Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certification ONS Practice Testq

What adverse effect can occur in patients receiving hematopoietic growth factors?

1. Liver toxicity

2. Bone pain

3. Cardiac arrhythmias

4. Dyspnea

The correct answer is: Bone pain

Patients receiving hematopoietic growth factors can experience bone pain as an adverse effect. This relates to the mechanism of action of these growth factors, which stimulate the production of blood cells in the bone marrow. As the bone marrow becomes more active in responding to the growth factors, patients may feel pain and discomfort in the bones due to increased hematopoiesis, which is the process of blood cell formation. This discomfort is quite common and can vary in intensity among patients. In contrast, while liver toxicity, cardiac arrhythmias, and dyspnea can occur with various medications or medical treatments, they are not typically associated with hematopoietic growth factors. Liver toxicity can arise from other drug classes, cardiac arrhythmias can be influenced by several different factors or medications, and dyspnea is usually linked to lung function issues or fluid overload rather than directly from the administration of hematopoietic growth factors. Therefore, bone pain stands out as the most relevant and common adverse effect among the options provided.