Deck 11: Oncology

Question 1

Cancer that spreads to organs distant from the organ in which it originated is called:

A) Mitotic
B) Methylated
C) Metastatic
D) Necrotic

Answer 1

Metastatic

Question 2

A patient with previously unrecognized bone cancer suffers a pathological fracture of the femur and is unable to walk. While undergoing preparations for definitive care of his fracture, he should:

A) Limit his use of narcotics and other analgesics to avoid becoming tolerant or addicted to them
B) Limit his use of narcotics and other analgesics and insist on complementary and alternative pain remedies only
C) Request narcotics and other analgesics when his pain is bothersome
D) Request chiropractic manipulation of his fractured leg

Answer 2

Request narcotics and other analgesics when his pain is bothersome

Question 3

The principle of double effect states that:

A) When a patient is near death, pain relievers and anxiolytics will be administered to the patient in the hope of alleviating suffering. If death occurs as a result of drug administration, it is unintentional.
B) Both pain and suffering should be managed in patients at the end of life.
C) Both the patient and his or her significant others should have their needs addressed when the patient's death is near.
D) When a patient designates a health care proxy, he or she should also designate someone to manage his or her finances.

Answer 3

When a patient is near death, pain relievers and anxiolytics will be administered to the patient in the hope of alleviating suffering. If death occurs as a result of drug administration, it is unintentional.

Question 4

The incidence of which of the following cancers does not increase with age?

A) Acute lymphocytic leukemia
B) Chronic lymphocytic leukemia
C) Breast cancer
D) Lung cancer
E) Prostate cancer

Question 5

Which of the following diseases or conditions is not associated with long-standing use of tobacco products?

A) Bladder cancer
B) Laryngeal cancer
C) Lung cancer
D) Melanoma

Question 6

The most common cause of death in women in the United States is:

A) Breast cancer
B) Stroke (cerebrovascular accident)
C) Ovarian cancer
D) Heart disease

Question 7

Antimitotic agents are used to treat some diseases, most notably:

A) Irritable bowel syndrome
B) Fibromyalgia
C) Depression
D) Cancer

Question 8

You are told that a patient with a terminal illness is "cachectic." This means that she is:

A) Delirious
B) Nearly comatose
C) Malnourished
D) Very short of breath

Question 9

Which of the following treatment modalities are inappropriate for patients seeking palliative care?

A) Radiation therapy
B) Spiritual counseling
C) Surgery
D) Transfusion therapy
E) None of the above. All of these treatment modalities should be considered as possible treatments in palliative care.

Question 10

Vaccination against human papillomavirus prevents:

A) AIDS
B) Hepatitis C
C) Ovarian cancer
D) Squamous cell cancer of cervix

Question 11

Which of the following vaccines is infused into the bladder as a treatment for transitional cell bladder cancer?

A) Bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine
B) Cholera vaccine
C) Inactivated poliovirus vaccine
D) Sabin vaccine

Question 12

During critical illnesses, patients often lose large amounts of muscle mass and body weight. Wasting that results from illness is best described as:

A) Cachexia
B) Overnutrition
C) Parenteral nutrition
D) Ketoacidosis

Question 13

The ingestion of more than 400 International Units of vitamin E a day has been linked to:

A) An increased risk of cancer
B) A decreased risk of dementia
C) A decreased risk of dry skin (xerosis)
D) An increased risk of heart disease

Question 14

Which of the following best describes an "oncogene."

A) A gene that alters cellular function, converting normal cells to cancer cells
B) A parasite that feeds on RNA and DNA
C) A fetus with a congenital illness
D) The delusion that one is afflicted by a genetic illness

Question 15

Cancer of the uterine cervix, the second most common cancer in women worldwide, is caused by an oncogene carried by which of the following organisms?

A) Haemophilus influenza
B) Influenza virus
C) Human papillomavirus
D) Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Question 16

A few weeks after the administration of some forms of chemotherapy, white blood cell production by the bone marrow is impaired and leukocyte counts fall. During the period when white blood cell levels are at their lowest, known as the ______, patients are prone to a variety of life-threatening infections. The missing word in this sentence is:

A) Neoplasm
B) Period of asepsis
C) Nadir
D) Metastasis

Question 17

Cytotoxic drugs are used commonly in which of the following fields of health care?

A) Alternative medicine
B) Gastroenterology
C) Oncology
D) Nephrology