APHON Chemo Course UPDATED Exam
Questions and CORRECT Answers
phase 2 clinical trial - CORRECT ANSWER - attempts to find if a specific agent or
combination is effective against a specific disease; intent is not curative
phase 3 clinical trial - CORRECT ANSWER - attempts to determine if the new treatment is
more effective than the current standard treatment (may include randomization); requires a large
number of patients in a controlled study; examines toxicity, survival, and quality of life
phase 4 clinical trial - CORRECT ANSWER - performed after the medication is commercially
available; looks at the general population; goal is curative; very rarely used in pediatric
oncology; can examine drug to drug interactions, long term effects, and cost effectiveness
cell cycle specific agents - CORRECT ANSWER - agents that exert an effect during a specific
phase of the cell cycle; promote cancer cell death during the active phases of the cell cycle, most
often the S and M phases
cell cycle nonspecific agents - CORRECT ANSWER - agents that act against cancer cells
during all phases of the cell cycle
antimetabolites - CORRECT ANSWER - agents that are structurally similar analogs to normal
cellular metabolites that interfere with normal cell metabolism, interacting directly with specific
enzymes
metronomic chemotherapy - CORRECT ANSWER - when a chemotherapy agent is given at
low doses with no breaks
asparaginases - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: systemic allergic / anaphylaxis /
hypersensitivity reaction; hyperglycemia; pancreatitis; coagulopathies
bleomycin - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: pulmonary fibrosis
, instruct patients to never scuba dive and avoid use of 100% oxygen for life
busulfan - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: mucositis, stomatitis,
hyperpigmentation, seizures, and sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS); hepatotoxicity
carboplatin - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: hypersensitivity, ototoxicity,
electrolyte abnormalities, nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic
carmustine (BCNU) - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: late pulmonary dysfunction,
burning with peripheral administration, prolong myelosuppression; protect drug from light
cisplatin - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: nausea / vomiting, anorexia,
nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, hypomagnesemia
watch urine output (nephrotoxic) and audiograms frequently (ototoxic)
clofarabine - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: pericardial effusion, tachycardia,
hypotension, edema, cough, respiratory distress, pulmonary edema, capillary leak syndrome
(CLS), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), cytokine release syndrome (CRS),
pruritus / dermatitis
corticosteroids - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: hyperphagia, gastritis, personality
changes / mood swings, immunosuppression, hyperglycemia, GI upset
cyclophosphamide - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: hemorrhagic cystitis, gondola
dysfunction, amenorrhea, sterility
mesna is often given in combination with this drug
Questions and CORRECT Answers
phase 2 clinical trial - CORRECT ANSWER - attempts to find if a specific agent or
combination is effective against a specific disease; intent is not curative
phase 3 clinical trial - CORRECT ANSWER - attempts to determine if the new treatment is
more effective than the current standard treatment (may include randomization); requires a large
number of patients in a controlled study; examines toxicity, survival, and quality of life
phase 4 clinical trial - CORRECT ANSWER - performed after the medication is commercially
available; looks at the general population; goal is curative; very rarely used in pediatric
oncology; can examine drug to drug interactions, long term effects, and cost effectiveness
cell cycle specific agents - CORRECT ANSWER - agents that exert an effect during a specific
phase of the cell cycle; promote cancer cell death during the active phases of the cell cycle, most
often the S and M phases
cell cycle nonspecific agents - CORRECT ANSWER - agents that act against cancer cells
during all phases of the cell cycle
antimetabolites - CORRECT ANSWER - agents that are structurally similar analogs to normal
cellular metabolites that interfere with normal cell metabolism, interacting directly with specific
enzymes
metronomic chemotherapy - CORRECT ANSWER - when a chemotherapy agent is given at
low doses with no breaks
asparaginases - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: systemic allergic / anaphylaxis /
hypersensitivity reaction; hyperglycemia; pancreatitis; coagulopathies
bleomycin - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: pulmonary fibrosis
, instruct patients to never scuba dive and avoid use of 100% oxygen for life
busulfan - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: mucositis, stomatitis,
hyperpigmentation, seizures, and sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS); hepatotoxicity
carboplatin - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: hypersensitivity, ototoxicity,
electrolyte abnormalities, nephrotoxic and hepatotoxic
carmustine (BCNU) - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: late pulmonary dysfunction,
burning with peripheral administration, prolong myelosuppression; protect drug from light
cisplatin - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: nausea / vomiting, anorexia,
nephrotoxicity, ototoxicity, hypomagnesemia
watch urine output (nephrotoxic) and audiograms frequently (ototoxic)
clofarabine - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: pericardial effusion, tachycardia,
hypotension, edema, cough, respiratory distress, pulmonary edema, capillary leak syndrome
(CLS), systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS), cytokine release syndrome (CRS),
pruritus / dermatitis
corticosteroids - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: hyperphagia, gastritis, personality
changes / mood swings, immunosuppression, hyperglycemia, GI upset
cyclophosphamide - CORRECT ANSWER - major side effects: hemorrhagic cystitis, gondola
dysfunction, amenorrhea, sterility
mesna is often given in combination with this drug
