Question

A nurse is administering vincristine to a client with cancer. The client asks the nurse how the medication works. Which statement by the nurse is appropriate?

"It stops the synthesis of proteins in cancer cells."

"It prevents cell division of cancer cells."

"It interrupts the S-phase of cancer cell reproduction."

"It alters the DNA structure of cancer cells."

Answer 1

Vincristine works by preventing the cell division of cancer cells through the disruption of mitosis, targeting the mitotic spindle by binding to tubulin and affecting microtubule function.

Step-by-step explanation:

The appropriate statement by the nurse explaining how vincristine works would be: "It prevents cell division of cancer cells." Vincristine is a chemotherapeutic drug that disrupts mitosis by binding to tubulin, which is a crucial protein for microtubule formation. Microtubules are essential components of the mitotic spindle, which is required to segregate chromosomes during cell division. By inhibiting the assembly and disassembly of microtubules, vincristine effectively halts the mitotic process during metaphase, making it impossible for cancer cells to successfully divide and multiply.