MMSC 436 EXAM 2 QUESTIONS WITH VERIFIED
ANSWERS
A physical agent, such as exposure to ultraviolet light for an extended period of time, or
a biological agent, such as a virus, may cause cancer. These agents are referred to as:
- Answers - carcinogens
Which one of the following tumor markers is not a carbohydrate-related tumor marker
with its most important clinical use in the assessment of breast cancer recurrence? -
Answers - CA 125
A 49-year-old man visits his physician with complaints of back pain; urinary frequency,
especially at night; and difficulty passing urine. Results of prostate-specific antigen
analysis reveal a value of 2.0 µg/L. The physician diagnoses the problem as benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); however, because the man's father had prostate cancer,
the physician wants to track this patient for possible prostate cancer development. Each
year, the man's PSA value increases 0.5 µg/L. This increase indicates: - Answers - a
normal increase in PSA over time with age and likely BPH.
In general, in which of the following situations is the analysis of a glycoprotein tumor
marker, such as carbohydrate-associated antigen-125 (CA-125), most useful? -
Answers - Testing for recurrence
Which of the following statements regarding Ph1 is true?
A. It is seen exclusively in chronic myelogenous leukemia
B. It results from a translocation
C. It appears as a short-arm deletion of chromosome 21
D. It is associated with a poor prognosis - Answers - It results from a translocation
A patient treated for a germ cell tumor has a total and free β-hCG assay performed prior
to surgery. The result is 40,000 mIU/mL. One week after surgery, the hCG is 5,000
mIU/mL. Chemotherapy is started, and the hCG is measured 1 week later and found to
be 10,000 mIU/mL. What does this indicate? - Answers - Transient hCG increase
caused by chemotherapy
A person has elevated 24-hour urinary HVA and VMA levels. Urinary metanephrines,
chromogranin A, and neuron-specific enolase levels are also elevated, but the 5-
hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) level is within the reference range. What is the most
likely diagnosis? - Answers - Neuroblastoma
A 55-year-old male with early-stage prostate cancer diagnosed through biopsy had his
prostate gland removed (simple prostatectomy). His PSA prior to surgery was 10.0
, ng/mL. If the surgery was successful in completely removing the tumor cells, what
would the PSA result be 1 month after surgery? - Answers - Undetectable
A 35-year-old man has blood work done to assess his hypertension and weight gain. He
has also felt fatigued and moody with some respiratory difficulties. His physical
appearance indicates possible Cushing's syndrome and his physician obtains blood for
lab analysis. The man's adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level is extremely
elevated (>300 ng/L), but upon ultrasound analysis the adrenal gland appears normal.
What might be the cause of the elevated ACTH? - Answers - Ectopic synthesis of ACTH
by small cell lung carcinoma
A 25-year-old married woman has developed unusual abdominal pain. Her mother died
of ovarian cancer and she is concerned that she is developing the same disease. Her
physician orders CA 125 and hCG analyses, both of which return with a moderately
elevated value. How should the physician interpret these results? - Answers - The
physician should examine these tumor marker values to determine whether they fall
within specific cutoff intervals for healthy, benign, or cancerous groups.
what is the primary clinical utility of measuring CEA? - Answers - monitoring for the
recurrence of cancer
proteins found in normal fetal tissue and also in certain tumors are referred to as: -
Answers - oncofetal antigens
a person is suspected of having testicular cancer. which type of hGC test would be
more useful? - Answers - plasma immunoassay for intact hCG and the beta-hCG
subunit
proto-oncogenes are present in the human genome to serve the function of: - Answers -
regulators of cell growth and proliferation
AFP and CEA are examples of which type of tumor marker? - Answers - oncofetal
antigens
which of the following genetic markers is associated with breast cancer? - Answers -
BRCA-1 and -2
clinical assays for tumor markers are most important for: - Answers - monitoring the
course of a known cancer
which of the following is not commonly used as a tumor marker? - Answers - cortisol
an individual with a history of miscarriage vists her physician to discuss her positive
hCG test done with a qualitative point-of-care device. The patient says she "feels
pregnant" but wants to be certain. Following an ultrasound analysis, she is diagnosed
ANSWERS
A physical agent, such as exposure to ultraviolet light for an extended period of time, or
a biological agent, such as a virus, may cause cancer. These agents are referred to as:
- Answers - carcinogens
Which one of the following tumor markers is not a carbohydrate-related tumor marker
with its most important clinical use in the assessment of breast cancer recurrence? -
Answers - CA 125
A 49-year-old man visits his physician with complaints of back pain; urinary frequency,
especially at night; and difficulty passing urine. Results of prostate-specific antigen
analysis reveal a value of 2.0 µg/L. The physician diagnoses the problem as benign
prostatic hyperplasia (BPH); however, because the man's father had prostate cancer,
the physician wants to track this patient for possible prostate cancer development. Each
year, the man's PSA value increases 0.5 µg/L. This increase indicates: - Answers - a
normal increase in PSA over time with age and likely BPH.
In general, in which of the following situations is the analysis of a glycoprotein tumor
marker, such as carbohydrate-associated antigen-125 (CA-125), most useful? -
Answers - Testing for recurrence
Which of the following statements regarding Ph1 is true?
A. It is seen exclusively in chronic myelogenous leukemia
B. It results from a translocation
C. It appears as a short-arm deletion of chromosome 21
D. It is associated with a poor prognosis - Answers - It results from a translocation
A patient treated for a germ cell tumor has a total and free β-hCG assay performed prior
to surgery. The result is 40,000 mIU/mL. One week after surgery, the hCG is 5,000
mIU/mL. Chemotherapy is started, and the hCG is measured 1 week later and found to
be 10,000 mIU/mL. What does this indicate? - Answers - Transient hCG increase
caused by chemotherapy
A person has elevated 24-hour urinary HVA and VMA levels. Urinary metanephrines,
chromogranin A, and neuron-specific enolase levels are also elevated, but the 5-
hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) level is within the reference range. What is the most
likely diagnosis? - Answers - Neuroblastoma
A 55-year-old male with early-stage prostate cancer diagnosed through biopsy had his
prostate gland removed (simple prostatectomy). His PSA prior to surgery was 10.0
, ng/mL. If the surgery was successful in completely removing the tumor cells, what
would the PSA result be 1 month after surgery? - Answers - Undetectable
A 35-year-old man has blood work done to assess his hypertension and weight gain. He
has also felt fatigued and moody with some respiratory difficulties. His physical
appearance indicates possible Cushing's syndrome and his physician obtains blood for
lab analysis. The man's adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) level is extremely
elevated (>300 ng/L), but upon ultrasound analysis the adrenal gland appears normal.
What might be the cause of the elevated ACTH? - Answers - Ectopic synthesis of ACTH
by small cell lung carcinoma
A 25-year-old married woman has developed unusual abdominal pain. Her mother died
of ovarian cancer and she is concerned that she is developing the same disease. Her
physician orders CA 125 and hCG analyses, both of which return with a moderately
elevated value. How should the physician interpret these results? - Answers - The
physician should examine these tumor marker values to determine whether they fall
within specific cutoff intervals for healthy, benign, or cancerous groups.
what is the primary clinical utility of measuring CEA? - Answers - monitoring for the
recurrence of cancer
proteins found in normal fetal tissue and also in certain tumors are referred to as: -
Answers - oncofetal antigens
a person is suspected of having testicular cancer. which type of hGC test would be
more useful? - Answers - plasma immunoassay for intact hCG and the beta-hCG
subunit
proto-oncogenes are present in the human genome to serve the function of: - Answers -
regulators of cell growth and proliferation
AFP and CEA are examples of which type of tumor marker? - Answers - oncofetal
antigens
which of the following genetic markers is associated with breast cancer? - Answers -
BRCA-1 and -2
clinical assays for tumor markers are most important for: - Answers - monitoring the
course of a known cancer
which of the following is not commonly used as a tumor marker? - Answers - cortisol
an individual with a history of miscarriage vists her physician to discuss her positive
hCG test done with a qualitative point-of-care device. The patient says she "feels
pregnant" but wants to be certain. Following an ultrasound analysis, she is diagnosed
