Nursing Cancer Patients
What is Cancer?
According to the American Cancer Society, cancer is a medical term that refers to several related diseases characterized by the uncontrolled growth of abnormal cells that crowd out healthy cells, making it difficult for the body to function normally (American Cancer Society, 2015). Normal body cells have a specific function and a specified lifespan. They are supposed to die so that the body can replace them in a natural process called apoptosis. However, cancerous cells lack the component that instructions cells to die; hence they grow and divide uncontrollably. They spread through the body in the lymph, using up oxygen and nutrients that should nourish other cells. This incidence impairs the functioning of healthy body cells as well as undermining the immune system.
Diagnosis of cancer
The starting point in diagnosing cancer is the expression of symptoms or a screening that may suggest cancer disease (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Once the doctor has established suggestive symptoms or screening, he can use any of the available approaches to diagnose cancer. The approaches to diagnosing cancer include carrying out laboratory tests, physical examination, imaging tests, and biopsy.
Physical examination
Physical examination for diagnosing cancer rely on visible symptoms of cancer, which include tumors. The doctor will physically feel different areas of your body for lumps that may suggest tumors. In addition to physically locating tumors, the doctor can use suggestive symptoms such as the skin color or enlarged organs, which may indicate cancerous cells.
Laboratory tests
The doctor will try to establish the level or number of substances in the blood, urine, or any other body fluid sample. A deviation in the normal or expected rate of substances in the lab samples suggests an abnormality resulting from cancer (American Cancer Society, 2015). For example, complete blood count used to diagnose leukemia seeks to establish the number of or type of white blood cells, which will be abnormal for cancer patients. Other lab tests will try to determine the presence of tumor markers, which are produced by both normal body cells and cancerous cells. However, cancerous cells produce larger amounts of tumor markers; hence high levels indicate cancer disease.
Imaging tests
Imaging tests help diagnose cancer by creating images of organs or tissues inside the body. The doctor will be looking for abnormalities or tumors. There are several technologies used to capture these images, including CT scans, X-rays, nuclear scans, MRI, PET scan, bones can, and ultrasound.
CT scan. The CT scan is used to create a 3-dimensional picture of your body organs for examination. An x-ray machine is used to take pictures of organs from different angles, which are then send to a licked computer.
MRI. Images are taken using radio waves attached to a powerful magnet. An MRI takes pictures of body organs in the form of slices, which are then analyzed for tumors.
Nuclear scan. A scanner is used to create images of your body organ or bone on either a film or on a monitor. Radioactive material is used to form the picture, and a person must be injected with the material before the scanning.
Bone scan. Bone scans usually identify bone cancers. It can be referred to as a particular type of nuclear scan, where radioactive material collects on abnormal parts of a bone, indicating possible areas of cancer infection.
PET scan. A PET scan diagnoses cancer by forming images of areas in the body where glucose is taken up. A trace called radioactive glucose is used to create images of these areas. Areas of less glucose indicate cancer infection since cancerous cells consume more glucose than normal cells.
X-ray. An X-ray uses a controlled amount of radiation to take images of organs inside the body
Ultrasound. Ultrasound uses sound energy echoed by body tissues. A computer linked to the transducer uses the sound echo to form images of the body tissues.
Biopsy
A biopsy involves the removal of cell samples for lab testing. The doctor uses different methods to extract cell samples, including surgery. A pathologist then analyses the cells under a microscope to identify if they are cancer cells. Cancer cells are less orderly, disorganized, and of varying sizes.
Cancer stages
After diagnosing cancer, the next step is determining the stage or the extent of cancer. Staging of cancer is crucial since it determines that treatment procedure and chances of getting cured (ACS, 2020). A doctor can establish the stage of cancer using imaging scanning. The stages of cancer are named using roman numbers (I-IV) depending on the number and spread of the cancer cells where IV indicates advanced stages. However, some types of cancer will have stage 0.
Stage 0. The cancer cells are in the place they started and have not spread to nearby tissues.
Stage I. The cancer cells form a tumor that has not yet grown deeply into nearby tissues or lymph nodes.
Stage II. The cancer cells in this stage have grown into nearby tissues forming larger tumors.
Stage III. The cancer cells in this stage have not only spread to other body tissues but also the lymph nodes.
Stage IV. Cancer at this stage has already grown into other organs or body parts.
Cancer complications
Brain and nervous system problems. Cancer tumors can press on nearby nerves as they overgrow. As a result, the functioning of some parts of the body may be disabled. Brain tumors, for example, lead to stroke and severe headaches.
Paraneoplastic syndrome. This syndrome is a condition resulting from the unusual reaction of the immune system to cancer. The immune system may react to the presence of cancer by attacking health cells leading to difficulty in walking and seizures.
Shortness of breath. One of the complications of cancer includes shortness of breath, especially if it spreads to affect the respiratory system. Breath shortness may be as a result of blocked pathways or accumulation of fluid in the lungs.
Side effects of cancer treatment
Hair loss. Cancer treatment, for example, chemotherapy, lead to air loss. It also causes a change in hair texture.
Delirium. Cancer treatment and some medicine can confuse the mind where a person changes awareness, thinking, and judgment patterns.
Lymphedema. Another side effect of cancer treatment is the obstruction of the proper flow of lymph fluid. Radiation therapy or surgery can damage part of the lymph causing an obstruction.
Fatigue. A common side effect of surgery and chemotherapy is fatigue. The patient usually feels tired and weak.
Anemia. Anemia results from treatment procedures such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy that lead to reduced red blood cells.
Thrombocytopenia. Some treatment methods for cancer like chemotherapy can lead to low platelets count. Low platelet count means the impairment of blood clotting. For this reason, cancer patients may bleed easily and have red spots on their skin.
Caring for cancer patients
The American Cancer Society recommends the establishment of social support programs to help cancer patients cope up with the emotional effects of cancer. Health professionals also have an essential role in helping cancer patients cope up with the physical and psychological effects of cancer. Nurses provide care to such patients by assisting them with day to day activities (CDC, 2019). For those patients who are physically affected, for example, those with balance and posture problems or walking difficulties, nurses can help them do some light exercise. Cancer patients are affected by psychological issues like depression. The social support system can offer therapy talks, counseling, or even affection. Education and training programs that aim at stress management and relaxation are also important. Finally, nurses can provide medication that helps cancer patients cope up with anxiety or depression.
Factors for Incidence and mortality rate of cancer in America
Lifestyle behaviors constitute a broad range of factors that are the major causes of cancer in America. Tobacco use is the leading risk factor contributing to lung cancer (National Cancer Institute, 2015). Smoking of tobacco in America is labeled as the major cause of cancer, specifically lung cancer. According to the American Cancer Association, 480, 000 Americans die yearly due to smoking-related cancer. Other lifestyle-linked causes include alcohol consumption, obesity, physical inactivity, and poor diet habits. Apart from lifestyle behaviors, other factors include exposure to infectious agents, exposure to UV radiation, and exposure to human papillomavirus.
Cancer Support and Education
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is among the leading providers of education and support services for people diagnosed with cancer. The ACS offers several up-to-date information on cancer that helps cancer patients and caregivers properly manage and treat cancer patients. The association also avails many publications that serve to educate cancer patients, including books, brochures, pamphlets, and professional journals. These publications serve the patients, families, doctors, nurses, and different caregivers with information on coping and prevention of cancer.
The ACS also offers social support services to cancer patients that help them cope with the physical and psychological effects of the disease. The association offers patients with travel and transportation arrangement for those patients who have challenges getting a ride. It also gives patients accommodation facilities close to treatment centers. The association also helps patients manage the effect of cancer treatment like hairless by giving them mastectomy products and helpful articles. Among the various support programs, I would recommend any cancer patient to the online community. Through this network, cancer patients and their families can share their experiences and tips for enhancing their lives, notwithstanding the type of cancer one is suffering.
The nursing process
Assessment. The first phase is collecting and analyzing data on the patient. The nurse will collect the physiological, psychological, sociocultural, and lifestyle data of the cancer patient (Younas, 2017). The information collected will help the diagnostic procedure and possible treatment.
Diagnosis. The nurse judgment on the care plan is guided by the cancer patient’s response to actual and potential health conditions. The nurse will understand how cancer is affecting the patient, as well as side effects and complications of the disease. This information will help the nurse plan appropriate care for the patient (Younas, 2017).
Outcomes/planning. The nurse will utilize information gathered from the assessment and diagnosis phases to set short-term and long-term goals of caring for the cancer patient. The goals for a cancer patient may include increasing medication to manage pain, offering counseling to help the cancer patient cope with anxiety, and so on.
Implementation. The set goals for improving cancer patient care is executed at this phase. It will involve proper documentation of the care plan as well as progress data (Younas, 2017).
Evaluation. The nurse will continually asses the status of the cancer patient and the effectiveness of the nursing care being provided (Younas, 2017). Depending on the results, the nurse may make some adjustments to the care plan are required.
Liberal arts, science studies, and nursing
The nursing discipline interacts and is significantly shaped by liberal arts and sciences. Liberal arts and sciences contribute to nursing knowledge by developing the communication, creativity, and critical thinking skills of nurses (Adams, 2016). In general, liberal arts and science contribute to the holistic care of patients by helping nurses work with patients through the nursing process. Mathematics, physical, and social sciences shape the abilities, skills, and values of nurses that help them make professional decisions, understand, and work with patients as wells as set priorities for planning and administering patient care (Adams, 2016). The entire nursing process requires critical thinking as well as problem-solving, which are essential outputs of both liberal arts and sciences. Therefore, an interdisciplinary approach to the nursing profession is vital to ensure effectiveness and competency in the healthcare profession.
References
Adams, S. (2016). An exploration of applied liberal education competencies and empathic decision-making in BSN nurses (Doctoral dissertation).
American Cancer Society. (2015). Cancer Basics. What is cancer? Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.org/cancer/cancer-basics/what-is-cancer.html
Center for Disease Control. (2019). Cancers. Retrieved from: https://www.cdc.gov/chronicdisease/resources/publications/factsheets/cancer.htm
National Cancer Institute. (2015). Risk Factors for Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/causes-prevention/risk
National Cancer Institute. (2020). About Cancer. Retrieved from: https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer
Younas, A. (2017). The nursing process and patient teaching. Nursing made Incredibly Easy, 15(6), 13-16.