Practice Question
A student nurse is shadowing on an oncology unit and asks the client about their history of lung cancer. The student should know which of the following is the most common risk categories associated with lung cancer?
Answer Choices:
Correct Answer:
Smoking
Rationale:
🔶 Smoking accounts for 85–90% of all lung cancer cases, making it the strongest known risk factor.
🔶 Tobacco smoke contains carcinogenic chemicals that cause repeated injury and genetic mutation in lung cells.
🔶 These mutations lead to abnormal cell growth and the formation of malignant tumors.
🔶 Both direct smoking and second-hand smoke dramatically increase risk.
🔶 The longer the exposure and the heavier the use, the higher the likelihood of developing lung cancer.
🔶 No other risk factor has the same level of evidence or statistical association.
🔶 Preventing or stopping smoking is the most effective strategy for reducing lung cancer incidence.
🚫 Incorrect: Drug abuse
🚫 Most illegal drugs are not associated with lung cancer at anywhere near the rate of tobacco products.
🚫 Some drugs irritate lung tissue but do not cause the same degree of carcinogenic cellular damage.
🚫 Long-term studies show no strong direct link between drug abuse and lung cancer.
🚫 This option confuses general substance abuse with specific carcinogens.
🚫 It is not considered a primary epidemiologic contributor to lung cancer.
🚫 Incorrect: Alcoholism
🚫 Alcohol increases the risk of cancers such as liver, throat, and esophageal, but not significantly lung cancer.
🚫 Alcohol does not contain carcinogens that target lung tissue.
🚫 Any increased lung cancer risk in alcohol users is typically due to co-existing smoking, not alcohol alone.
🚫 Choosing this option overlooks the far greater role smoking plays.
🚫 It is not considered a major risk factor.
🚫 Incorrect: Genetic
🚫 Genetics plays a minor role compared to smoking; only a small percentage of cases are hereditary.
🚫 Family history increases risk slightly but does not rival tobacco exposure.
🚫 Population data overwhelmingly show that lung cancer rises where smoking rates rise.
🚫 Genetics cannot explain the global patterns strongly linked to tobacco use.
🚫 This makes it an incorrect primary risk category.
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This question is from 106 Mock exam which contains 99 questions.
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Question Details
- Category: RN Nursing Exam(s)
- Subcategory: General Exams
- Domain: Medical-surgical📚
- Answer Choices: 4