A nurse is administering chemotherapy to a client who has breast cancer. The client asks the nurse how chemotherapy works to treat cancer. Which of the following statements should the nurse include in the response?

Choice A reason:

A benign neoplasm grows slowly and remains localized within its site of origin. It does not spread to other parts of the body or cause systemic effects.

Choice B reason:

A malignant neoplasm invades surrounding tissues and organs and destroys their normal function. It can also penetrate blood vessels or lymphatics and disseminate to distant sites, forming secondary tumors or metastases.

Choice C reason:

A benign neoplasm can differentiate into normal cells that resemble the tissue of origin. It has a well-defined shape and structure and retains some of its normal functions.

Choice D reason:

A malignant neoplasm can metastasize to distant sites via blood or lymph, creating new foci of tumor growth and increasing the complexity and severity of the disease.

Choice E reason:

A benign neoplasm can cause compression or obstruction of nearby structures, such as nerves, blood vessels, ducts, or organs. This can result in pain, ischemia, inflammation, or dysfunction of the affected structures.

Choice A reason:

Chemotherapy kills cancer cells by interfering with their DNA synthesis and replication. Chemotherapy drugs are cytotoxic agents that target rapidly dividing cells, such as cancer cells, and disrupt their cell cycle, DNA repair, or DNA replication mechanisms. This leads to cell death or apoptosis.

Choice B reason:

Radiation therapy kills cancer cells by exposing them to high-energy radiation that damages their DNA. Radiation therapy uses ionizing radiation, such as x-rays, gamma rays, or protons, that create free radicals that break DNA strands and cause mutations or chromosomal aberrations in cancer cells.

Choice C reason:

Immunotherapy kills cancer cells by stimulating the immune system to recognize and destroy them. Immunotherapy uses biological agents, such as monoclonal antibodies, cytokines, vaccines, or adoptive cell transfer, that enhance the immune response against cancer cells or overcome their immune evasion strategies.

Choice D reason:

Hormone therapy kills cancer cells by blocking their hormone receptors and preventing their growth. Hormone therapy uses drugs that either inhibit the production or action of hormones, such as estrogen or testosterone, that stimulate the growth of hormone-dependent cancers, such as breast or prostate cancer.