CBC Breast Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Support 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which surgical procedure removes only the tumor and a margin of surrounding tissue while preserving the rest of the breast?
- Modified radical mastectomy
- Lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery) (Correct answer)
- Prophylactic mastectomy
- Simple mastectomy
Correct answer: Lumpectomy (breast-conserving surgery)
Lumpectomy, also called breast-conserving surgery, removes only the tumor and a small margin of surrounding normal tissue while preserving most of the breast.
Question 2: During a sentinel lymph node biopsy, which lymph node is removed and examined first?
- The largest axillary lymph node
- The first lymph node(s) to receive drainage from the tumor (Correct answer)
- All lymph nodes in the axillary region
- The lymph nodes closest to the clavicle
Correct answer: The first lymph node(s) to receive drainage from the tumor
The sentinel lymph node is the first lymph node to receive lymphatic drainage from the tumor, and its status predicts whether cancer has spread to other nodes.
Question 3: Which of the following is a common indication for adjuvant radiation therapy after lumpectomy?
- To reduce the risk of local recurrence in the remaining breast tissue (Correct answer)
- To treat distant metastases in the lungs
- To eliminate the need for chemotherapy
- To increase lymph node sampling accuracy
Correct answer: To reduce the risk of local recurrence in the remaining breast tissue
Radiation therapy following lumpectomy is standard practice to reduce the risk of local recurrence in the remaining breast tissue.
Question 4: Which hormone receptor status makes a breast cancer patient eligible for endocrine (hormone) therapy?
- HER2-positive
- Triple-negative
- Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive (Correct answer)
- BRCA1-mutated
Correct answer: Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive
Estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers are driven by estrogen and respond to endocrine therapies such as tamoxifen or aromatase inhibitors.
Question 5: What does a 'HER2-positive' breast cancer status indicate regarding treatment?
- The patient is eligible for PARP inhibitor therapy only
- Targeted therapies such as trastuzumab (Herceptin) may be effective (Correct answer)
- Hormone therapy with tamoxifen is the first-line treatment
- The cancer cannot be treated with chemotherapy
Correct answer: Targeted therapies such as trastuzumab (Herceptin) may be effective
HER2-positive breast cancers overexpress the HER2 protein, making them eligible for HER2-targeted therapies such as trastuzumab (Herceptin).
Question 6: Which type of breast reconstruction uses the patient's own tissue, typically harvested from the abdomen or back?
- Saline implant reconstruction
- Silicone implant reconstruction
- Autologous (flap) reconstruction (Correct answer)
- Tissue expander placement
Correct answer: Autologous (flap) reconstruction
Autologous reconstruction uses the patient's own tissue from donor sites such as the abdomen (TRAM/DIEP flap) or back (latissimus dorsi flap).
Question 7: What distinguishes a modified radical mastectomy from a radical mastectomy?
- It removes only the tumor with clear margins
- It removes the entire breast and axillary lymph nodes while preserving the chest muscles (Correct answer)
- It removes both breasts as a preventive measure
- It removes only the nipple-areolar complex
Correct answer: It removes the entire breast and axillary lymph nodes while preserving the chest muscles
A modified radical mastectomy removes the entire breast and axillary lymph nodes while preserving the pectoralis major and minor chest muscles, unlike the classic radical mastectomy.
CBC Breast Cancer Treatment & Survivorship Support 1
Which surgical procedure removes only the tumor and a margin of surrounding tissue while preserving the rest of the breast?