Chronic Illness NCLEX Questions Related

Review Chronic Illness NCLEX Questions related questions and content

A patient who is scheduled for a breast biopsy asks the nurse the difference between a benign tumor and a malignant tumor. Which answer by the nurse is correct?

  • A. Benign tumors do not cause damage to other tissues.
  • B. Benign tumors are likely to recur in the same location.
  • C. Malignant tumors may spread to other tissues or organs.
  • D. Malignant cells reproduce more rapidly than normal cells.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Malignant tumors metastasize spreading to distant sites via lymph or blood unlike benign ones, which stay put. That's the key split. Benign tumors can still mess up nearby tissues by pressing on them (e.g., a benign meningioma squeezing brain), so A's off. B's wrong benign tumors rarely recur if fully removed; malignancy's more prone to that. D's a myth malignant cells don't always divide faster; some, like chronic leukemia, creep along. Nurses in oncology nail this down for patients facing biopsies, like this breast case, where fear of spread drives the question. Explaining metastasis clarifies why malignant's scarier it's not just growth, it's invasion, a game-changer for prognosis and treatment.