A nurse is educating a client who has prostate cancer and is receiving salvage chemotherapy after failure of previous treatments. The nurse should inform the client that salvage chemotherapy:

Choice A reason:

This is incorrect because chemotherapy given before other treatments to shrink the leukemia cells is called neoadjuvant chemotherapy, not induction chemotherapy. Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is used to improve the outcome of the main treatment, such as surgery or radiation therapy.

Choice B reason:

This is incorrect because chemotherapy given after other treatments to kill any leftover leukemia cells is called adjuvant chemotherapy, not induction chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy is used to lower the chance of leukemia recurrence and improve the outcome of the firstline treatment.

Choice C reason:

This is correct because induction chemotherapy is the firstline or initial treatment of cancer, usually with high doses of anticancer drugs, before another treatment such as consolidation or postremission therapy. The goal of induction chemotherapy is to cure the cancer, destroy as many cancer cells as possible, suppress distant metastases, and shrink the tumor.

Choice D reason:

This is incorrect because chemotherapy given to control symptoms and improve quality of life is called palliative chemotherapy, not induction chemotherapy. Palliative chemotherapy is used for patients with incurable or terminal cancer to reduce pain and suffering.

Choice A reason:

Salvage chemotherapy is not given to prevent relapse or progression of the disease, but rather to treat it when it has already relapsed or progressed. Preventive chemotherapy is usually given after the initial treatment has achieved a complete response, to reduce the risk of recurrence.

Choice B reason:

This is the correct answer. Salvage chemotherapy is given to control advanced or refractory disease, meaning that the disease has not responded to or has become resistant to previous treatments. Salvage chemotherapy aims to stabilize the disease, prevent further complications, and improve symptoms and quality of life. ³⁴

Choice C reason:

Salvage chemotherapy is not given to induce remission or reduce tumor burden, but rather to control it when it has already become unresponsive or resistant to previous treatments. Induction chemotherapy is usually given as the firstline treatment for aggressive cancers, to shrink the tumor before surgery or radiation therapy.

Choice D reason:

Salvage chemotherapy is not only given to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life, but also to control the disease and prevent further complications. Symptom relief and quality of life improvement are important goals of salvage chemotherapy, but they are not the only ones. ³⁴: