Complications Of Cancer And Treatments

(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.

C. Main Point 3: Depending on the stage of cancer, treatments can vary. I will be telling you a few important facts provided by NationalBreastCancer.org to know going into treatments and also the different types.

When first considering cancer treatment plans, it helps to understand your general options. Types of cancer treatment can be categorized into four modalities: Medical, surgical, radiation, and chemotherapy. Examples of medical options include chemical medicines, immunotherapy, and biological/endocrine therapy. Many surgical options can be minimally invasive and utilize modern technologies to better suit the patient's personalized treatment plan. While you may have heard of radiation and chemotherapy, you may not realize the recent advancements that improve these therapies, creating healthy, successful outcomes every day.

Over the last decade, medicine has acknowledged the psychosocial impact of cancer treatments on patients, to the point that it has become a subject of psycho-medical research. Chemotherapy-induced alopecia (CIA) is a physical condition that can have profound psychosocial consequences, leading to a negative body image, lowered self-esteem, and a reduced sense of well-being. Patients, women who fear alopecia in particular, may sometimes refuse or select another treatment that lower the risk of baldness. In her testimony, Lori, a breast cancer patient, expresses a common feeling for women with cancer: “The worst part of this entire experience [cancer], is losing my hair [….] The chemotherapy would be so much easier if I had my own hair. I appreciate

There are basically four different types of treatments used on patients with cancer of the

In 2010, Elshamy, El-Hadidi, El-Roby, & Fouda have completed a study to determine the health hazards exposed to chemotherapy drugs among nurses, identify potential risk factors that may predispose nurses to chemotherapy hazards; and evaluate the availability and us of protective measures in clinical practice. Based on the research, abortions, infertility, premature labor, and developmental and behavioral abnormalities among the children of the nurses are the most common adverse effects of chemotherapy to the nurses administering chemotherapy. Soft tissue injuries were also reported from spills and splashes. Urine samples of the nurses were mutagenic which could cause genetic changes to their off springs. Furthermore, the study stated that risky

These are just a few. Radiation therapy can damage normal, healthy cells near the cancer. Surgery can cause physical pain. Two of the biggest side effects of these cancer treatments are nausea and vomiting. Anemia is another big side effect of certain treatments which could result in feeling weak, tired, or short of breath. Lastly, some cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation may increase a person’s risk of developing a different type of cancer later in life.

There are chances, when patients do not want to get the above mentioned therapies done. This can happen when a patient feels that the side effects are more than the benefits. In such cases a doctor recommends comfort care that includes the treatment of the symptoms only, that caused by the cancer, like shortness of breath or pain.

According to “My cancer treatment in the US has given me even greater adoration for the NITS.” Many patients are struggling with their life. Such as, “ I have lost my hair, feeling in my fingertips, my house, in the sense of normal life, all from chemotherapy and proton therapy.” The results of chemotherapy affects your whole life and it changes your life not only physically but emotionally and financially too. According to livestrong.com many patients also deal with symptoms ongoing after treatment. Stating, “ During chemotherapy you may experience a variety of gastrointestinal, musculoskeletal, or constitutional symptoms”(Uddin n.pag). The symptoms from treatment really affect a person as a whole because their body is not functioning correctly or how it used to function. “ Live strong.com also states that, “ The most apparent in emotionally changing side effects associated with chemo treatment is Alopecia, The most apparent in emotionally changing side effects associated with chemo treatment is Alopecia, A medical condition which your hair falls out.” One cancer patients hair falls out it is the most devastating thing,especially for woman because it changes their looks which makes it very hard. Concluding, the results of treatment are very stressful for most patients and the more stress does not need to be added on because the patients are already battling

The treatment that the physician recommends depends on how advanced the cancer is. In many cases, doctors will recommend more than one treatment. Below is a list of some of the treatments available:

Whether a friend, family member, or personally, cancer affects millions each year. In fact, 1,685,210 individuals will be newly diagnosed by cancer and 595,690 will die from cancer in the year of 2016. 2 In order to receive a transplant, radiation, chemotherapy, immunosuppressive drugs, isolation, plus more are required in hopes to achieve success. The possibility of the unknown, the fear of rejection, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), looms throughout the minds of patients and challenges medical professionals. GVHD can begin at any time thus verifying the importance of nursing. GVHD is a condition that occurs when a donor’s bone marrow attacks the patient, which varies in organs and tissues. As a result, the affected organs or tissues lose their ability to function and increase the risk of infection for the recipient. Nurses are solely responsible for recognizing early signs of rejection during patient hospitalization, teaching patients how to recognize signs of rejection when at home, preventing infection, and vital to the overall health of an immunocompromised patient. GVHD varies depending on the length of the condition (acute or chronic). Nurses must be competent in assessing the multiple organ systems for rejection. To name a few, the skin, stomach, intestines, liver, joints, eyes, and lungs can be affected. Some signs of rejection include rashes, jaundice, abdominal discomfort, sores in mouth, trouble breathing, diarrhea, and nausea, in addition to others. Evaluating

Final treatment is the chemotherapy. Chemotherapy consists of the use of medications to get rid of cancer. This method is only used when the cancer has spread within the body. The side effects of chemotherapy can be very serious, but the side effects can also be treated with more medicines. Chemotherapy can be used in surgeries to make sure that the rest of the cancer is destroyed.

Oncology, a branch of science that deals with tumors and cancer, has always looked at cancer and its treatment through a biological lens. Cancer is a disease that develops when cells abnormally divide and multiply without control (Depression and Cancer). The treatment of cancer includes, but is not limited to, chemotherapy. This treatment aims to shrink tumors that result from unnecessary cells that keep dividing and multiplying. As chemotherapy only focuses on the biological treatment of cancer, the psychologically induced symptoms are left unattended. This paper would like to help by exposing the placebo phenomenon, such that hopefully in the future it could be used to achieve better living conditions for cancer patients. A

There are hundreds of types of cancers that are known of; anyone can get any kind of cancer. Cancer is an illness in where cells multiply nonstop. This multiplication of cells may lead to death (Insel and Roth 279). Ewing 's Sarcoma is a cancer that occurs in the bones which usually happens to younger people, but can still affect anyone. Tumors- an unusual growth in the body that can be cancerous- form on the bone. This is one of the most common bone cancers; however, not the most common cancer overall. It can occur in any bones in the human body- arms, legs, the spinal cord, chest bones. This cancer is no hereditary; it does not occur while in the womb and it is detectable after birth. Again, it usually affects children and teens but not when they are born (WebMD). A mutation on the twenty-second and eleventh chromosomes occurs; the genes on these chromosomes fuse together causing a mutation. This, again, is not hereditary. This cancer can be diagnosed through a physical examination- to check any prominent symptoms, blood test- to check the blood cell count, x-rays, or a biopsy. Testing for changes in the actual DNA makeup are also done to be sure that the cancer is present (Genetics Home Reference). This cancer usually happens more to white people than African American people, or any Pacific Islander. The risk factors are not exact but children ten or older and teenagers usually are most likely to get Ewing’s Sarcoma. Furthermore, this cancer is more prominent in males

An illness can change people’s life, and their view on everything that surrounds them. Sometimes an illness is the wakeup call somebody needed in their life. An illness can be what will make you realize that maybe you’re missing out on a lot in life. Or maybe that you’re not appreciating what you already have enough.