all cancer cells.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D because the statement 'Chemotherapy is effective in killing all cancer cells' is incorrect. Chemotherapy does not kill all cancer cells and is not the same as radiation therapy. Chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells, including cancer cells, but it may not kill every single cancer cell. It is important for the student nurse to understand and communicate this distinction to the patient. Choices A, B, and C provide accurate information about teletherapy, brachytherapy, and chemotherapy, respectively, and do not require additional teaching.
2. A clinic nurse is working with a patient who has a long-standing diagnosis of polycythemia vera. How can the nurse best gauge the course of the patient's disease?
- A. Document the color of the patient's palms and face during each visit.
- B. Follow the patient's erythrocyte sedimentation rate over time.
- C. Document the patient's response to erythropoietin injections.
- D. Follow the trends of the patient's hematocrit.
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The course of polycythemia vera can be best ascertained by monitoring the patient's hematocrit, which should remain below 45%. Hematocrit levels are a key indicator in assessing the progression of the disease. Choices A, B, and C are not the most appropriate methods for gauging the course of polycythemia vera. Monitoring the color of the patient's palms and face, or their response to erythropoietin injections, may not provide an accurate reflection of the disease's progression. Similarly, while erythrocyte sedimentation rate can be affected in polycythemia vera, it is not the primary marker for monitoring the disease's course.
3. An oncology patient will begin a course of chemotherapy and radiation therapy for the treatment of bone metastases. What is one means by which malignant disease processes transfer cells from one place to another?
- A. Adhering to primary tumor cells
- B. Inducing mutation of cells of another organ
- C. Phagocytizing healthy cells
- D. Invading healthy host tissues
Correct answer: D
Rationale: The correct answer is D: Invading healthy host tissues. Invasion is the process where malignant cells grow into surrounding healthy tissues, allowing the cancer to spread to other parts of the body. Choices A, B, and C are incorrect. Adhering to primary tumor cells does not involve the transfer of cells to other locations, inducing mutation of cells of another organ is not a mechanism of cell transfer, and phagocytizing healthy cells refers to the process of engulfing and digesting cells, which is not a method of cancer cell transfer.
4. A 58-year-old male patient has been hospitalized for a wedge resection of the left lower lung lobe after a routine chest x-ray shows carcinoma. The patient is anxious and asks if he can smoke. Which statement by the nurse would be most therapeutic?
- A. Smoking is the reason you are here.
- B. The doctor left orders for you not to smoke.
- C. You are anxious about the surgery. Do you see smoking as helping?
- D. Smoking is OK right now, but after your surgery it is contraindicated.
Correct answer: C
Rationale: Choice C is the most therapeutic response as it acknowledges the patient's anxiety and encourages reflection on his behavior. This approach can help the patient explore his feelings and thoughts about smoking in relation to his surgery, promoting self-awareness and potentially opening the door for a constructive discussion. Choices A and B are more directive and may not address the underlying anxiety and need for reflection. Choice D is also somewhat permissive about smoking before surgery, which may not be in the patient's best interest.
5. Which of the following is a correct statement by the nurse to a patient under radiation therapy?
- A. Brachytherapy can be administered by a pregnant nurse
- B. Teletherapy makes the patient radioactive
- C. Brachytherapy is an internal radiation therapy
- D. Teletherapy requires proper disposal of feces since feces is not a source of radiation
Correct answer: C
Rationale: The correct statement is that Brachytherapy is an internal radiation therapy. Brachytherapy involves placing radioactive sources inside or near the tumor, delivering a high radiation dose to the targeted area while minimizing exposure to surrounding healthy tissues. Choices A and B are incorrect because pregnant nurses should not administer radiation therapy and brachytherapy does not make the patient radioactive. Choice D is incorrect as feces is not a source of radiation in teletherapy, and it does not require special disposal.
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