Chemotherapy Final Exam/ Drugs/ Actual Exam Questions
with Correct Answers/ Latest 2024-2025.
What is the goal of chemotherapy? - ANSWER - 1) to rid body of cancerous cells, without targeting
healthy cells if possible
2) to cure
3) to prevent cancer from growing and spreading
What is the goal for treatment if cancer is discovered in advance state? - ANSWER - palliative
adjuvant chemo - ANSWER - chemo used after surgery or radiation
neoadjuvant chemo - ANSWER - chemo used prior to surgery in attempt to shrink the cancer
maintenance chemo - ANSWER - chemo given in lower doses to assist prolonging remission
Are rapidly dividing cells or slowly proliferating cells more sensitive to chemotherapy? - ANSWER -
rapidly dividing cells
How might chemo agents be classified? - ANSWER - as..
1) cell-cycle specific or
2) nonspecific
When do tumors tend to grow more rapidly? When does the growth rate slow? - ANSWER - 1) in the
beginning
2) as the tumor gets larger
pg. 1
,What can be used to decrease tumor burden and encourage the remaining cells to grow and become
targets for cell cycle specific drugs - ANSWER - radiation, surgery, or nonspecific cell cycle agents
Cell cycle specific drugs are effective for... - ANSWER - high growth fraction malignancies (hematologic
cancers)
Cell cycle non specific drugs are effective for... - ANSWER - low growth fraction malignancies (solid
tumors) and high growth fraction malignancies
4 cell cycle specific drugs - ANSWER - 1) antimetabolites
2) Bleomycin
3) Vinca alkaloids
4) Etoposide
4 cell cycle non-specific drugs - ANSWER - 1) alkylating agents
2) antibiotics
3) Cisplatin
4) Nitrosoureas
What will give maximum killing power as well as help prevent drug resistance? - ANSWER - combining
different agents
Most chemo drugs will be dosed using body surface area (BSA). What is the calculation? - ANSWER -
square root of [(height (cm) X weight (kg))/3600]
Why are rounds of chemo spaced out? - ANSWER - to allow body to recover from nadir and side effects
What are 4 problems with chemotherapy? - ANSWER - 1) resistance
2) multidrug resistance
3) toxicity
pg. 2
, 4) treatment-induced tumors
What are common side effects of chemo? - ANSWER - 1) vomiting
2) nausea
3) myelosuppression
4) stomatitis
5) alopecia
Cancer cells are characterized by - ANSWER - persistent proliferation, invasive growth, and the ability to
form metastases.
Cancer can be treated with three basic modalities: - ANSWER - surgery, radiation therapy, and drug
therapy
Agents used for drug therapy fall into two main groups: - ANSWER - (1) cytotoxic agents and (2)
noncytotoxic agents, such as hormones, immunomodulators, and targeted drugs.
Surgery and/or irradiation are the treatments of choice for - ANSWER - most solid tumors.
Drugs are the treatment of choice for disseminated cancers which are: - ANSWER - leukemias,
disseminated lymphomas, widespread metastases
Drugs are also used as adjuvants to surgery and irradiation to kill - ANSWER - malignant cells that surgery
and irradiation leave behind
The cell cycle has four major phases: - ANSWER - G1, in which cells prepare to synthesize
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); S, in which cells synthesize DNA; G2, in which cells prepare for mitosis
(division); and M, in which cells actually divide. Following mitosis, the resulting daughter cells may either
enter G1 and repeat the cycle, or enter G0 and become mitotically dormant.
The growth fraction of a tissue is defined as the ratio of - ANSWER - proliferating cells to cells in G0.
pg. 3
with Correct Answers/ Latest 2024-2025.
What is the goal of chemotherapy? - ANSWER - 1) to rid body of cancerous cells, without targeting
healthy cells if possible
2) to cure
3) to prevent cancer from growing and spreading
What is the goal for treatment if cancer is discovered in advance state? - ANSWER - palliative
adjuvant chemo - ANSWER - chemo used after surgery or radiation
neoadjuvant chemo - ANSWER - chemo used prior to surgery in attempt to shrink the cancer
maintenance chemo - ANSWER - chemo given in lower doses to assist prolonging remission
Are rapidly dividing cells or slowly proliferating cells more sensitive to chemotherapy? - ANSWER -
rapidly dividing cells
How might chemo agents be classified? - ANSWER - as..
1) cell-cycle specific or
2) nonspecific
When do tumors tend to grow more rapidly? When does the growth rate slow? - ANSWER - 1) in the
beginning
2) as the tumor gets larger
pg. 1
,What can be used to decrease tumor burden and encourage the remaining cells to grow and become
targets for cell cycle specific drugs - ANSWER - radiation, surgery, or nonspecific cell cycle agents
Cell cycle specific drugs are effective for... - ANSWER - high growth fraction malignancies (hematologic
cancers)
Cell cycle non specific drugs are effective for... - ANSWER - low growth fraction malignancies (solid
tumors) and high growth fraction malignancies
4 cell cycle specific drugs - ANSWER - 1) antimetabolites
2) Bleomycin
3) Vinca alkaloids
4) Etoposide
4 cell cycle non-specific drugs - ANSWER - 1) alkylating agents
2) antibiotics
3) Cisplatin
4) Nitrosoureas
What will give maximum killing power as well as help prevent drug resistance? - ANSWER - combining
different agents
Most chemo drugs will be dosed using body surface area (BSA). What is the calculation? - ANSWER -
square root of [(height (cm) X weight (kg))/3600]
Why are rounds of chemo spaced out? - ANSWER - to allow body to recover from nadir and side effects
What are 4 problems with chemotherapy? - ANSWER - 1) resistance
2) multidrug resistance
3) toxicity
pg. 2
, 4) treatment-induced tumors
What are common side effects of chemo? - ANSWER - 1) vomiting
2) nausea
3) myelosuppression
4) stomatitis
5) alopecia
Cancer cells are characterized by - ANSWER - persistent proliferation, invasive growth, and the ability to
form metastases.
Cancer can be treated with three basic modalities: - ANSWER - surgery, radiation therapy, and drug
therapy
Agents used for drug therapy fall into two main groups: - ANSWER - (1) cytotoxic agents and (2)
noncytotoxic agents, such as hormones, immunomodulators, and targeted drugs.
Surgery and/or irradiation are the treatments of choice for - ANSWER - most solid tumors.
Drugs are the treatment of choice for disseminated cancers which are: - ANSWER - leukemias,
disseminated lymphomas, widespread metastases
Drugs are also used as adjuvants to surgery and irradiation to kill - ANSWER - malignant cells that surgery
and irradiation leave behind
The cell cycle has four major phases: - ANSWER - G1, in which cells prepare to synthesize
deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA); S, in which cells synthesize DNA; G2, in which cells prepare for mitosis
(division); and M, in which cells actually divide. Following mitosis, the resulting daughter cells may either
enter G1 and repeat the cycle, or enter G0 and become mitotically dormant.
The growth fraction of a tissue is defined as the ratio of - ANSWER - proliferating cells to cells in G0.
pg. 3
