Chemotherapy: trastuzumab: practice question

A Pharmacology question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Pharmacology · Chemotherapy: trastuzumab

Sample item

A 48-year-old woman with HER2-positive breast cancer is to receive trastuzumab after previous doxorubicin. Which monitoring is essential?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Serial assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiography

HER2 signalling supports cardiomyocyte survival, and trastuzumab can cause a fall in ejection fraction and heart failure, more often after prior anthracycline use. It is mostly reversible and not dose related, unlike anthracycline damage. Ejection fraction is checked before and every 3 months during therapy.

Option by option

  • A. Audiometry before each cycle

    Audiometry is relevant to cisplatin.

  • B. Serum magnesium and rash assessment

    Hypomagnesaemia and rash are characteristic of cetuximab.

  • C. Pulmonary function tests for DLCO

    DLCO monitoring is relevant to bleomycin and amiodarone.

  • D. Serial assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiography (correct)

    Correct. Cardiac function monitoring detects left ventricular dysfunction early.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

More Pharmacology questions

Questions about this Pharmacology question

What is the answer to this Pharmacology question?

The best answer is D, Serial assessment of left ventricular ejection fraction by echocardiography. HER2 signalling supports cardiomyocyte survival, and trastuzumab can cause a fall in ejection fraction and heart failure, more often after prior anthracycline use.

Why is "Audiometry before each cycle" not the answer?

Audiometry is relevant to cisplatin.

Why is "Serum magnesium and rash assessment" not the answer?

Hypomagnesaemia and rash are characteristic of cetuximab.

Why is "Pulmonary function tests for DLCO" not the answer?

DLCO monitoring is relevant to bleomycin and amiodarone.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Chemotherapy: trastuzumab in Pharmacology. It is mostly reversible and not dose related, unlike anthracycline damage. Ejection fraction is checked before and every 3 months during therapy.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Chemotherapy: trastuzumab?

Learn drugs as classes, then the exception in each class that an examiner would pick. Then use the flashcards and the other Pharmacology questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.