ONS Chemotherapy Administration Exam Questions with 100% Correct Answers What do alkylating chemotherapy drugs do? Correct Answer Chemotherapy drugs that are cell cycle nonspecific, so they exert their effects in all phases of the cell cycle. They directly damage DNA to prevent cancer cells from reproducing. They cause breaks in the DNA or cross-linking in a process called alkylation, which causes the drug to interfere with DNA replication.
neoadjuvant therapy Correct Answer a cancer treatment that precedes other primary treatment, such as administering chemotherapy or radiation therapy to a patient before surgery
adjuvant therapy Correct Answer Treatment of disease with substances that assist or enhance the action of primary treatment (i.e. surgery or radiation).
induction treatment of leukemia Correct Answer This phase of chemotherapy treatment (first phase of treatment) usually is initiated in the hospital because of its potential for serious side effects and complications from the severe, intended myelosuppression that
ensues. The goal is to achieve a complete response.
consolidation treatment Correct Answer This treatment is done to ensure the treatment takes effect and decreases the chance of a recurrence. This treatment is vital because leukemic cells that are not clinically apparent, as through a CBC laboratory draw result or bone marrow biopsy evaluation, are almost always still present to some small degree
in the bone marrow.
myeloablation therapy Correct Answer A process in which the bone marrow purposely is
obliterated through chemotherapy or radiation to prepare for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplantation. Myeloablation often is used to treat blood (i.e., liquid) malignancies, such as leukemia or lymphoma.
reinduction therapy Correct Answer This treatment is used when a patient who successfully completed induction and consolidation, but relapses months later.
combination therapy Correct Answer This therapy reduces the likelihood of drug resistance because the different chemotherapy drugs have different mechanisms of action. Cancer cells usually are heterogeneous; therefore, the effect of different mechanisms of
action increases the amount of cancer cells killed at one time. The efficiency seen by use of multiple chemotherapy agents within a regimen provides a synergistic effect.
synergy Correct Answer When one chemotherapy drug helps another one (given at the same time) work better, such as with leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil when treating colon cancer. Leucovorin increases the deadly effect that 5-fluorouracil has on cancer cells; in
other words, the cytotoxicity is potentiated.
complete response Correct Answer No identifiable cancer presence through signs or symptoms for at least one month or longer
partial response Correct Answer The measurable tumor is reduced by 50% for at least one month without the development of new tumors.
stable Correct Answer The tumor is reduced in size by less than 50%, or less than a 25% increase in tumor growth occurs.
progressive disease Correct Answer Tumor growth of more than 25% or development of
new cancer growth in the body
relapse or recurrence Correct Answer New tumor growth after experiencing a complete response
What are the three ways to measure a response to therapy? Correct Answer surgical, imaging and tumor marker tests
G phases chemotherapy specific goal(s) Correct Answer prevent development of elements necessary for mitosis.
G phase chemotherapy drug examples Correct Answer Toposomerase I inhibitors (irinotecan, topotecan and Topoisomerate II (doxorubicin , etoposide) and Blyomycin
M phase chemotherapy specific goal(s) Correct Answer prevent cell from going through mitosis, ranging from metaphase arrest to microtubular disorganization
M phase chemotherapy drug examples Correct Answer Plant alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine, vinorelbine) and Taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel)
S phase chemotherapy specific goal(s) Correct Answer prevent the cell from making DNA and/or RNA by inhibiting biosynthesis of nucleic acids
S phase chemotherapy drug examples Correct Answer antifolates (methotrexate), antipyrimidines (5-fu), and antipurines (hydroxyurea)
Non-specific cell cycle drug examples Correct Answer alkylating agents (Cytoxan), anthracycline antibiotics (doxorubin), Nitrosureas (lomustine) and Miscellaneous (cisplatin, dacarbazine, mitomycin C)
Name some alkylating chemotherapy drugs. Correct Answer Busulfan
Carboplatin
Cisplatin
neoadjuvant therapy Correct Answer a cancer treatment that precedes other primary treatment, such as administering chemotherapy or radiation therapy to a patient before surgery
adjuvant therapy Correct Answer Treatment of disease with substances that assist or enhance the action of primary treatment (i.e. surgery or radiation).
induction treatment of leukemia Correct Answer This phase of chemotherapy treatment (first phase of treatment) usually is initiated in the hospital because of its potential for serious side effects and complications from the severe, intended myelosuppression that
ensues. The goal is to achieve a complete response.
consolidation treatment Correct Answer This treatment is done to ensure the treatment takes effect and decreases the chance of a recurrence. This treatment is vital because leukemic cells that are not clinically apparent, as through a CBC laboratory draw result or bone marrow biopsy evaluation, are almost always still present to some small degree
in the bone marrow.
myeloablation therapy Correct Answer A process in which the bone marrow purposely is
obliterated through chemotherapy or radiation to prepare for peripheral blood stem cell transplantation or bone marrow transplantation. Myeloablation often is used to treat blood (i.e., liquid) malignancies, such as leukemia or lymphoma.
reinduction therapy Correct Answer This treatment is used when a patient who successfully completed induction and consolidation, but relapses months later.
combination therapy Correct Answer This therapy reduces the likelihood of drug resistance because the different chemotherapy drugs have different mechanisms of action. Cancer cells usually are heterogeneous; therefore, the effect of different mechanisms of
action increases the amount of cancer cells killed at one time. The efficiency seen by use of multiple chemotherapy agents within a regimen provides a synergistic effect.
synergy Correct Answer When one chemotherapy drug helps another one (given at the same time) work better, such as with leucovorin and 5-fluorouracil when treating colon cancer. Leucovorin increases the deadly effect that 5-fluorouracil has on cancer cells; in
other words, the cytotoxicity is potentiated.
complete response Correct Answer No identifiable cancer presence through signs or symptoms for at least one month or longer
partial response Correct Answer The measurable tumor is reduced by 50% for at least one month without the development of new tumors.
stable Correct Answer The tumor is reduced in size by less than 50%, or less than a 25% increase in tumor growth occurs.
progressive disease Correct Answer Tumor growth of more than 25% or development of
new cancer growth in the body
relapse or recurrence Correct Answer New tumor growth after experiencing a complete response
What are the three ways to measure a response to therapy? Correct Answer surgical, imaging and tumor marker tests
G phases chemotherapy specific goal(s) Correct Answer prevent development of elements necessary for mitosis.
G phase chemotherapy drug examples Correct Answer Toposomerase I inhibitors (irinotecan, topotecan and Topoisomerate II (doxorubicin , etoposide) and Blyomycin
M phase chemotherapy specific goal(s) Correct Answer prevent cell from going through mitosis, ranging from metaphase arrest to microtubular disorganization
M phase chemotherapy drug examples Correct Answer Plant alkaloids (vincristine, vinblastine, vinorelbine) and Taxanes (paclitaxel, docetaxel)
S phase chemotherapy specific goal(s) Correct Answer prevent the cell from making DNA and/or RNA by inhibiting biosynthesis of nucleic acids
S phase chemotherapy drug examples Correct Answer antifolates (methotrexate), antipyrimidines (5-fu), and antipurines (hydroxyurea)
Non-specific cell cycle drug examples Correct Answer alkylating agents (Cytoxan), anthracycline antibiotics (doxorubin), Nitrosureas (lomustine) and Miscellaneous (cisplatin, dacarbazine, mitomycin C)
Name some alkylating chemotherapy drugs. Correct Answer Busulfan
Carboplatin
Cisplatin
