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Find your clinical gaps before exam day.

A patient with bulky lymphoma develops nausea and reduced urine output 18 hours after the first chemotherapy dose. Potassium is 6.2 mmol/L, phosphate and uric acid are elevated, and calcium has fallen. Which complication best explains this pattern?

Tumor sequencing identifies a BRCA2 alteration in a patient with prostate cancer. He asks whether his daughter must have inherited it. Which response is most accurate?

A patient receiving pembrolizumab reports six additional watery stools per day above baseline, abdominal cramping, and new blood in the stool. What is the nurse’s priority?

A patient receiving chemotherapy has painful mouth ulcers and is avoiding fluids. There is no active oral bleeding. Which nursing plan best supports comfort and hydration while further assessment is arranged?

A patient with metastatic lung cancer is starting another systemic treatment. Persistent breathlessness and fatigue are limiting daily activity. She says, “Palliative care means I have to stop treatment.” Which explanation is best?

At a follow-up visit, a breast cancer survivor says, “Every ache makes me think the cancer is back. I’m hardly sleeping.” What is the most helpful initial response?

A patient with vertebral metastases reports worsening back pain, new leg weakness, and difficulty starting urination. What should the oncology nurse do first?

A patient’s biopsy report describes a high-grade tumor. Staging investigations have not yet been completed. He asks whether “high grade” means the cancer has spread to distant organs. Which response is correct?

A patient receiving external-beam radiation to the chest worries that hugging a young grandchild after treatment will expose the child to radiation. No radioactive implant or radiopharmaceutical is being used. Which teaching is appropriate?

A patient starting scheduled morphine for cancer pain has normal bowel movements and no suspected bowel obstruction. Which discharge plan best anticipates a common adverse effect?

A patient has completed treatment for lymphoma and is transferring routine care to a primary care clinician. Which document best supports coordinated follow-up?

A 29-year-old patient is scheduled to begin chemotherapy that may affect fertility. She says she hopes to have children later but is afraid to delay cancer care. What is the nurse’s best next step?

Eight days after chemotherapy, a patient with an absolute neutrophil count of 300/µL calls about a temperature of 38.5°C (101.3°F) and shaking chills. Which instruction is the priority?

A patient enrolled in a cancer clinical trial says, “I signed the form, but I no longer want the study treatment.” What is the nurse’s best response?

A patient’s platelet count is 18,000/µL after chemotherapy. During assessment, the patient reports black, tarry stools and dizziness when standing. What should the nurse prioritize?

During a peripheral IV doxorubicin infusion, a patient reports burning and the nurse sees swelling at the catheter site. Extravasation is suspected. What is the most appropriate immediate action?

A patient has missed two radiation appointments because the bus route changed. He wants to continue treatment and has no new symptoms. What is the nurse’s best response?

A patient receiving treatment reports persistent fatigue. Assessment finds no acute infection, unstable cardiopulmonary condition, or other immediate contraindication to activity. Which plan is most appropriate?

A patient has lost 5% of body weight in one month during treatment and says food tastes metallic. Nausea is controlled, but meals are becoming smaller. What should the nurse do next?

Before a chemotherapy regimen with a high risk of nausea and vomiting, a patient says, “I feel fine now, so I’ll save all my prescribed preventive nausea medicines until I start vomiting.” What is the best teaching?