EXAM 1 QUESTIONS
1. While being prepared for a biopsy of a lump in the right breast,
the patient asks the nurse what the difference is between a benign
tumor and a malignant tumor. The nurse explains that a benign
tumor differs from a malignant tumor in that benign tumors.
a. do not cause damage to adjacent tissue.
b. do not spread to other tissues and organs.
c. are simply an overgrowth of normal cells.
d. frequently recur in the same site.
2. A patient who has been told by the health care provider that the
cells in a bowel tumor are poorly differentiated asks the nurse
what is meant by "poorly differentiated." Which response should
the nurse make?
a. "The cells in your tumor do not look very different from normal
bowel cells."
b. "The tumor cells have DNA that is different from your normal
bowel cells."
c. "Your tumor cells look more like immature fetal cells than
normal bowel cells."
d. "The cells in your tumor have mutated from the normal bowel
cells."
3. A patient who smokes tells the nurse, "I want to have a yearly
chest x-ray so that if I get cancer, it will be detected early." Which
response by the nurse is most appropriate?
a. "Chest x-rays do not detect cancer until tumors are already at
least a half-inch in size."
b. "Annual x-rays will increase your risk for cancer because of
exposure to radiation."
c. "Insurance companies do not authorize yearly x-rays just to
detect early lung cancer."
d. "Frequent x-rays damage the lungs and make them more
susceptible to cancer."
4. In teaching about cancer prevention to a community group, the
nurse stresses promotion of exercise, normal body weight, and
low-fat diet because
a. most people are willing to make these changes to avoid cancer.
, b. dietary fat and obesity promote growth of many types of cancer.
c. people who exercise and eat healthy will make other lifestyle
changes.
d. obesity and lack of exercise cause cancer in susceptible people.
5. During a routine health examination, a 30-year-old patient tells
the nurse about a family history of colon cancer. The nurse will
plan to
a. teach the patient about the need for a colonoscopy at age 50.
b. ask the patient to bring in a stool specimen to test for occult
blood.
c. schedule a sigmoidoscopy to provide baseline data about the
patient.
d. have the patient ask the doctor about specific tests for colon
cancer.
6. When reviewing the chart for a patient with cervical cancer, the
nurse notes that the cancer is staged as Tis, N0, M0. The nurse
will teach the patient that
a. the cancer cells are well-differentiated.
b. it is difficult to determine the original site of the cervical cancer.
c. further testing is needed to determine the spread of the cancer.
d. the cancer is localized to the cervix.
7. Which statement by a patient who is scheduled for a needle
biopsy of the prostate indicates that the patient understands the
purpose of a biopsy?
a. "The biopsy will tell the doctor whether the cancer has spread to
my other organs."
b. "The biopsy will help the doctor decide what treatment to use
for my enlarged prostate."
c. "The biopsy will determine how much longer I have to live."
d. "The biopsy will indicate the effect of the cancer on my life."
8. The nurse is teaching a postmenopausal patient with breast
cancer about the expected outcomes of her cancer treatment. The
nurse evaluates that the teaching has been effective when the
patient says
a. "After cancer has not recurred for 5 years, it is considered
cured."
1. While being prepared for a biopsy of a lump in the right breast,
the patient asks the nurse what the difference is between a benign
tumor and a malignant tumor. The nurse explains that a benign
tumor differs from a malignant tumor in that benign tumors.
a. do not cause damage to adjacent tissue.
b. do not spread to other tissues and organs.
c. are simply an overgrowth of normal cells.
d. frequently recur in the same site.
2. A patient who has been told by the health care provider that the
cells in a bowel tumor are poorly differentiated asks the nurse
what is meant by "poorly differentiated." Which response should
the nurse make?
a. "The cells in your tumor do not look very different from normal
bowel cells."
b. "The tumor cells have DNA that is different from your normal
bowel cells."
c. "Your tumor cells look more like immature fetal cells than
normal bowel cells."
d. "The cells in your tumor have mutated from the normal bowel
cells."
3. A patient who smokes tells the nurse, "I want to have a yearly
chest x-ray so that if I get cancer, it will be detected early." Which
response by the nurse is most appropriate?
a. "Chest x-rays do not detect cancer until tumors are already at
least a half-inch in size."
b. "Annual x-rays will increase your risk for cancer because of
exposure to radiation."
c. "Insurance companies do not authorize yearly x-rays just to
detect early lung cancer."
d. "Frequent x-rays damage the lungs and make them more
susceptible to cancer."
4. In teaching about cancer prevention to a community group, the
nurse stresses promotion of exercise, normal body weight, and
low-fat diet because
a. most people are willing to make these changes to avoid cancer.
, b. dietary fat and obesity promote growth of many types of cancer.
c. people who exercise and eat healthy will make other lifestyle
changes.
d. obesity and lack of exercise cause cancer in susceptible people.
5. During a routine health examination, a 30-year-old patient tells
the nurse about a family history of colon cancer. The nurse will
plan to
a. teach the patient about the need for a colonoscopy at age 50.
b. ask the patient to bring in a stool specimen to test for occult
blood.
c. schedule a sigmoidoscopy to provide baseline data about the
patient.
d. have the patient ask the doctor about specific tests for colon
cancer.
6. When reviewing the chart for a patient with cervical cancer, the
nurse notes that the cancer is staged as Tis, N0, M0. The nurse
will teach the patient that
a. the cancer cells are well-differentiated.
b. it is difficult to determine the original site of the cervical cancer.
c. further testing is needed to determine the spread of the cancer.
d. the cancer is localized to the cervix.
7. Which statement by a patient who is scheduled for a needle
biopsy of the prostate indicates that the patient understands the
purpose of a biopsy?
a. "The biopsy will tell the doctor whether the cancer has spread to
my other organs."
b. "The biopsy will help the doctor decide what treatment to use
for my enlarged prostate."
c. "The biopsy will determine how much longer I have to live."
d. "The biopsy will indicate the effect of the cancer on my life."
8. The nurse is teaching a postmenopausal patient with breast
cancer about the expected outcomes of her cancer treatment. The
nurse evaluates that the teaching has been effective when the
patient says
a. "After cancer has not recurred for 5 years, it is considered
cured."
