Cellular Chaos
This term describes a mass of new tissue that grows independently of surrounding structures and has no physiologic purpose.
Answer:
What is a neoplasm?
Rationale:
A neoplasm is a mass of new tissue produced by abnormal cellular growth. It grows independently of surrounding structures and has no physiologic purpose.
This is the most common type of breast cancer.
Answer:
What is infiltrating ductal carcinoma?
Rationale:
Infiltrating ductal carcinoma is the most common type of breast cancer.
This is the greatest risk factor for developing prostate cancer.
Answer:
What is age?
Rationale:
Age is identified as the greatest risk factor for prostate cancer, with risk increasing as men get older.
This type of skin cancer is the most common and least aggressive and rarely metastasizes.
Answer:
What is basal cell carcinoma?
Rationale:
Basal cell cancer as the most common and least aggressive form of skin cancer, with metastasis being rare.
This cancer-associated wasting syndrome involves malnutrition and unexplained loss of weight and muscle.
Answer:
What is cachexia?
Rationale:
Cachexia is a wasting syndrome associated with cancer. It occurs due to an altered metabolism, increased metabolic demands, appetite-reducing substances, and diversion of nutrition by malignant cells.
Unlike normal cells, these cells lose their response to homeostatic controls and can lose contact inhibition, allowing continued growth.
Answer:
What are malignant cells?
Rationale:
Malignant cells demonstrate loss of regulation of mitosis and loss of contact inhibition. They continue proliferating despite normal controls that would ordinarily limit cell growth.
A patient reports a new, nontender breast lump accompanied by nipple retraction and skin dimpling. These findings should raise concern for this disease.
Answer:
What is breast cancer?
Rationale:
A nontender lump, nipple retraction, and skin dimpling among findings associated with breast cancer.
When prostate cancer spreads to the skeleton, this symptom may become an important manifestation.
Answer:
What is bone pain?
Rationale:
Prostate cancer can be asymptomatic early but may produce bone pain when the cancer metastasizes to bone.
This premalignant skin lesion is associated with chronic sun exposure and may progress to squamous cell carcinoma.
Answer:
What is actinic keratosis?
Rationale:
Actinic keratosis is associated with chronic sun exposure and is considered a premalignant lesion that can progress to squamous cell carcinoma.
A patient receiving cancer treatment develops a fever while having a very low white blood cell count. This oncologic complication requires immediate attention.
Answer:
What is neutropenic fever?
Rationale:
Neutropenic fever is a hematologic oncologic emergency. Patients with low white blood cell counts are at increased risk for serious infection.
Tumors use this process to stimulate the growth of new blood vessels from surrounding tissue so they can obtain oxygen and nutrients.
Answer:
What is angiogenesis?
Rationale:
Malignant cells stimulate surrounding blood vessels to grow toward the tumor. This creates a blood supply that supports continued tumor growth.
This imaging study can identify breast abnormalities before they become palpable during a physical examination.
Answer:
What is mammography?
Rationale:
Mammography can detect breast abnormalities before a mass can be felt on physical examination, making it an important diagnostic and screening tool discussed in the lecture.
This blood test is used for prostate cancer screening and monitoring, but it cannot by itself establish a definitive diagnosis.
Answer:
What is PSA, or prostate-specific antigen?
Rationale:
PSA is useful for screening and monitoring prostate cancer. However, PSA alone does not provide a definitive diagnosis.
In the ABCDE assessment of a suspicious skin lesion, this letter means the lesion is changing over time.
Answer:
What is E — evolving?
Rationale:
"E" stands for evolving. Changes such as new crusting or bleeding can make a lesion more concerning and warrant further evaluation.
When caring for a patient with a low white blood cell count, the nurse should emphasize these measures to reduce infection risk.
Answer:
What are infection-prevention measures such as protecting the skin and mucous membranes, monitoring WBC counts and vital signs, avoiding crowds and infected people, and avoiding unnecessary invasive procedures?
Rationale:
Infection can be prevented by protecting skin and mucous membranes, monitoring WBCs and vital signs, avoiding exposure to infection, and minimizing invasive procedures.
This process allows cancer cells to spread from the original tumor to distant locations and involves intravasation, survival in the bloodstream, extravasation, and implantation.
Answer:
What is metastasis?
Rationale:
Metastasis occurs when malignant cells leave the primary tumor, enter the bloodstream or lymphatic system, survive transportation, exit into another tissue, and establish themselves at a new site.
This procedure identifies the first lymph node or nodes that drain the area of a breast tumor to help determine whether cancer has spread.
Answer:
What is a sentinel lymph node biopsy?
Rationale:
The sentinel node is the first lymph node expected to receive drainage from the tumor area. Examining it helps determine whether cancer has entered the lymphatic system.
This procedure provides the definitive diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Answer:
What is a prostate biopsy?
Rationale:
Although PSA can raise suspicion for prostate cancer, biopsy is the definitive diagnostic procedure.
This type of melanoma is described as particularly aggressive because it rapidly enters the vertical growth phase.
Answer:
What is nodular melanoma?
Rationale:
The lecture identifies nodular melanoma as the most aggressive melanoma type and notes its rapid progression into vertical growth.
These exercises can help a patient experiencing urinary incontinence after prostate cancer treatment improve urinary control.
Answer:
What are Kegel exercises?
Rationale:
Kegel exercises are recommended as part of continence management following prostate cancer treatment.
Tumors with cells that are highly differentiated are scored in comparison to tumors with poorly differentiated cells and a more aggressive appearance using this clinical measurement or assessment tool.
Answer:
What are tumor grades?
Rationale:
Grade 1 tumors are the most differentiated and generally associated with a better prognosis. Grade 4 tumors are the least differentiated and most aggressive.
This medication specifically targets the HER2/neu receptor and is used in breast cancer treatment when that target is present.
Answer:
What is trastuzumab?
Rationale:
Trastuzumab targets HER2/neu. Its use is based on the presence of this specific tumor characteristic.
This treatment approach reduces the hormonal stimulation that supports the growth of prostate cancer.
Answer:
What is androgen deprivation therapy?
Rationale:
Androgen deprivation reduces the effects or availability of male hormones that can stimulate prostate cancer growth.
These melanoma assessment systems help determine how deeply the tumor has invaded the skin, with increasing tumor thickness associated with decreasing survival.
Answer:
What are Clark and Breslow microstaging systems?
Rationale:
The Clark and Breslow systems are used for melanoma microstaging. Tumor thickness and depth of invasion are important because increasing thickness is associated with poorer survival.
Swelling of an arm after breast cancer surgery may occur because these structures have been disrupted or removed.
Answer:
What are lymphatic channels/nodes?
Rationale:
Breast cancer surgery involving lymphatic structures can interfere with lymph drainage and lead to lymphedema.