Patient Scenario
This patient is a 62-year-old female with a history of this major risk factor for lung cancer.
What is smoking for over 30 years?
This symptom involves difficulty breathing during activity.
What is dyspnea on exertion?
Cancer cells release inflammatory cytokines that inhibit this process, leading to mild anemia
What is erythropoiesis?
This chemotherapy combo is used to treat NSCLC.
What is cisplatin + paclitaxel?
These precautions are used for low WBC count.
What are neutropenic precautions?
This type of lung cancer was diagnosed in the patient.
What is non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC)?
This symptom is defined as an 8 lb loss in 1 month.
What is unintentional weight loss?
This lab value is an indicator of infection risk in a chemotherapy patient.
What are neutrophils?
This medication works by damaging DNA to cause apoptosis.
What is cisplatin?
A lung cancer patient receiving chemotherapy should be taught to monitor this at home to detect infection early.
What is temperature?
This stage of cancer indicates advanced disease in the patient case.
What is Stage III?
This lung cancer symptom does not go away and may produce blood or rust-colored sputum.
What is a persistent cough?
A platelet count of 95,000 indicates this condition, increasing the patient’s risk for hemorrhage.
What is thrombocytopenia?
This drug stops cancer cells from dividing by stabilizing microtubules ("freezing the cells”) during cell division.
What is paclitaxel?
Patients should avoid this due to infection risk.
What are crowds?
This chronic condition the patient has can complicate overall health management.
What is Type 2 Diabetes?
This condition causes weight loss due to loss of body fat and muscle from cancer-related metabolic changes, not just loss of appetite.
What is cancer cachexia?
This is the normal reference range for white blood cells
What is 4.0–11.0?
This immunotherapy drug blocks the PD-1 pathway.
What is pembrolizumab (Keytruda)?
This intervention helps prevent bleeding in thrombocytopenia.
What is using a soft toothbrush?
This is one of the symptoms that brought the patient to the ED.
What is persistent cough, weight loss, dyspnea, or fatigue?
This electrolyte imbalance can cause nausea and vomiting in lung cancer patients.
What is hypercalcemia?
This complication occurs because chemotherapy destroys rapidly dividing bone marrow cells, affecting WBCs, RBCs, and platelets.
What is bone marrow suppression?
This pathway allows cancer cells to hide from T-cells.
What is the PD-1 pathway?
A lung cancer patient reports worsening shortness of breath. Which nursing intervention directly helps prevent further respiratory complications?
What is using an incentive spirometer?