NCLEX-PN › Causes and Treatments of Tumors
Alice is a 25-year-old female who is visiting her primary care physician for a routine physical. Which of the following may be conducted at the appointment?
A papanicolaou test
A rapid antigen detection test
A urine analysis
A cervical cerclage
A vaginal ultrasound
A papanicolaou test (pap smear) may be preformed routinely on adult women as a screening for cervical cancer. A rapid antigen detection test (rapid strep test), urine analysis, cervical cerclage, or vaginal ultrasound would not be part of routine screening.
John is a 60-year-old man who has a first degree relative recently diagnosed with cancer. He asks his nurse what he can do to prevent himself from developing cancer. Which of the following is incorrect?
Drink 3 to 5 glasses of green tea with antioxidants daily
Rest for 6-8 hours nightly
Eat a healthy diet
Wear sunscreen when exposed to the sun
Exercise at least for at least 150 minutes weekly
Green tea has not been proven to decrease the risk of developing cancer. All other precautions have been shown to decrease the risk of developing various cancers.
60% of cases of stomach cancer in the United States are associated with what infection?
Helicobacter pylori
Staphylococcus aureus
Escherichia coli
Salmonella enterica
Helicobacter pylori is present in the stomach of 60% of individuals with gastric cancer. Cancer in these cases may be caused by chronic inflammation at the site of infection, resulting in metaplasia.
Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella enterica, and Escherichia coli are all common causes of gastroenteritis but are not associated with malignancy.
Ethel is an 80-year-old woman who is receiving chemotherapy for the treatment of a tumor. You are the nurse taking care of Ethel. While her chemotherapy is infusing __________.
you check the infusion site frequently
you call the physician frequently to update him on her response
you practice hourly rounding
you elevate the extremity of venous access
you ask your colleague to cover you while you go to lunch
Chemotherapeutic agents are often very irritating to the tissue if they unintentionally travel to areas outside the vein. They can cause severe tissue loss and degradation. Patients receiving chemotherapy need to be monitored closely for signs of infiltration.
Nathan received chemotherapy 24 hours ago. You instruct Nathan to __________.
flush the toilet twice after going to the bathroom
wear gloves when preparing foods
Throw away soiled sheets for 48 hours
clean soiled areas three or more times using bleach
only drink bottled water for 48 hours
People receiving chemotherapy should flush the toilet twice after use for at least 48 hours to avoid exposing anybody else to the byproducts of the chemotherapy drugs. Wearing gloves when preparing foods, throwing away linens, using excessive bleach, and drinking bottled water are not necessary and do not significantly reduce risk to others.
Identify the chemotherapeutic agent.
Methotrexate
Furosemide
Gabapentin
Lamotrigine
Levofloxacin
Methotrexate is a chemotherapeutic agent. Levofloxacin is an antibiotic, lamotrigine is a mood stabilizer, gabapentin is an anti-epileptic agent, and furosemide is a diuretic.
Your patient is experiencing diarrhea after receiving chemotherapy. Which of the following is an appropriate nursing intervention?
Instruct the patient to eat a diet high in soluble fiber
Encourage the patient to remain as sedentary as possible
Advocate for the patient to eat a high-residue diet
Instruct the patient to take Senokot-S daily
Encourage the patient not to eat until the diarrhea passes
A diet high in soluble fiber will help to decrease the effects of diarrhea. Note that soluble fiber also provides relief from constipation. Senokot-S is a stool softener that will cause increased diarrhea. Remaining sedentary and not eating are not necessary and will not help a patient recovering from chemotherapy.
A patient is suffering from alopecia secondary to chemotherapy. Which of the following is the correct course of action for the nurse?
Change the bed sheets and towels frequently
Avoid discussing the topic with the patient
Shampoo and brush frequently to reduce fall-out
Use heat tools and products to maximize hair volume
Suggest dying the hair a lighter color
Hair loss can be alarming if large amounts of hair are seen in linens. Shampooing, brushing, heat tools, and hair dyes can increase fallout. The nurse should welcome healthy discussion about self esteem if appropriate.
Which of the following would raise suspicion for thrombocytopenia?
You see small bruises that appear under the skin
The patient appears to have a slightly pink tint in skin color
The patient is excessively hungry
The patient is experiencing an increase in depressive symptoms
The patient's blood seems to clot abnormally fast in response to injury
Thrombocytopenia occurs when the blood does not have a high enough platelet count. Slow clotting blood, increased bruising, or petechiae can all point to thrombocytopenia.
Which of the following is not a risk factor for renal cell carcinoma?
Alcohol
Smoking
Obesity
Hypertension
Smoking, obesity, and high blood pressure are among the most common risk factors for development of renal cell carcinoma. Other risk factors include genetic susceptibility, diuretic use, and male gender. Alcohol consumption has not been associated with increased rates of renal cell cancer.