A nurse explains to a patient with cancer why it is difficult to achieve 100% cell kill to cure cancer with chemotherapy. Which statement by the patient indicates a need for further teaching?

Question

a. "It is necessary to continue giving the same dose of chemotherapeutic agents throughout therapy, even if toxicity oc-curs."
b. "Symptoms of cancer often disappear be-fore all malignant cells are eradicated."
c. "The immune system attacks chemothe-rapeutic agents and renders them impo-tent."
d. "The immune system often fails to recog-nize cancer cells as foreign."

Answer 1

C
The immune system does not attack chemotherapeutic agents, so this statement would indicate a need for further teaching. The same dose of chemotherapeutic agents must be given throughout therapy, which becomes difficult when patients have severe toxic reactions. Because cancer symptoms often disappear before all cells are killed, some therapies are stopped prematurely. The immune system does not recognize cancer cells as foreign and thus does not assist in cell kill.