Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer
There are five stages of cancer, although the main ones are four, which its relative patients are bound to experience. These stages cuts from zero to stage IV and their variation arises from the intensity of the patient’s tumor and their illustrative symptoms. Stage zero is the first cancer phase and will more often indicate the cancerous condition’s onset and its start area (Koo et al., 2020). The cancer in this stage is yet to spread, which results in the patients lacking any solid symptoms, although some women will experience a bloody or lump discharge from their nipple. However, patients within this stage are at the risk of their abnormal cells, either spreading or becoming invasive.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
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The diagnosis of this stage zero cancer will target examining the presence of lobular carcinoma in situ( LCIS), which is an abnormal but non-invasive cell forming in one’s lobules. Positive results of LCIS results in the doctor recommending the patient undergo regular clinical cancerous exams, mammograms, and certain prescriptions such as Tamoxifen for breast cancer patients(Akram et al., 2017). Tamoxifen is a hormone medication essential for cancerous suspected patients and assists in limiting any further growth of the cancer cells. The cancerous tumor at this stage is highly curable, more often through its surgical removal.
Stage 1 Cancer
The second phase of cancer is stage 1, which is often referred to as the early-cancer stage. Unlike the earlier phase, this cancer stage features a small malignant tumor contained within the affected organ. As a result, the cancerous tumor in this stage lacks affecting the nearby tissues or organs due to its limit in spreading. Thus, cancerous tumors will not have spread to other organs, tissues, and lymph nodes in this stage. A good example of this stage is seen in breast cancer, where the breast tumor only spreads to a very small amount to the breast associated lymph nodes.
The diagnosis for this stage seeks to identify the exact affected tissue, organ, or lymph node. On the other hand, the treatment aims at limiting the spreading of the tumor to other non-affected organs, tissue, or lymph nodes. Treatments of patients in this stage will be through various strategies such as the small tumor’s surgical removal. For instance, breast cancer patients in this stage may undergo a lumpectomy or mastectomy, where the earlier involves the removal of a tumor from a tissue, unlike the later, which targets the removal of the entire affected breast. On top of surgical operations, stage 1 cancer patients’ treatment can also be through radiation therapy, chemotherapy, or hormone therapy (Koo et al., 2020). Hormone therapy involves the use of medications such as Arimidex, exemestane, and letrozole, especially for postmenopausal breast cancer patients.
Stage II Cancer
Stage II cancer is the third phase of cancer, has a large cancerous tumor than stage I. Despite the variation in the cancerous tumor’s size, this stage and previous one features in a certain major similarity. In the two stages, the cancerous tumor is still yet to spread into the surrounding tissues and organs (Koo et al., 2020). However, in some instances, there is the spreading of the cancerous tumor to the lymph nodes that are close to the tumor, although such will vary from one cancer type to another. Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
The diagnosis of this stage, cancers, seeks to examine the cancerous tumor’s location and the affected lymph nodes. Also, the diagnosis will also examine whether or not the cancerous tumors have affected any neighboring tissues or organs and the possibility of such occurring. The successful diagnosis directs the doctor recommending the best and applicable treatment strategy from the available ones.
Some of the available treatment strategies for stage II cancer patients are surgical operations and chemo, radiation, and hormonal therapies. Each of these strategies embraces a unique mode of operation, which collectively seeks to restrict cancerous tumors’ development to an intense level. For instance, chemotherapy restricts cancer cells’ development, especially by destroying the remaining cells that the previous surgical operations may have omitted. On the other hand, doctors apply hormonal therapy, especially the use of medication, to inhibit tumors’ presence –favoring hormones. Some of the medications for stage II cancer patients are fulvestrant, toremifene, and letrozole (Koo et al., 2020). However, recent and new technological innovations have led to other additional treatment options for stage II cancer patients, such as biological therapy.
Stage III Cancer
Stage III cancer is characterized by the presence of larger cancerous tumors. Most of the cancerous tumors in this stage will either have grown or spread to other nearby tissues. In some instances, they may also have spread to other lymph nodes. As such, the difference between stage II and stage III cancer is that the earlier has either spread or affected the nearby lymph nodes. However, the latter has its cancerous tumors spreading and affecting both the nearby tissues and lymph nodes, making it more intense and severe than stage II cancer.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
The diagnosis of stage III cancer examines three main concepts of the suspected cancerous tumor. First, the diagnosis seeks to determine the presence of the malignant tumors and their size, thus grouping it into the three categories of stage III, which are stages IIIA, IIIB, and IIIC. Secondly, this stage’s diagnosis aims to determine the spreading intensity of the tumor when focusing on the nearby lymph nodes, tissues, and organs. Lastly, the diagnosis seeks to investigate whether the cancerous tumor is metastatic cancer. Metastatic cancer refers to cancerous tumors that have spread their origin’s organ.
Stage IV Cancer
Stage IV is the last phase of cancer, with the malignant tumors being intense. At this stage, the tumor will more often have spread to other body organs, thus being metastatic or advanced cancer. For instance, malignant breast tumors will become metastatic in stage IV cancer by spreading to either other immediate or distant body parts such as the liver, bladder, and lungs. Another excellent example is metastatic prostate cancer, which spreads to other body parts like the bones, lungs, liver, and adrenal glands (Koo et al., 2020). Due to the possibility of spreading to other body parts, the malignant tumor is very intense and severe, making it very hard to cure and in some time control.
The diagnosis of stage IV cancer more often happens after years of either diagnosing or treating primary cancer. The diagnosis process involves various tests, collectively seeking to examine and determine the exact body parts that the malignant tumors have spread to. More so, the diagnosis seeks to determine the degree of spreading the malignant tumors in the entire patient’s body, thus enabling the physician to group the tumor either in stage IVA or IVB. Identifying the exact affected and spread areas of the malignant tumor dictates the best and most appropriate treatment strategy for a certain type of cancer. Thus, the treatment strategies of different cancer types vary at this stage, especially considering the affected new organs by the malignant tumors.
Cancer Patient’s Complications
Cancer patients are at the risk of experiencing numerous complications, with the three main ones being pain and breathing difficulties, unusual immune system reactions, and chemical changes in one’s body. Unusual immune system reactions happen through the cancer tumors attacking the patient’s healthy cells, a condition known as a paraneoplastic syndrome. The said reactions manifest in various ways, mainly by the patients experiencing either seizures or walking difficulties. Chemical changes complications often happen through cancer, upsetting the patient’s normal chemical balance (Chen et al., 2018). As a result, the patient encounters an increase in this risk of serious complications. The chemical changes on a patient’s body manifest through the presence of certain chemical imbalances such as frequent urination, confusion, excessive thirst, and constipation.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
Cancer patients are also at the risk of encountering pain and breathing difficulties. The pain will more often arise from either the malignant tumor or the applicable treatment strategies. However, there are effective approaches and medications for reducing cancer-related pain. On the other hand, breathing difficulties manifest through cancer patients experiencing short breaths. Nevertheless, there are certain applicable treatments for relieving patients from such breaths.
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Cancer Treatments Side Effects
Most cancer patients are at the risk of experiencing certain side effects arising from their use of the applicable and relative cancer treatments. Some of the side effects are nausea and vomiting, constipation, easy bruising and bleeding, anemia, fertility issues, sexual health issues, and concentration problems. There are a lot of these side effects, although they will vary based on specific cancer treatment. For instance, the American Cancer Society outlines hair loss, easy bruising, bleeding, and anemia are some of the main chemotherapy-related side effects. On the other hand, surgical operations of the affected lymph nodes resulted in the patients experiencing lymphedema. Other than the lymph node surgical operations, the United States Center for Diseases Control and Prevention ( CDC) reveals that cancer patients undergoing radiation treatment are at the risk of experiencing lymphedema. Lymphedema manifests through the patients developing fluid under their skin, resulting in some of their body parts swellings.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
Cancer-Related Psychological Effects on the Patients
Cancer patients are at the risk of experiencing stressful psychological incidences, which hinders their proper recovery and, at times, results in deterioration of their health status. For instance, relative research reveals lung cancer patients experience high rates of psychological symptoms, and the effects extend even to their family caregivers who experience intense distress (Mosher et al., 2015). More often, the psychological effects will arise from the malignant tumor’s physical, hectic social effects. Cancer patients embrace various strategies to cope with their cancerous conditions’ psychological effects, with some being harmful and others effective. However, cancer patients can embrace various effective and recommended strategies to lessen the psychological effects arising from their cancerous conditions.
Effective Coping Strategies for Cancer Psychological Effects
Some of the best strategies for lessening psychological effects combine physical exercise, use of medications, and healthcare workers’ intervention. Cancer patients can utilize detailed but personal-centered training on relaxation, mediation, and stress management. The patient can also use talk therapy and cancer-related counseling. More so, cancer patients can lessen the intensity and severity of cancer-related psychological effects through exercising, attending cancer education sessions, participating in cancer social support as well as taking anxiety or depression medications (Mosher et al., 2015). Although either of the mentioned strategies is effective, combining them would be an ideal move for such increase their effectiveness, thus easily lessening the psychological effects.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
High Cancer Morbidity and Mortality rates Risk factors
There are certain risk factors for increased cancer morbidity and mortality rates among Americans. Such risk factors touch Americans’ behaviors and lifestyles. Some of the main risk factors associated with high cancer mortality rates include physical inactivity, overweight, overuse of alcohol, tobacco use, and poor diet (Sauer et al., 2019). These risk factors vary in influence towards the cancer morbidity and mortality rates among Americans. For instance, smoking and secondhand exposure to tobacco smoke results in approximately 90% of lung cancer deaths in the United States. On the other hand, with over 72% of the Americans being obese or overweight, the United States Center for Disease Control and Prevention unveils their high risk of becoming cancerous, for both overweight and obesity associate with more than 13 cancer types, including breast cancer, colorectal cancer, and endometrial cancer. Another risk factor for increased cancer mortality rates among the American is their exposure to tanning beds and sun. The United States Center for Diseases Control and Prevention enlightens on the Americans’ exposure to sun and tanning beds places them at the risk of ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light has been associated as the major cause of skin cancer in the United States.
The American Cancer Society can provide cancer-related education by using various avenues such as social media, websites, and one-on-one in cancer clinics. Using such diverse channels would enable the American Cancer Society to effectively offer cancer-related education to the patients and the immediate society. When doing so, I recommend the American Cancer Society to consider initiating and encouraging the application of telehealth delivery, especially for cancer patients (Cox et al., 2017). Doing so would enable the cancer patients to access cancer-related services and education from their home, without traveling, especially in the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic where there have been movement-related restrictive measures.
References
Mosher, C. E., Ott, M. A., Hanna, N., Jalal, S. I., & Champion, V. L. (2015). Coping with physical and psychological symptoms: a qualitative study of advanced lung cancer patients and their family caregivers. Supportive Care in Cancer, 23(7), 2053-2060.
Akram, M., Iqbal, M., Daniyal, M., & Khan, A. U. (2017). Awareness and current knowledge of breast cancer. Biological research, 50(1), 33.
Sauer, A. G., Siegel, R. L., Jemal, A., & Fedewa, S. A. (2019). Current prevalence of major cancer risk factors and screening test use in the United States: disparities by education and race/ethnicity. Cancer Epidemiology and Prevention Biomarkers, 28(4), 629-642.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
Cox, A., Lucas, G., Marcu, A., Piano, M., Grosvenor, W., Mold, F., … & Ream, E. (2017). Cancer survivors’ experience with telehealth: a systematic review and thematic synthesis. Journal of medical Internet research, 19(1), e11.
Chen, L., Deng, H., Cui, H., Fang, J., Zuo, Z., Deng, J., … & Zhao, L. (2018). Inflammatory responses and inflammation-associated diseases in organs. Oncotarget, 9(6), 7204.
Koo, M. M., Swann, R., McPhail, S., Abel, G. A., Elliss-Brookes, L., Rubin, G. P., & Lyratzopoulos, G. (2020). Presenting symptoms of cancer and stage at diagnosis: evidence from a cross-sectional, population-based study. The Lancet Oncology, 21(1), 73-79.
The nursing process is a tool that puts knowledge into practice. By utilizing this systematic problem-solving method, nurses can determine the health care needs of an individual and provide personalized care.
Write a paper (1,750-2,000 words) on cancer and approach to care based on the utilization of the nursing process. Include the following in your paper:
- Describe the diagnosis and staging of cancer.
- Describe at least three complications of cancer, the side effects of treatment, and methods to lessen physical and psychological effects.
- Discuss what factors contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans.
- Explain how the American Cancer Society (ACS) might provide education and support. What ACS services would you recommend and why?
- Explain how the nursing process is utilized to provide safe and effective care for cancer patients across the life span. Your explanation should include each of the five phases and demonstrate the delivery of holistic and patient-focused care.
- Discuss how undergraduate education in liberal arts and science studies contributes to the foundation of nursing knowledge and prepares nurses to work with patients utilizing the nursing process. Consider mathematics, social and physical sciences, and science studies as an interdisciplinary research area.Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects
You are required to cite to a minimum of four sources to complete this assignment. Sources must be published within the last 5 years and appropriate for the assignment criteria and relevant to nursing practice.
Prepare this assignment according to the guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.
This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.
You are required to submit this assignment to Lopes Write. Refer to the Lopes Write Technical Support articles for assistance.
Benchmark Information
This benchmark assignment assesses the following programmatic competencies: Exploring the Cancer and Its Relative Aspects