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WCU PATH370 FINALEXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS UPDATED
(2024/2025) (VERIFIED ANSWERS)
Metastasis - ANS ✓Process by which cancer cells escape their tissue of origin
and initiate new colonies of cancer in distant sites**
Cancer cells generally spread via circulatory or lymphatic systems**
Effects of cancer on adult body - ANS ✓Change in bowel or bladder habits
A sore that does not heal
Unusual bleeding or discharge
Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Obvious change in wart or mole
Nagging cough or hoarseness
Effects of cancer on children body - ANS ✓Continued, unexplained weight loss
Headaches with vomiting in the morning
Increased swelling/persistent pain in bones/joints
Lump or mass in abdomen, neck, or elsewhere
Development of whitish appearance in pupil
Recurrent fevers not caused by infections
Excessive bleeding or bruising
Noticeable paleness or prolonged tiredness
Cachexia - ANS ✓Overall weight loss and generalized weakness
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Cancer therapy - ANS ✓damage both cancer cells and healthy cells
Radiation therapy for cancer treatment - ANS ✓Kills tumor cells by damaging
nuclear DNA (radiolysis)**
Kills cells that are nonresectable due to location, missed by surgery, or
undetected
May not kill cells directly, but initiates apoptosis**
Drug Therapy (Chemotherapy) - ANS ✓Systemic administration of anticancer
chemicals to treat cancers known or suspected to be disseminated in the body
Most drugs are cytotoxic**
Most effective on rapidly dividing cells**---Not selective for tumor cells/normal
cell death may also occur
Immunotherapy - ANS ✓Interferons
Glycoproteins produced by immune cells in response to viral infection
Interleukins
Peptides produced and secreted by white blood cells
Also called lymphokines and cytokines
Monoclonal antibodies
Antibodies with identical structure that bind with specific target antigens
Stem cell transplantation - ANS ✓Used to manage life-threatening disorders in
which patient's bone marrow cannot manufacture white blood cells, red blood
cells, or platelets (Leukemia, lymphoma, or metastatic cancer into bone marrow)
Aplastic anemia - ANS ✓Stem cell disorder characterized by reduction of
hematopoietic tissue, fatty marrow replacement, and pancytopenia (low RBC,
WBC, and platelets)
Caused by toxic, radiant, or immunologic injury to the bone marrow stem cells
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Diagnosed with bone marrow biopsy **
Anemia of chronic renal failure - ANS ✓Failure of the renal endocrine function
impairs erythropoietin production ** and bone marrow compensation
Treatment **
Dialysis
Administration of erythropoietin
Erythropoietin only used until Hgb is 12 g/dl
Replacement of iron, folate, and B12
Anemia Related to Vitamin B12
(Cobalamin) or Folate Deficiency - ANS ✓Disruption in DNA synthesis of blast
cells produces megaloblasts (macrocytic>100 fl **)
Pernicious anemia due to lack of intrinsic factor leading to vitamin B12
deficiency **
Folate deficiencies from dietary deficiencies, alcoholism, cirrhosis, pregnancy, or
infancy
Treatment
For B12: administer B12 parenterally or orally and potassium supplements
For folate: administer folic acid
Iron deficiency anemia - ANS ✓Most common nutritional deficiency in the
world **
Insufficient iron for hemoglobin synthesis
Hypochromic, microcytic (<80 fl) rbcs; low MCV, MCH, and MCHC **
Pica
Treatment
Oral administration of ferrous sulfate or intravenous ferric gluconate (only in
severe cases); continue for 4-6 months **
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Thalassemia - ANS ✓RBC destruction
(clinical sign?--jaundice)
Microcytic
Mutant genes globin chain synthesis
Blood transfusion, bone marrow transplantation
Sickle cell anemia - ANS ✓hemoglobin instability and insolubility
Various/sickle shape
Black race
Bone marrow transplantation
Hemolytic disease of the newborn - ANS ✓Blood type incompatibility (Rh
factors)
Hemolysis
Life-threatening,
Severe jaundice and cyanosis
Blood transfusion
Polycythemia - ANS ✓excess of red blood cells
Increases blood viscosity and volume***
Endothelium injury
Systolic BP increasement
Left ventricle hypertrophy and even failure
Systemic hypoxia due to low saturate of O2 in RBC
Thrombocytopenia - ANS ✓Bone marrow suppression from chemotherapy
Recent immunizations
Alcohol ingestion
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