Author Question: The nurse is conducting an in-service for peers about chemotherapy for cancer. Which statement best ... (Read 38 times)

futuristic · **on:** Jul 22, 2018

The nurse is conducting an in-service for peers about chemotherapy for cancer. Which statement best explains why lung cancers are less sensitive to antineoplastic agents than other types of cancers?

1. Lung cancer cells have a low growth fraction, which means there isn't much difference between the number of replicating and resting cells..
2. Lung cancer cells have been growing for a long time before detection, so they are less sensitive to antineoplastic agents..
3. Lung cancer cells grow in a high-oxygen environment, so they are not very sensitive to antineoplastic agents..
4. Lung cancer cells have a very erratic cell cycle, and this is why there isn't much difference between the number of replicating and resting cells..

Question 2

A client's spouse reports the presence of a reddened area on her husband's coccyx. She feels a massage would be helpful in promoting circulation to the area. The nurse responds to this suggestion by saying:

1. Massaging the area twice daily will help restore circulation and should be incorporated into the plan of care..
2. I will record these findings in the medical record..
3. Massaging the area may actually cause more harm to a potentially compromised area of skin..
4. I will need to obtain an order from the physician to perform a massage..

Jmfn03 · **Reply #1 on:** Jul 22, 2018

Answer to Question 1

1. Lung cancer cells have a low growth fraction, which means there isn't much difference between the number of replicating and resting cells..

Rationale:
Growth fraction is a ratio of the number of replicating cells to the number of resting cells. Antineoplastic drugs are much more toxic to tissues and tumors with high growth fractions. Breast and lung cancers have low growth fractions. Lung cancer cells may grow for a long time before detection, but this is not the primary reason they are less susceptible to antineoplastic agents. A high-oxygen environment is not the reason why lung cancer cells are less sensitive to antineoplastic agents. Lung cancer cells do not have a very erratic cell cycle.

Answer to Question 2

3. Massaging the area may actually cause more harm to a potentially compromised area of skin..

Rationale:
The presence of redness may indicate the presence of a stage I pressure ulcer. Massage can cause a friction-like response to compromised skin and should be restricted when problems are noted. Massages, when therapeutic, do not require a physician's order.