Quiz 7: Side effects of breast cancer treatment

Please choose the one, most correct answer to each question or statement.

1. Which drug is commonly used for chemotherapy in breast cancer?
   • Melphalan
   • Vinblastine
   • Cyclophosphamide
   • Bleomycin
2. What is a common side effect of chemotherapy?
   • Skin redness and tenderness of the skin over the breast
   • Hair loss
   • Deep vein thrombosis
   • Weight gain
3. What drug can be used to treat nausea and vomiting that occurs with chemotherapy?
   • Imodium
   • Tamoxifen
   • Codeine
   • Stemetil
4. Mucositis due to chemotherapy presents with:
   • Bloody stools
   • Red urine
   • A swelling in the armpit
   • A sore mouth
5. 5-fluorouracil used for chemotherapy commonly causes:
   • Hair loss
   • A red colour of the nails
   • Jaundice
   • Diarrhoea
6. What management is correct in chemotherapy patients who develop severe diarrhoea?
   • They can be treated at home with oral rehydration fluid
   • They should be sent to hospital urgently
   • They can be treated at a clinic with diluted ‘coke’
   • Wait for 12 hours to assess whether the diarrhoea will improve
7. An important feature of neutropenic sepsis is:
   • A low white cell count
   • A high white cell count
   • A raised platelet count
   • A raised haemoglobin concentration
8. Neutropenic sepsis usually presents with:
   • A high temperature
   • A generalised pink rash
   • Abdominal pain and constipation
   • Swelling, redness and pain at the surgery site
9. The most important treatment of neutropenic sepsis is:
   • A blood transfusion
   • Stop the radiotherapy immediately
   • Intravenous broad-spectrum antibiotics
   • Paracetamol (Panado)
10. What is an important side effect of Tamoxifen treatment?
    • Increased risk of blood clots, especially deep vein thrombosis
    • Weight loss
    • Anaemia
    • Diarrhoea
11. Thickening of the lining of the uterus is a complication of:
    • Aromatase inhibitors
    • Tamoxifen
    • Methotrexate
    • Herceptin
12. What is a common side effect of aromatase inhibitors?
    • Osteoporosis
    • Bone thickening
    • Headaches
    • Vaginal discharge
13. Aching bones and muscles in women receiving aromatase inhibitors should be treated with:
    • Estrogen cream locally
    • Oral progesterone
    • Prednisone
    • Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen (Brufen)
14. Skin changes associated with radiotherapy:
    • Are uncommon and occur as soon as radiotherapy begins
    • Are common and usually occur about 10 days after the treatment starts
    • Usually present with blisters and severe pain
    • Are rare and do not look like the skin changes with breast cancer
15. Skin changes with radiotherapy can be managed with:
    • Corn starch (Maizena)
    • Talcum powder
    • Short, repeated exposure to sunshine
    • Soaking the arm in cold water
16. Which symptom is common during radiotherapy?
    • Nausea and vomiting
    • Tiredness
    • Bone pain
    • Sweating
17. Which wound complication occurs a few weeks after surgery?
    • Lymphoedema
    • Seroma formation
    • Scarring with keloid formation
    • Recurrence of cancer in the wound
18. Stiffness of the shoulder after surgery:
    • Is only seen after axillary clearance of lymph nodes
    • Is uncommon and is usually treated with rest and pain killers
    • Usually responds well to regular arm exercises
    • Responds well to a course of steroids
19. Lymphoedema is best prevented by:
    • Diagnosing cancer early so that less surgery is needed
    • Using adjuvant radiotherapy rather than chemotherapy
    • Keeping the arm bandaged after surgery
    • Removing all the axillary lymph nodes
20. The management of lymphoedema includes:
    • A short course of antibiotics
    • A long course of oral steroids
    • Exercising and compression bandaging the arm
    • Resting the arm in a sling