Below you will find a selection of sample questions from the ESMO examination.
A Questions
An A question has five answers, of which only one is correct.
Example:
Which anti-emetic schedule is the most appropriate for a patient receiving 70 mg/m*2 cisplatin in combination with gemcitabine 1250 mg/m*2 at day 1?
A. Metoclopramide in combination with dexamethasone at day 1
B. 5-HT3 receptor antagonist (e.g. ondansetron, granisetron) and dexamethasone at day 1
C. 5-HT3 receptor antagonist in combination with lorazepam at day 1
D. 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, aprepitant or fosaprepitant at day 1
E. 5-HT3 receptor antagonist, aprepitant or fosaprepitant, dexamethasone at day 1
Explanation:
The correct answer is E. This chemotherapy schedule is classified as a highly emetic schedule and the standard of care in this situation is a combination of 5-HT3 receptor antagonists, aprepitant or fosaprepitant and dexamethasone. All other schedules mentioned are less effective.
Literature
ESMO Clinical Practice Guidelines, all cancer handbooks, www.uptodate.com
K Questions
A K question has four possible answers, each of which may be true or false.
Example:
Which statements apply to the estrogen receptor?
A. It is a good predictive marker for response to endocrine treatment in patients with breast cancer
B. The expression of the estrogen receptor is confined to breast tissue
C. It is located on the outer cell surface of breast cells
D. Estrogen receptor status is associated with specific sites of metastatic spread in breast cancer patients
A: true
B: false
C: false
D: true
Explanation:
A: The estrogen receptor status strongly predicts the response to hormonal treatment in patients with breast cancer, both in the adjuvant ( absolute risk reduction of 10-15% with regard to breast cancer mortality) and metastatic setting (approximately 50-60% response in first line treatment).
B: Estrogen expression is not confined to breast tissue. E.g.: Also endometrial cells, ovarian cancer cells can express the receptor.
C: The estrogen receptor belongs to the nuclear hormone receptor family, is located at the nuclear membrane in the cytosol of the cell ( not on the outer membrane)
D: ER positive breast cancers are more likely to cause apparent metastatic disease in bones, genital tract and soft tissue than ER negative tumours. (Insa et al. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 1999;56:67)
Literature:
All cancer handbooks, www.uptodate.com