ONCC Radiation Therapy Nursing Flashcards
6 cards from real ONCC practice questions. Tap to flip, then mark Knew It or Still Learning — missed cards come back until you master them.
Read the first 6 ONCC Radiation Therapy Nursing flashcards as text
Brachytherapy involves radiation delivery by which method?
Answer: Radioactive sources placed inside or adjacent to the tumor
Brachytherapy delivers radiation via radioactive sources implanted directly into or next to the tumor, allowing high local dose with sparing of surrounding tissue.
A nurse is caring for a patient with a high-dose rate (HDR) intracavitary brachytherapy implant. Which precaution is NOT necessary for HDR brachytherapy?
Answer: Radiation isolation of the patient during treatment
With HDR brachytherapy, the radioactive source is removed after each treatment session, so the patient is not radioactive between treatments and no isolation is needed outside the treatment room.
Which symptom is most consistent with radiation-induced esophagitis in a patient receiving thoracic radiation?
Answer: Odynophagia (painful swallowing) and dysphagia
Radiation esophagitis causes inflammation of the esophageal mucosa, presenting as painful and difficult swallowing.
A patient is receiving stereotactic body radiation therapy (SBRT) for lung cancer. Compared to conventional radiation, SBRT delivers:
Answer: Higher doses per fraction over fewer treatments with high precision
SBRT delivers ablative doses in a small number of fractions (typically 3–5) with submillimeter precision, targeting small tumors while minimizing normal tissue exposure.
Which finding should the oncology nurse most closely monitor for in a patient who received radiation to the neck years ago?
Answer: Hypothyroidism due to radiation-induced thyroid damage
The thyroid gland is radiosensitive, and prior neck irradiation commonly results in late-onset hypothyroidism requiring monitoring and possible thyroid hormone replacement.
Radiation recall is best described as:
Answer: An inflammatory reaction in a previously irradiated field triggered by certain drugs
Radiation recall is a phenomenon where certain chemotherapy agents (e.g., doxorubicin, gemcitabine) trigger an inflammatory response in a previously irradiated area, sometimes months or years later.
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