NCCAOM Biomed Exam Study: Body
& Disease 2025 A+ Guide
Cancer alert "C": - Correct Answer Changes in bowel or bladder
Cancer alert "A": - Correct Answer A sore throat that fails to heal in 6 weeks
Cancer alert "U": - Correct Answer Unusual bleeding or discharge
Cancer alert "T": - Correct Answer Thickening/lump (breast or elsewhere)
Cancer alert "I": - Correct Answer Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Cancer alert "O": - Correct Answer Obvious change in wart or mole
Cancer alert "N": - Correct Answer Nagging cough or hoarseness (rust colored sputum)
Obvious change in wart or mole ABCD: - Correct Answer Asymmetric shape; Border
irregularities; Color pigmentation not uniform; Diameter > 6mm
More cancer alerts: - Correct Answer Change in DTRs (deep tendon reflexes), Proximal
muscle weakness, Night pain, Pathologic Fracture, 45+ years old
Most Common Primary Sites of Metastatic Tumors: - Correct Answer Lung: Prostate:
Renal: Breast: Colon:
Cancer Lung: - Correct Answer > 60 YO= smoker, shoulder chest & C-spine pain, TOS
(Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) symptoms, chronic cough, bloody sputum, weight loss,
malaise, fever, dyspnea, wheezing
, NCCAOM Biomed Exam Study: Body
& Disease 2025 A+ Guide
Cancer Prostate: - Correct Answer > 50 YO= Lumbar/Sacral pain, frequent urination, weak
urine stream, difficulty starting urination
Cancer Renal: - Correct Answer 55-60 YO= hematuria, weight loss, malaise, fever,
palpable posterior, lateral abdominal mass
Cancer Breast: - Correct Answer 20-50 & > 60 YO= nipple discharge, dimpling of breast,
palpable mass
Cancer Colon: - Correct Answer > 50 YO= Abdominal pain, L/S pain, change in bowel
habits, bloody stools, malaise, weight loss, pain unaffected by position
Infection Bacterial Meningitis Infant: - Correct Answer fever, lethargy (hypotonia), poor
feeding, vomiting, respiratory distress, apnea, cyanosis, paradoxic irritability (quiet when
stationary, cries when held), seizures in 30-40% of cases, *Medical emergency (esp. in
children)
Infection Bacterial Meningitis Adult: - Correct Answer HA, fever, chills, photophobia,
vomiting, nausea, URI symptoms, Seizures in 20-30% of cases, Confusion, (+) Kernig Sign =
hip flexed to 90°, pain w/ knee extension, (+) Brudzinski sign = supine neck flexion
reproduces pain, stiff neck, sleepiness
Infection Arthritic Changes OA (osteoarthritis): : - Correct Answer Asymmetrical
involvement, large weight-bearing joints, loss of joint surface integrity, formation of
osteophytes, intra-articular loose bodies, soft tissue contractures, decreased ROM,
stiffness after activity, deep ache
& Disease 2025 A+ Guide
Cancer alert "C": - Correct Answer Changes in bowel or bladder
Cancer alert "A": - Correct Answer A sore throat that fails to heal in 6 weeks
Cancer alert "U": - Correct Answer Unusual bleeding or discharge
Cancer alert "T": - Correct Answer Thickening/lump (breast or elsewhere)
Cancer alert "I": - Correct Answer Indigestion or difficulty swallowing
Cancer alert "O": - Correct Answer Obvious change in wart or mole
Cancer alert "N": - Correct Answer Nagging cough or hoarseness (rust colored sputum)
Obvious change in wart or mole ABCD: - Correct Answer Asymmetric shape; Border
irregularities; Color pigmentation not uniform; Diameter > 6mm
More cancer alerts: - Correct Answer Change in DTRs (deep tendon reflexes), Proximal
muscle weakness, Night pain, Pathologic Fracture, 45+ years old
Most Common Primary Sites of Metastatic Tumors: - Correct Answer Lung: Prostate:
Renal: Breast: Colon:
Cancer Lung: - Correct Answer > 60 YO= smoker, shoulder chest & C-spine pain, TOS
(Thoracic Outlet Syndrome) symptoms, chronic cough, bloody sputum, weight loss,
malaise, fever, dyspnea, wheezing
, NCCAOM Biomed Exam Study: Body
& Disease 2025 A+ Guide
Cancer Prostate: - Correct Answer > 50 YO= Lumbar/Sacral pain, frequent urination, weak
urine stream, difficulty starting urination
Cancer Renal: - Correct Answer 55-60 YO= hematuria, weight loss, malaise, fever,
palpable posterior, lateral abdominal mass
Cancer Breast: - Correct Answer 20-50 & > 60 YO= nipple discharge, dimpling of breast,
palpable mass
Cancer Colon: - Correct Answer > 50 YO= Abdominal pain, L/S pain, change in bowel
habits, bloody stools, malaise, weight loss, pain unaffected by position
Infection Bacterial Meningitis Infant: - Correct Answer fever, lethargy (hypotonia), poor
feeding, vomiting, respiratory distress, apnea, cyanosis, paradoxic irritability (quiet when
stationary, cries when held), seizures in 30-40% of cases, *Medical emergency (esp. in
children)
Infection Bacterial Meningitis Adult: - Correct Answer HA, fever, chills, photophobia,
vomiting, nausea, URI symptoms, Seizures in 20-30% of cases, Confusion, (+) Kernig Sign =
hip flexed to 90°, pain w/ knee extension, (+) Brudzinski sign = supine neck flexion
reproduces pain, stiff neck, sleepiness
Infection Arthritic Changes OA (osteoarthritis): : - Correct Answer Asymmetrical
involvement, large weight-bearing joints, loss of joint surface integrity, formation of
osteophytes, intra-articular loose bodies, soft tissue contractures, decreased ROM,
stiffness after activity, deep ache
