A 58-year-old man is going to have chemotherapy for lung cancer. He asks the nurse how the chemotherapeutic drugs will work. The most accurate explanation the nurse can give is which of the following?
A. “Cancer cells are susceptible to drug toxins.”
B. “Chemotherapy affects all rapidly dividing cells.”
C. “Chemotherapy encourages cancer cells to divide.”
D. “The molecular structure of the DNA is altered.”
Correct Answer: B. “Chemotherapy affects all rapidly dividing cells.”
Option B: There are many mechanisms of action for chemotherapeutic agents, but most affect the rapidly dividing cells—both cancerous and noncancerous. Cancer cells are characterized by rapid cell division.
Option A: All cells are susceptible to drug toxins, but not all chemotherapeutic agents are toxins.
Options C and D: Chemotherapy slows cell division. Not all chemotherapeutic agents affect the molecular structure.
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