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A patient newly diagnosed with breast cancer states that her physician suspects regional lymph node involvement and told her that there are signs of metastatic disease. The nurse learns that the patient has been diagnosed with stage IV breast cancer. What is an implication of this diagnosis?
- A. The patient is not a surgical candidate.
- B. The patients breast cancer is considered highly treatable.
- C. There is a 10% chance that the patients cancer will self-resolve.
- D. The patient has a 15% chance of 5-year survival.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Stage IV breast cancer, with metastatic disease, has a 5-year survival rate of approximately 15%. Surgery may still be part of palliative or local control strategies, the disease is not highly treatable, and spontaneous resolution is not possible.
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For which of the following population groups would an annual clinical breast examination be recommended?
- A. Women over age 21
- B. Women over age 25
- C. Women over age 40
- D. All post-pubescent females with a family history of breast cancer
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Annual clinical breast examinations are recommended for women aged 40 and older as part of routine breast cancer screening. Younger women may require less frequent exams unless at high risk, such as those with a family history.
A nurse is explaining that each breast contains 12 to 20 cone-shaped lobes. The nurse should explain that each lobe consists of what elements?
- A. Modified tendons and ligaments
- B. Connective tissue and smooth muscle
- C. Lobules and ducts
- D. Endocrine glands and sebaceous glands
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Each breast lobe consists of lobules (milk-producing glands) and ducts (milk transport), which are the functional units of the breast. Tendons, ligaments, smooth muscle, or endocrine/sebaceous glands are not primary components.
A woman is being treated for a tumor of the left breast. If the patient and her physician opt for prophylactic treatment, the nurse should prepare the woman for what intervention?
- A. More aggressive chemotherapy
- B. Left mastectomy
- C. Radiation therapy
- D. Bilateral mastectomy
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: Prophylactic treatment for breast cancer in a patient with a diagnosed tumor in one breast often involves a bilateral mastectomy to reduce the risk of cancer in the unaffected breast. This is distinct from curative treatments like chemotherapy, radiation, or unilateral mastectomy, which target the existing tumor.
The nurse leading an educational session is describing self-examination of the breast. The nurse tells the womens group to raise their arms and inspect their breasts in a mirror. A member of the patients group asks the nurse why raising her arms is necessary. What is the nurses best response?
- A. It helps to spread out the fat that makes up your breast.
- B. It allows you to simultaneously assess for pain.
- C. It will help to observe for dimpling more closely.
- D. This is what the American Cancer Society recommends.
Correct Answer: C
Rationale: Raising the arms during breast self-examination accentuates any skin changes, such as dimpling or retraction, by tightening the skin and underlying tissues, making these signs more visible. This is the primary reason for this maneuver. Spreading adipose tissue or assessing pain are not the goals, and citing the American Cancer Society does not directly answer the question.
A patient has presented for her annual mammogram. The patient voices concerns related to exposure to radiation. What should the nurse teach the patient about a mammogram?
- A. It does not use radiation.
- B. Radiation levels are safe as long as mammograms are performed only once per year.
- C. The negative effects of radiation do not accumulate until late in life.
- D. Radiation from a mammogram is equivalent to an hour of sunlight.
Correct Answer: D
Rationale: The radiation from a mammogram is minimal, equivalent to about an hour of sunlight exposure, making the benefits of early cancer detection outweigh the risks. Radiation is used, and effects do not specifically accumulate later in life; annual mammograms are safe.