Oncology Final Exam – Comprehensive
Question and Answer Review (Medical
School Exam Preparation)
Introduction:
This document is a complete study guide for the Oncology Final Exam, covering key
exam questions with detailed answers across 37 pages. Topics include leukemia (acut
and chronic types), lymphoma, myeloma, tumor markers (CA-125, CA19-9, AFP, HCG
tumor lysis syndrome, and cancer diagnostics such as mammography, bone marrow
biopsy, and liquid biopsy. It also includes detailed notes on treatments like
chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therap
as well as mechanisms, side effects, and prognosis factors for different malignancies
Ideal for medical students preparing for oncology finals or clinical board exams.
,1. What is elevated in 80% of cases in CA-125
women with ovarian cancer?
2. Exposure to someone else's cig- adenocarcinoma
arette smoke for a long peri-
od of time may increase the
risk of lung cancer, usually in
?
3. When is mammography more in older post-menopausal women
sensitive and specific?
4. What are Reen-Sternberg cells? large cells with mirror image nuclei
5. What is the cause of early bone crowding out of normal hematopoietic cells in bone
marrow failure in acute leukemia? marrow eventually leads to bone marrow failure
6. Cite the name of a virus that HTLV-1
priduces leukemia:
7. Cite 2 possible ways of transmis- - from mother to child via childbirth
sion of HTLV-1: - sexual contact
8. What's the essential diagnostic a hypercellular bone marrow with malignant prolifera-
feature of acute leukemia? tion of bone marrow blast cells ( > 30% of bone marrow
is replaced by blast cells)
9. Cite the 3 manifestations of bone - fever due to infection (neutropenia)(WBCs)
marrow failure: - anemia due to encroachment of RBCs precursors
- bleeding thrombocytopenia (ex: epistaxis)(platelets)
10. Which investigation is diagnostic bone marrow aspiration or biopsy
for acute leukemia?
,11. Cite 3 bad prognostic conditions - hepatic or renal disfunction
for acute leukemis: - central nervous system involvement
- high WBC count
12. Why are antibiotics given during because infection are serious in neutropenic immuno-
the treatment of acute leukemia? suppressed patients
13. Cite the name os an antibiotic Fortaz
used in tx of acute leukemis infec-
tions:
14. Pneumonias caused by fungal in- Amphotericin B
fections are treated by:
15. Pneumonias caused by Pneumo- Bactrim or Spectra
cystitis carinii is treated with:
16. Cite the name of an antiviral med- Zovirax or Valtrex
ication (in infection in leukemis):
17. What's the cause of tumor lysis tumor cell death after chemotherapy
syndrome?
18. How is tumor lysis syndrom sus- in patients with large tumor burden who develop acute
pected? renal failure after initial treatment
19. Cite the name of one drug used Predisone
for remission induction of acute
leukemia?
20. Cite the advantage of Gleevec it inhibits tyrosine kinase activity, promotes apoptosis of
over other chemo drug: leukemic cells
21. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
, To which category of drugs does
Gleevec belong to?
22. Leukoerythroblastic reaction is - immature WBCs
the presence of - immature nucleated RBCs
or
in the peripheral blood
23. Acute leukemia is defined as: clonal proliferation of immature hematopoietic cells (im-
mature blast cells)
24. What is definitive curative therapy bone marrow transplant
for acute leukemis?
25. Acute myeloid leukemia is com- - young adults
min in while acute - children
lymphoblastic leukemia is com-
mon in .
26. Increased levels of uric acid may - high cell turnover
be due to
after cytotoxic therapy
27. Cite the main difference between - Chronic leukemia is the continuation of cellular matu-
acute and chronic leukemia as re- ration as the cell line proliferates
gards blast and cell maturation: - Acute leukemia is where maturation is arrested
28. Why is bone marrow failure de- because of slow clinical course/progression
layed in chronic leukemia?
29. Define: Auer rods elongated, bluish-red rods composed of fused lyso-
somal granules seen in the cytoplasm of myeloblasts,
Question and Answer Review (Medical
School Exam Preparation)
Introduction:
This document is a complete study guide for the Oncology Final Exam, covering key
exam questions with detailed answers across 37 pages. Topics include leukemia (acut
and chronic types), lymphoma, myeloma, tumor markers (CA-125, CA19-9, AFP, HCG
tumor lysis syndrome, and cancer diagnostics such as mammography, bone marrow
biopsy, and liquid biopsy. It also includes detailed notes on treatments like
chemotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy, hormonal therapy, and targeted therap
as well as mechanisms, side effects, and prognosis factors for different malignancies
Ideal for medical students preparing for oncology finals or clinical board exams.
,1. What is elevated in 80% of cases in CA-125
women with ovarian cancer?
2. Exposure to someone else's cig- adenocarcinoma
arette smoke for a long peri-
od of time may increase the
risk of lung cancer, usually in
?
3. When is mammography more in older post-menopausal women
sensitive and specific?
4. What are Reen-Sternberg cells? large cells with mirror image nuclei
5. What is the cause of early bone crowding out of normal hematopoietic cells in bone
marrow failure in acute leukemia? marrow eventually leads to bone marrow failure
6. Cite the name of a virus that HTLV-1
priduces leukemia:
7. Cite 2 possible ways of transmis- - from mother to child via childbirth
sion of HTLV-1: - sexual contact
8. What's the essential diagnostic a hypercellular bone marrow with malignant prolifera-
feature of acute leukemia? tion of bone marrow blast cells ( > 30% of bone marrow
is replaced by blast cells)
9. Cite the 3 manifestations of bone - fever due to infection (neutropenia)(WBCs)
marrow failure: - anemia due to encroachment of RBCs precursors
- bleeding thrombocytopenia (ex: epistaxis)(platelets)
10. Which investigation is diagnostic bone marrow aspiration or biopsy
for acute leukemia?
,11. Cite 3 bad prognostic conditions - hepatic or renal disfunction
for acute leukemis: - central nervous system involvement
- high WBC count
12. Why are antibiotics given during because infection are serious in neutropenic immuno-
the treatment of acute leukemia? suppressed patients
13. Cite the name os an antibiotic Fortaz
used in tx of acute leukemis infec-
tions:
14. Pneumonias caused by fungal in- Amphotericin B
fections are treated by:
15. Pneumonias caused by Pneumo- Bactrim or Spectra
cystitis carinii is treated with:
16. Cite the name of an antiviral med- Zovirax or Valtrex
ication (in infection in leukemis):
17. What's the cause of tumor lysis tumor cell death after chemotherapy
syndrome?
18. How is tumor lysis syndrom sus- in patients with large tumor burden who develop acute
pected? renal failure after initial treatment
19. Cite the name of one drug used Predisone
for remission induction of acute
leukemia?
20. Cite the advantage of Gleevec it inhibits tyrosine kinase activity, promotes apoptosis of
over other chemo drug: leukemic cells
21. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors
, To which category of drugs does
Gleevec belong to?
22. Leukoerythroblastic reaction is - immature WBCs
the presence of - immature nucleated RBCs
or
in the peripheral blood
23. Acute leukemia is defined as: clonal proliferation of immature hematopoietic cells (im-
mature blast cells)
24. What is definitive curative therapy bone marrow transplant
for acute leukemis?
25. Acute myeloid leukemia is com- - young adults
min in while acute - children
lymphoblastic leukemia is com-
mon in .
26. Increased levels of uric acid may - high cell turnover
be due to
after cytotoxic therapy
27. Cite the main difference between - Chronic leukemia is the continuation of cellular matu-
acute and chronic leukemia as re- ration as the cell line proliferates
gards blast and cell maturation: - Acute leukemia is where maturation is arrested
28. Why is bone marrow failure de- because of slow clinical course/progression
layed in chronic leukemia?
29. Define: Auer rods elongated, bluish-red rods composed of fused lyso-
somal granules seen in the cytoplasm of myeloblasts,
