Mastectomy Essay

A study conducted by Wilner et al. of 145 patients with loco regional recurrences after mastectomy had concluded that a better 5 year survival was for patients with only axillary lymph node recurrences (50%), compared with those with supraclavicular lymph node recurrence (28%) and combined chest wall with axillary recurrences (28%). Only 5% had 5 year survival

Cancer is Chronic disease in which abnormal cells divide without control and are able to invade other tissues. Cancer cells can spread to other parts of the body through the blood and lymph systems (NCI, 2013). Breast cancer in particular affects both women and men, though our focus is on Ella Miller who is the heart of the Miller family. Ella has been battling cancer for years now and even though she went into remission, the cancer has returned. This Situation is affecting her view on life and well as her family view on life with and without her. The purpose of this paper is to inform and introduce factual background of breast cancer, medical treatment options, suggestions of coping with this illness for the family and Ella as well as an outlook regarding the micro, macro and mezzo influences of the patient and family. This paper will educate Ella and her family on lifespan development and outcomes pertaining to breast cancer.

Women may experience a range of emotions with the diagnosis as well as throughout the treatment as a result of breast cancer, such as: sadness, anger, fear and guilt. Therefore, it is essential to closely monitor the client for their psychosocial adjustment to the diagnosis and treatment, and identifying those that need further psychological interventions (Boehmke & Dickerson, 2006). This includes being aware of the impact the diagnosis will have on the family members and loved ones; as their support is warranted as possible caregivers during the process. Appropriate nursing diagnoses for a woman with a new verdict of breast cancer may include (but not limited to): disturbed body image related to loss of hair due to chemotherapy; fear related to the diagnosis and prognosis of the disease; and knowledge deficit of cancer treatment options and reconstructive surgery. Other diagnosis will be added and removed as the patient decides if she wants treatment; and the psychological, psychosocial, and physical changes that may affect her quality of life. For instance, after a mastectomy the patient may have a nursing diagnosis of: risk for disturbed body

Breast cancer has been acknowledged for centuries, with records dating as far back as the ancient Egyptians, over 3500 years ago (1). However diagnosis, research and progress throughout history have been slow due to it being a matter of taboo and humiliation. In 1957 the idea of surgically removing the tumours was suggested by Henri Le Dran, introducing mastectomy to the 20th century; the first scientific step in acting against cancer. Radical mastectomy lengthened survival, however was often declined due to the disfigurement left behind. To overcome this, Bernard Fisher published results from ‘breast conserving’ surgery accompanied by radiation or chemotherapy, which were ‘just as effective’ as a radical mastectomy (1).

In the last years, Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) has become a very popular method used for the early detection of breast cancer, because it has greater sensibility than mammography. But, opponents of MRI are concerned about this type of examination because of the belief that it may increase rates of mastectomy. However, different studies have been performed and no proof of this has been recorded (Dang and Zaguiyan et al 937). Although many people think that mastectomy may increase with MRI’s, I feel that these types of screenings should be more recommendable for women at high risk for breast cancer, because cancer, if not treated on time might be fatal.

List the factors in the patient’s history that increase the risk of developing breast cancer.

The main limitation in this study is the small sampling of Caucasian female study participants from one Midwest breast cancer center. More research in other parts of the country needs to be completed for a more accurately portrayed study.

* "According to the National Alliance of Breast Cancer Organizations, breast cancer is the second most common form of cancer in women in the United States, falling only behind skin cancers. This is why it is such an important disease to understand. Throughout this speech there will be information about various issues which deal with breast

Breast cancer is also another very prevalent disease that affects many women worldwide. However, with modern technology, it is easy to identify those women who are at high-risk for developing breast cancer through looking at mutations in the BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. This can be very controversial, due to the fact that once women find that they’re positive for the gene mutations, they may choose to undergo a prophylactic mastectomy. In doing so, a woman can decrease her risk of developing breast cancer by 90%-95% (McQuirter, Castiglia, Loiselle, & Wong, 2010, p. 313). However, issues such as surgical complications and body image concerns prevent many women from choosing such an option. This study focused on exploring the process of making a decision

Breast cancer constitutes the second most prevalent cancer most common among women of the world with an estimated 1.62 million reported cases in 2012 which constitutes 25% of all cancer cases and ranks fifth among mortality due to cancer (Ferlay et al., 2015). In the United States, according to American Cancer Society an

Breast cancer is the second most common cancer in the world (Breast). Every three minutes a woman is diagnosed: one in eight women will have breast cancer (Walgreens, 2011; Chen, 2010). “I have to admit, like so many women, I always knew there was a chance. But like so many women, I never thought it would be me. I never thought I'd hear those devastating words: 'You have breast cancer.' “- Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a democratic representative of Florida (2011).

90 Patients ASA physical status 1-3 aged between 18 and 60 years scheduled for modified radical mastectomy were included in this study and all the patients signed an informed consent for the procedure. Exclusion criteria was settled to include patients with history of advanced cardiac disease, sepsis, patients with prior surgery in areas above or below the clavicle or in the axillary region, those with opioid dependence or alcohol or drug abuse, those with coagulopathy, and those with psychiatric illness that prevent them from proper perception and assessment of pain.

Description of the literature. The first theme to be reviewed was coping with possible breast cancer diagnosis. The article was written by Sigrunn Drageset and Torill Lindstrom (2005), it examined the relationship between demographic characteristics, social support, anxiety, coping and defence among women with possible breast cancer. This study entailed a quantitative, non-experimental, cross-correlational survey: The investigators used a self-administered questionnaire from a convenience sample. The sample size consists of 117 women between the ages of 25 to 76 years with possible breast cancer who had undergone a breast biopsy under local anesthesia.

This paper will inform you of Breast Cancer. It is the most common form of cancer in women today but thanks to medical advances it is no longer the number one killer of women.

A descriptive cross sectional design was used. A total of 107 mastectomy survivors were selected using purposive sampling technique. Mastectomy survivors were interviewed by using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer- Quality of Life Questionnaire-EORTC QLQ C-30 and EORTC QLQ BR-23 to assess survivor’s quality of life.