Cancer: Diagnosis and Staging - Essay Example

Cancer What is Cancer? Cancer is not a single disease. Cancer is a term “describing almost all forms of malignant neoplasia or if there are any new formations somewhere in the human body.” (Caudell, 1998) Neoplasms can continue to grow bigger even when the stimulus has ceased or the needs of the organism have been met. Cancers tend to make changes in the bodies’ cells and the cells need to proliferate and differentiate in the human body and make replacements with the old cells and make new cells. When there are issues that have gone wrong with the proliferation and differentiation this is when neoplasms form and take over the body. Cancer or neoplasms can be benign or malignant. Benign tumors are the ones that are slow growing, progressive, but could stop or even regress. They are usually encapsulated and do not usually move and they fail to metastasize to other sites. They look like the tissue they surround. Malignant tumors are rapid growers and spread widely throughout the body and they kill regardless of where they start in the body. Cancer cells are characterized by the following: they fail to undergo normal cell proliferation and differentiation. They are thought to develop from mutations that occur during the differentiation process. When a mutation occurs early in this process the tumor is poorly differentiated and highly malignant and when it occurs later and more differentiated they are less malignant. Since Cancer cells lack differentiation they do not function properly nor do they die within the time frame than normal cells do. “ Some other changes include alterations in contact inhibition, loss of cohesiveness and adhesion, impaired cell to cell communication, expression of altered tissue antigens and the elaborations of degradative enzymes that participate in an invasion and metastatic spread.” (Caudell, 1998). Oncogenesis is the way that normal cells are transformed into Cancer cells, and cancer disrupts tissue integrity. Cancer has many causes and has multiple risk factors or had many exposures to a single carcinogenic agent. Diagnosis and Staging Diagnosis and staging of Cancer are determined largely by the location and type of cancer suspected. There are a number of diagnostic procedures for Cancer. There are many and start with X-ray studies, Pap smears, Biopsy, Tumor markers and Polymerase Chain Reaction. Biopsy is the way that tissue diagnosis is made and while using this treatment plans are made for this disease. Tumor markers depend on its’ sensitivity, specificity, proportionality and feasibility of the cancer cells. Pap smears are mainly for detecting the presence of abnormal cells. Staging and grading of cancer cells are done according to the histologic or cellular characteristics. These methods are used to determine the course of the disease and to aid in the selecting an appropriate treatment or management plan. Clinical staging provides a means of getting information and relate it to the progress of the disease and the methods and success of treatment modalities and the prognosis can be communicated to others. The International Union Against Cancer and the American Joint Committee on Cancer Staging and End Stage Reporting is used by many cancer facilities. Chart of Classification System T (tumor) Tx Tumor cannot be adequately assessed T0 No evidence of primary tumor Tis Tumor insitu T 1-4 Progressive increase in tumor size or involvement N (nodes) Nx Regional lymph nodes cannot be assessed N0 No evidence of regional node metastasis N 1-3 Increasing involvement of regional lymph nodes M (metastasis) Mx Not assessed M0 No distant metastasis M1 Distant metastasis present, specify sites (Caudell, 1992) Cancer Treatment Treatment falls in three categories. They are curative, control and palliative. The common ways to stabilize cancer is surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormonal therapy and biotherapy. The cancer team is an interdisciplinary team ranging from the medical doctor, the oncologist, lab personnel, nurses, social workers, mental health counselors, dietary and spiritual staff. It takes many staff to help the cancer patient overcome the physical and mental aspects of this illness. Complications Many of the complications of this disease are basic but can be very dangerous for this patient. These problems can occur with many of these treatments like in Radiation therapy. In this form of cancer treatment the radiation does not know the difference between the cancer cells and the normal healthy cells. Some of the basic problems that occur are Anorexia, nausea, emesis (vomiting), and diarrhea. Skin problems may arise. Gastrointestinal problems and even bone marrow problems can occur. These problems can be helped with further medications and dietary measures. Other effects on the body include fatigue, profuse perspiration, chills and possible hair loss. There could also be problems with their blood count and infection. Physical and Psychological Care There are three ways to do this and they are as follows: provide proper physical care, teaching and counseling, and giving emotional support to patient and family. In dealing with the physical care of the patient nurses can teach the patient and/or the family how to care for the patient when dealing with colostomy care, dressing changes, or medication administration. The Cancer patient sometimes has to deal with Patient Controlled Analgesia (PCA pumps) for pain relief. (Starck, 1992) Cancer patients and their families will also need to talk to other persons to improve their emotional problems for taking care of Cancer victims is very hard physically and emotionally. Family members and the victim may have feelings of guilt. Family members may feel like why isn’t it them that have this disease and the victim feels guilty because they may have feelings of being a burden to them and that they are not living their lives and caring for them. Children and adults with this disease must be in contact with family and nurses and be able to keep consistent with this behavior to build a trusting relationship that allows communication for all physical and emotional issues that arise. (Wong, 1997) When dealing with Cancer the one thing that really matters is that you will continue to love and care for the patient and yourself. You can do this by joining support groups for the victim and yourself. In conclusion when working with Cancer survivors and patients just beginning their journeys you must build a trust and know how to provide the physical and emotional care. You must be able to expect the unexpected. You must be able to provide the necessary education to the patient and the family of how this disease progresses. You as a caregiver must stay updated for this disease changes or mutates over time. You are a caregiver and that means you are a caring person along with the team you are working with on this case. References Porth, Carol Mattson. (1998) Pathophysiology Concepts of Altered Health States, Chapter 5 Alterations in Cell Differentiation: Neoplasia by Kathryn Ann Caudell. Fifth Edition Lippincott Stanhope, Marcia & Lancaster, Jeanette (1992) Community Health Nursing Process and Practice for Promoting Health, Chapter 30 Young and Middle-Age Adults by Patricia L. Starck. Third Edition Mosby YearBook Wong, Donna L. (1997) Walley and Wong’s Essentials of Pediatric Nursing, Chapter 26 The Child with Hematologic or Immunologic Dysfunction Fifth Edition Mosby Read More