A malignant tumor can develop when cancer cells evade the immune system's surveillance and destruction.
Correct Answer
True
True. The immune system constantly looks for and destroys abnormal cells using cytotoxic T cells, activated macrophages and natural killer cells. A malignant growth begins when enough cancer cells evade this surveillance.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 2
Cancer that has spread to bone from another organ is more common than cancer that starts in bone.
Correct Answer
True
True. Metastatic bone cancer, often from breast, lung or prostate cancer, is more common than primary bone cancers such as osteosarcoma. Both cause bone pain and can lead to fractures.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 3
The TNM system is not used to stage leukemia because leukemia does not form a solid tumor.
Correct Answer
True
True. TNM staging describes the size of a tumor, lymph node involvement and distant metastasis. Leukemia is a cancer of blood-forming tissue with no solid tumor to measure, so other systems are used.
Category: Detection and Staging
Question 4
Fatigue is a common side effect of external beam radiation therapy.
Correct Answer
True
True. Fatigue commonly develops during a course of external beam radiation and is part of the teaching patients receive before treatment, along with skin care and when to call the provider.
Category: Radiation and Treatment Care
Question 5
Lung and bronchus cancer causes more cancer deaths than any other type of cancer.
Correct Answer
True
True. Lung and bronchus cancer is the leading cause of cancer death. This is one reason smoking prevention and screening of high-risk people are emphasized.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 6
Chemotherapy-related hair loss can affect the eyebrows and eyelashes as well as the scalp.
Correct Answer
True
True. Because chemotherapy targets rapidly dividing cells, hair follicles anywhere on the body can be affected, including the eyebrows, eyelashes and body hair. Nurses offer support and resources such as scalp care and wigs.
Category: Symptom Management
Question 7
Stomatitis is inflammation and ulceration of the mouth that can make chewing painful.
Correct Answer
True
True. Stomatitis is the oral form of treatment-related mucosal damage. Pain with chewing limits intake, and the broken mucosa raises the risk of infection.
Category: Symptom Management
Question 8
Fear of recurrence is common among cancer survivors and can persist long after treatment ends.
Correct Answer
True
True. Many survivors live with a pervasive fear that the cancer will return, and waiting for surveillance test results can heighten anxiety. Nurses address these emotional needs and connect survivors with support.
Category: Survivorship and Support
Question 9
Chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy can alter balance and gait, which raises the risk of falls.
Correct Answer
True
True. Nerve damage causes numbness, tingling or pain in the hands and feet, and some drugs also affect balance and walking. These changes threaten safety and quality of life, so fall prevention is part of care.
Category: Symptom Management
Question 10
Statements that begin with "I" help a cancer survivor express feelings to a partner without placing blame.
Correct Answer
True
True. Nurses teach survivors to use statements that start with "I" to share feelings about intimacy and body changes without blaming a partner. The partner is encouraged to listen actively and validate those feelings.
Category: Survivorship and Support
Question 11
Benign tumors spread to distant organs through the bloodstream and lymphatic system.
Correct Answer
False
False. Benign tumors grow slowly and do not spread, although they can still cause harm by their size and location. Metastasis through the blood or lymphatic system is a hallmark of malignant tumors.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 12
A tumor marker blood test is enough by itself to confirm a cancer diagnosis.
Correct Answer
False
False. Tumor markers can suggest cancer and are useful for judging treatment response and detecting recurrence, but a biopsy examined by a pathologist is the most reliable way to confirm the diagnosis.
Category: Detection and Staging
Question 13
External beam radiation makes the patient radioactive, so visitors must keep their distance after each session.
Correct Answer
False
False. External beam radiation is delivered by a machine outside the body, and the patient does not become radioactive. Exposure precautions apply to internal sources such as sealed implants.
Category: Radiation and Treatment Care
Question 14
Cancer survivors no longer need health promotion, because cancer risk falls steadily once treatment ends.
Correct Answer
False
False. Cancer risk rises with age regardless of history, and survivors can develop secondary cancers from shared risk factors or earlier treatment. Health promotion, such as stopping smoking and limiting alcohol, remains a priority.
Category: Survivorship and Support
Question 15
In graft-versus-host disease, the recipient's immune system attacks the transplanted donor cells.
Correct Answer
False
False. In graft-versus-host disease the direction is reversed: immune cells from the donor graft attack the recipient's tissues. Nurses monitor transplant recipients closely for this complication and for infection.
Category: Radiation and Treatment Care
Question 16
Hypersensitivity reactions to immunotherapy occur only during the first infusion.
Correct Answer
False
False. Hypersensitivity reactions can occur at any infusion, not only the first. Premedication, slow starting rates and close observation are used every time the drug is given.
Category: Radiation and Treatment Care
Question 17
Cancer usually arises from a single mutation rather than from errors that accumulate over many cell divisions.
Correct Answer
False
False. Cancer usually develops in steps: an initial insult damages DNA, and further errors accumulate with each replication until the cells become cancerous and lose their normal function.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 18
Inactivation of a tumor suppressor gene lowers a person's risk of cancer.
Correct Answer
False
False. Tumor suppressor genes normally stop damaged cells from replicating. When one is inactivated, damaged cells can keep dividing, so cancer risk rises.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 19
Small-cell lung cancer has little connection to smoking.
Correct Answer
False
False. Small-cell lung cancer is an aggressive type that is strongly linked to smoking. Smoking cessation is a central part of lung cancer prevention.
Category: Cancer Biology
Question 20
A pericardial effusion caused by cancer makes the heart sounds louder and easier to hear.
Correct Answer
False
False. Fluid collecting around the heart muffles the heart sounds, and signs of decreased perfusion follow as the effusion worsens. Muffled heart sounds in a patient with cancer call for prompt reporting.
Category: Oncologic Emergencies