Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Nursing Practice Review

Practice vocabulary flashcards covering pediatric hematology and oncology nursing topics including leukemias, solid tumors, blood disorders, and professional nursing professional standards.

Contact Inhibition

A characteristic of normal cells where they stop dividing when they come in contact with other cells; a mechanism that cancer cells lose.

Apoptosis

An intrinsic suicide program or programmed cell death; the failure of this process leads to cellular immortality in cancer cells.

Li-Fraumeni Syndrome

A rare hereditary condition that increases a child’s risk for sarcomas, osteosarcomas, leukemias, and brain tumors, often linked to the $p53$ gene.

Myelodysplastic Syndrome (MDS)

Referred to as ‘pre-leukemia,’ this condition occurs when blood-forming cells in the bone marrow become abnormal, leading to ineffective hematopoiesis and potential bone marrow failure.

Absolute Neutrophil Count (ANC)

A calculation used to determine the risk of infection, defined by the formula: $WBC \times [\% \text{segs} + \% \text{bands}]$.

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL)

The most common childhood cancer ($75-80\%$ of leukemias), originating from early forms of white blood cells known as lymphocytes.

Hyperdiploid

A ploidy status in ALL involving extra copies of chromosomes (typically $20-30\%$ of cases), which is usually considered a favorable prognostic factor.

Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL)

The AML M3 subtype where blasts release procoagulants, leading to severe coagulopathies and DIC; it is treated with arsenic and ATRA (a vitamin A derivative).

Philadelphia Chromosome

A specific translocation ($BCR/ABL$) commonly associated with Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML).

Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs)

A class of oral medications, such as imatinib mesylate (Gleevec®) or dasatinib, used as first-line therapy for the chronic phase of CML.

Reed-Sternberg Cell

A large, often multinucleated cell with an ‘owl-looking’ appearance that is the pathognomonic marker for Hodgkin lymphoma.

B Symptoms

Clinical symptoms of lymphoma including fever $> 38^{\circ}\text{C}$, drenching night sweats, and unexplained weight loss of $> 10\%$ in $6$ months.

Medulloblastoma

The most common embryonal brain tumor ($20\%$ of childhood CNS tumors), arising from the cerebellum and histologically described as a ‘small round blue cell tumor.’

Pilocytic Astrocytoma

A Grade I low-grade glioma that is usually non-malignant and cystic, representing the most common type of pediatric brain tumor.

N-myc oncogene

A genetic marker in Neuroblastoma where amplification is associated with advanced stage disease, rapid progression, and poor prognosis.

Blueberry Muffin Spots

Cutaneous manifestations sometimes seen in Neuroblastoma, representing skin involvement of the disease.

Codman’s Triangle

A characteristic radiographic finding on X-ray involving the periosteum that is highly suggestive of Osteosarcoma.

Ewing’s Sarcoma

The second most common bone cancer, originating from neural crest cells and frequently presenting with the translocation $t(11;22)$.

Wilms Tumor

The most common primary malignant renal tumor, typically presenting as a large, fragile, vascular abdominal mass that does not cross the midline.

WAGR Syndrome

A clinical association involving Wilms tumor, Aniridia (absence of iris), Genitourinary anomalies, and Mental Retardation.

Rhabdomyosarcoma

A type of sarcoma derived from cells that develop into skeletal (voluntary) muscles, with embryonal being the most common variant.

Leukocoria

The ‘white pupil’ reflex observed in children with Retinoblastoma during an ophthalmic exam or in a photograph.

Sickle Cell Disease (SCD)

An autosomal recessive disorder where a mutated form of hemoglobin ($Hgb S$) causes red blood cells to become crescent-shaped, leading to vaso-occlusion and ischemia.

G6PD Deficiency

An X-linked disorder where the lack of an enzyme involved in carbohydrate processing leads to hemolytic anemia when triggered by factors like sulfa drugs, fava beans, or infection.

Phase I Clinical Trial

A study designed to determine the safety or maximally tolerated dose (MTD) of a drug, usually involving a small group of $15-25$ patients.

Belmont Report

A 1979 document establishing the three basic ethical principles for human subject research: Respect for Persons, Beneficence, and Justice.

Moral Distress

The frustration and discouragement felt when a nurse is unable to take the correct course of action due to constraints such as futile care or poor staffing.

Compassion Fatigue

A state where a person indirectly experiences trauma through helping a victim, characterized by apathy, hopelessness, and indifference.