Symptom Management and Palliative Care Flashcards

Mucositis is most likely to develop in patients receiving which treatment?

Answer: High-dose methotrexate or radiation to the head and neck

Mucositis is a common and painful complication of high-dose methotrexate and radiation to the head/neck region due to damage to rapidly dividing mucosal cells.

A patient with advanced cancer reports dyspnea at rest. Which nursing intervention is most effective for immediate relief?

Answer: Position the patient upright and use a fan directed at the face

Upright positioning and a fan blowing air toward the face stimulate facial cold receptors and reduce the sensation of dyspnea.

Which medication is first-line for treating opioid-induced nausea and vomiting?

Answer: Prochlorperazine or metoclopramide

Opioid-induced nausea involves the chemoreceptor trigger zone; dopamine antagonists such as prochlorperazine or metoclopramide are first-line agents.

Cachexia in cancer patients is best described as:

Answer: A metabolic syndrome of weight loss, muscle wasting, and inflammation

Cancer cachexia is a complex metabolic syndrome driven by inflammation and tumor factors, causing involuntary weight loss and muscle wasting that cannot be fully reversed by nutrition alone.

Which assessment tool is validated specifically for measuring overall symptom burden in cancer patients?

Answer: Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS)

The Edmonton Symptom Assessment System (ESAS) measures 9–10 common cancer symptoms using 0–10 scales and is validated for oncology populations.

A patient with cancer develops sudden onset of confusion. Which potentially reversible cause should the nurse investigate first?

Answer: Hypercalcemia

Hypercalcemia of malignancy is a common and reversible cause of acute confusion in cancer patients and must be ruled out promptly.