Chemotherapy Should Be Compulsory Essay

This memorandum is written to inform others on the topic of mature minors and medical decisions. This matter has come to the surface of major debate and concern recently. One specific court case, involving Cassandra Callender of Windsor Locks, Connecticut, has sparked much of that concern. Seventeen-year old Cassandra was diagnosed with stage-three Hodgkin's Lymphoma and told by several doctors that she would predictably die within two years without the rounds of chemotherapy they had recommended for her. With the treatment, there was an expected 85% chance of survival (Cassandra Callender). However, Cassandra’s mother kept switching her daughter’s doctors, constantly questioned the diagnosis they were making, and according to the commissioner of her case, had, “...failed to meet the medical needs’, of Cassandra”. Cassandra was taken from her home and placed in her cousin’s because of her mother’s medical neglect. Callender’s mother testified that she knew that her daughter had cancer and that it was something that needed to be taken seriously. She further testified that her daughter should begin the chemotherapy rounds as quick as possible. Medics came to Cassandra’s home, after being returned

Although all citizens are protected the by the United States Constitution, minors are categorized as a special group; preventing them from making decisions without their guardian’s consent. Thus, under the parameters set by the Constitution, at the age of sixteen, Wendy should not be permitted to refuse chemotherapy treatment. Contrarily, in some states, if Wendy establishes her independence from her parents or at least is able to demonstrate a high level of maturity, she may be allowed to dictate her medical treatment (Mernikoff, 2001).

The term chemotherapy is defined as: “The treatment of disease by means of chemicals that have a specific toxic effect upon the disease-producing microorganisms that selectively destroy cancerous tissue” (Dictionary of Cultural Literacy). When chemotherapy was first developed at the beginning

The analysis of data proved the hypothesis in that children with these two types of very serious childhood cancers are very costly to the families. The results also showed that length of stay, and higher overall cost was noted with the children who died. The research does not identify if these children had additional life saving interventions or if they were specifically involved with hospice or palliative care. The research also identified differences with admission into the PICU; a patient with leukemia admitted to the PICU indicated a seriously sick child. But an admission into the PICU for a child with a CNS tumor typically indicated an operable

The patient is Bob (name has been changed to protect confidentiality), a 15-year-old boy with leukemia who is taken care of by the nursing team, including myself in the oncology department of a general hospital. Bob was diagnosed with leukemia at the age of eleven years old and has been receiving treatment, consented by his parents ever since then.

Losing hair can be a very traumatizing experience for children who have cancer and are going through chemotherapy. Holly Christensen is making fairy tales come true for little girls battling cancer by making Disney princesses’ wigs for them.

Chemotherapy is uncomfortable and can very painful for as long as six months. There is no way for the doctors, the teen or the courts to know if the cancer can be cured or in what time. This case has several conflicts due to the many people involved in the dilemma. The first conflict is what the teen wants and what her rights are. Then consider the parent’s feelings and needs for their daughter. Finally, the healthcare individuals have a duty to the teen’s well-being and life

Not having a choice to say no to medical treatment should not be allowed. As a minor I can understand, but when your parents say reject a treatment and you are forced to still take it something is not right. 17-year-old Cassandra of Connecticut was forced to finish chemotherapy after both her and her mother rejected the treatment. There is something to say about this how you can be forced to treatment when not willingly wanting to and also how can a judge take someone a way from their mother and make them stay in the hospital for 6 months of treatment. Between the hospital executives and the state of Connecticut they’re a few ethical dilemmas.

There are many legal and ethical situations that healthcare providers will be faced with when providing medical treatment to either a child or an elderly adult. While there is often much discussion regarding the elderly and do not resuscitate orders, there are often times when the decisions for health care of a child may be overlooked. Some of the legal issues that may be faced by healthcare professionals are informed consent, confidentiality, reproductive services and child abuse. Patients have the right to decide what is done to their own bodies, but for children under eighteen, their parents decide for them. A major issue faced by healthcare professionals is parental refusal for treatment. Healthcare providers will be faced with many conflicting ethical and legal situations regarding refusal of a minor’s healthcare and treatment. These issues

The existing North American legal norms recognize parents as children’s guardians and therefore the legitimate decision-maker (Carnevale, 2007). However, parental authority is not absolute as the government has the right to intervene in the cases of neglect or abuse ( Carnevale, 2007). The ministry should have determined if the parents are competent to act as the primary decision-maker before making an action. Once their competence is tested, legal guardian must then decide for the best interest of the child. On one hand, full resuscitation measures could be maintained to ensure Mary Jane’s survival and try to reduce permanent injury much as possible. On the other hand, therapy could be partially or fully limited. The parents can decide to limit any form of treatment or to discontinue all current treatment on the basis that it is inflicting harm without a reasonable prospect of benefit. Thus, the parents face a dilemma: to continue all resuscitating treatment and hope for Mary Jane’s best possible recovery or withdraw life support and allow her to die.

(American Cancer Society [ACS], 2016, p. 1). Even though the number of people who die because of cancer is declining, much more research and education is needed for treatment and prevention. This paper will provide an overview of the general pathophysiology of cancer, including cancer diagnosis and staging. Three common clinical manifestations of cancer will also be discussed: pain, gastrointestinal changes, and unintended weight loss. Cancer treatments and their side effects, including pain, gastrointestinal and hematological changes, disfigurement, and depression are also discussed. Implications for nursing practice such as education, pain management techniques, patient education, and pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions will be addressed.

Chemotherapy is a very term used to describe a wide variety of several different ways to treat cancer. "Chemotherapy is treating cancer with drugs. But this is different from most kinds of drug therapy. Drugs that kill cancer do affect the rest of the patient's cells. Doctors try to work with what makes the cancer cells different to find ways to kill the cells without harm to the rest

* Chemotherapy: Using special medicines or drugs to shrink or kill the cancer, Drugs include pills or IV. (Maybe both)

There are many different type of cancers, there are also many different types of treatments. One of the most known types of treatments would be chemotherapy. Chemotherapy can be used for a wide range of different types of cancers and diseases, and each of the different types of cancers or diseases require a different group, and sometimes order, of chemicals to properly treat the cancer or disease. These chemicals include: Alkylating agents, Antimetabolites, Anthracyclines, Topoisomerase inhibitors, mitotic inhibitors, corticosteroids, and more. Each of these drugs previously listed have its own cancer type(s) or disease(s) that it can assist in treating. Some of these cancers include: Leukemia, Lymphoma, Hodgkin disease, multiple

When cancer treatment becomes no longer curative judgements and decisions need to be made on how to proceed with care. Clinicians balance the principles autonomy, beneficence and nonmaleficence in designing a care plan and patients, as autonomous beings, can make informed decisions based on information presented. But what happens when that patient is a minor (a person under the age of eighteen) who no longer wishes to continue with treatment? At what age does an adolescent demonstrate the cognitive ability and emotional maturity to fully understand the consequences of choosing or refusing medical treatment (Hickey, 2017)?