NCLEX Questions on Health Promotion and Maintenance Related

Review NCLEX Questions on Health Promotion and Maintenance related questions and content

Hormonal agents are used to treat some cancers. An example is:

  • A. thyroxine to treat thyroid cancer.
  • B. ACTH to treat adrenal carcinoma.
  • C. estrogen antagonists to treat breast cancer.
  • D. glucagon to treat pancreatic carcinoma.
Correct Answer: C

Rationale: Estrogen antagonists are used to treat estrogen hormone-dependent cancer, such as breast carcinoma. A well-known estrogen antagonist used in breast cancer therapy is Tamoxifen (Nolvadex). This drug, in combination with surgery and other chemotherapeutic drugs, reduces breast cancer recurrence by 30%. Estrogen antagonists can also be administered to prevent breast cancer in women who have a strong family history of the disease. Thyroxine is a natural thyroid hormone. It does not treat thyroid cancer. ACTH is an anterior pituitary hormone that stimulates the adrenal glands to release glucocorticoids; it does not treat adrenal cancer. Glucagon is a pancreatic alpha cell hormone that stimulates glycogenolysis and gluconeogenesis; it does not treat pancreatic cancer.