Assignment: Approach to Care

Cancer
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Table of Contents
HYPER13 HYPERLINK \l "__RefHeading___Toc384565326"HYPER141.0 Introduction2
2.0Approach to Care2
3.0 Cancer Diagnosis4
4.0 Cancer staging5
5.0 Cancer complication:6
5.1 Resurgence6
5.2 Immune system reaction6
5.3 Nervous complications6
6.0 References7
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1.0 Introduction
The word cancer refers to a group of diseases that are related to malignant cells and neoplasm. These tumors have been found to affect various organs of the body and most common ones are the lungs, stomach, breasts, bones and cervix among others. These abnormal cells that have uncontrolled growth patterns and invasive characteristics are developed through the interaction of the genetics of the person and the physical, biological and chemical agents in the environment. When these aspects of the environment and genetics combine with cellular injuries, there is inflammation as the cells try to repair the damage. Today, cancer is one of the leading causes of death at the global scale, with more than 12 million deaths annually (World Health Organization, 2014). As of the year 2012, lung cancer was the leading type of malignant tumors leading to more than 1.59 million deaths. Cancer of the liver in the same year claimed more than 745,000 lives while the stomach cancer took away more than 720,000 lives. Closely behind was the colorectal cancer with more than 694,000 deaths, while breast cancer took more than 520,000 lives and the esophageal cancer led to 400,000 deaths.
2.0Approach to Care
Given the fact that cancerous diseases are caused by a variety of factors including environment, genetics and the biological factors, physical and chemical changes in the body; the treatment and the management approach should also be multifaceted. As such, other than treating the disease, there is need to develop strategies that can evaluate the other coexisting diseases, health habits of the patient and the measures that are used in the prevention of the diseases. One of the core aspects in cancer management is that of being multidisciplinary. Caring for the cancer patient is best done by a team rather than an individual. This means that the medical oncologists, registered dieticians, rehab therapists, counselors, physicians, radiation and surgery team members are working closely to make sure that the patient is attended to in the best manner possible, that bring relief and comfort to the patient and where possible healing to the patient and the family physically and emotionally.
With a multifaceted team, there is an array of skills, experience and judgments that are applicable in any given situation. This also means that, the patient has a higher rate of survival unlike where the patient is taken care of by a single medic. With every patient that suffers from cancer, there is an element of uniqueness, meaning that every other patient is different. With a multidisciplinary team, it is much easier to define the treatment that the patient is going to undergo, as well as the management plan that is to be applied. With this kind of approach, the patient is not only treated for cancer, but also the family is helped to develop stable emotional, social and the physical health. At the core of a multidisciplinary approach is the patient's involvement.
For the management team that is working on a specific patient, they should make sure that they meet as regularly as possible. This will ensure that they have enough time to review the progress of the patient and all the while, they have time to redesign the management plan of the patient in question, with reference to the patient's progress. It also makes it easier to coordinate the therapy time lines, surgeries and social contact. Every patient regardless of their condition or disease requires social contact for the benefit of their emotional and social stability. Other than involving him in the treatment plan, there is also need for the patient to interact with the family and friends to give him/her social comfort.
3.0 Cancer Diagnosis
When it comes to the diagnosis of cancer, there is not a single accepted test that is do...