Benchmark - Nursing Process: Approach to Care

Cancer
Name
Institution
Due Date
Cancer
1 Introduction
Cancer is the abnormal growth of cells in the body which can spread (metastases) to other parts of the body. Humans are affected by over 100 types of cancer and they have myriad symptoms which include but are not limited to lumps (especially in breast cancer), unexplained weight loss, nausea, abnormal bleeding, change in bowel movements, coughing and difficulty in breathing, etc. These symptoms are different for different types of cancer. Cancer is the second leading cause of death globally and is responsible for an estimated 9.6 million deaths in 2018 CITATION Wor18 \l 1033 (World Health Organization , 2018). Though treatment of cancer is possible, the chances of survival are highly depended on when it is detected. Studies have shown that cancer has risk factors which include; high body mass index, low fruit and vegetable intake, lack of physical activity, tobacco use, and alcohol use. Tobacco is the leading risk factor and accounts for nearly 22% of cancer deaths CITATION Wor18 \l 1033 (World Health Organization , 2018). Cancer has a high economic cost and it has stymied development in low- and middle-income countries where it is prevalent. In 2010, the total annual economic cost of cancer was estimated at approximately US$ 1.16 trillion CITATION Wor18 \l 1033 (World Health Organization , 2018).
2 The staging & diagnosis process of cancer.
Patients with cancer are discovered by a doctor either during screening or if the patient has certain symptoms. The doctor can continue asking about the family background (cancer is genetic) and medical history and also perform a physical exam. Further, to be sure the doctor can order a biopsy and other lab tests and imaging scans to be sure beyond any reasonable doubt. If the tests are positive, the doctor can request further exams and tests to establish the extent to which it has spread or which stage it is in.
Staging of cancer
CITATION Nat15 \l 1033 (National Cancer Institute, 2015) defines a cancer stage as ‘to the extent of your cancer, such as how large the tumor is, and if it has spread.‘ After establishing the stage of cancer, the doctor can understand how serious cancer is, advice on the best treatment approach and identify the best clinical trials that can help manage or eradicate cancer. One of the common cancers staging system is the TNM. The CITATION Nat15 \l 1033 (National Cancer Institute, 2015) describes the stages in the following manner;
T- size and extent of the main tumor.
N- the number of nearby lymph nodes that have cancer.
M- refers to whether cancer has metastasized.
To further detail the extent of cancer, the Letters described above have other notations i.e TX, T0), T1 Or NX, N), N1 to describe the stage of cancer.
The other commonly used staging system is classified into four groups. The doctor can describe cancer as either in Stage I, Stage II, Stage III or Stage IV
Stage I – Means there are abnormal cells present in a tissue but they have not spread to any nearby tissue
Stage II – in this stage, cancer has spread to nearby tissue and it may have reached the lymph nodes.
Stage III – Depending on the cancer type, it may have multiple tumors. It is usually grown into a specific size and it has spread to nearby lymph nodes, organs, and tissues.
Stage IV – this means it has spread to other distant parts of the body
3 Three cancer complications, Treatment Side effects and measures to lessen physical and psychological effects.
Cancer complications are related to the kind of cancer the patient is suffering from and there are as many types of complications as there are cancers. Some of these complications are described below;
Weight loss – this tends to cut across many types of cancer. Cancerous cells need glucose and nutrients from their host and they compete for these resources with healthy normal cells. This deprives normal cells nutrients and leads to weight loss.
Difficulty in breathing – this is common with lung cancer or any other cancer that affects the respiratory system or nearby organs. The patient feels short of breath.
Diarrhea or constipation – this is common with cancers that affect the digestion system such as colon cancer. I.e. colon cancer can cause blockage f the colon and cause constipation.
Side effects of cancer treatment
Common side effects of cancer treatment process:
Fatigue – patients undergoing radiation and chemotherapy have reported feeling fatigued. It is a temporary side effect of these treatment approaches. To reduce fatigue, patients are advised to get adequate sleep and rest, eat healthily, avoid stress and stay active.
Hair loss – chemotherapy also and unavoidably targets rapidly growing hair cells. Hair follicle cells are some of the fastest-growing cells in the body and hence chemotherapy slows them down leading to hair loss. There is no standard way of preventing hair loss but good hair care may slow the hair loss.
Nausea and vomiting – this is mainly caused by chemotherapy that affects the normal chemical balance of the body. To lessen these effects, the patient can take anti-nausea drugs or take a small quantity of meals.
4 The factors that contribute to the yearly incidence and mortality rates of various cancers in Americans.
These are some of the factors that contribute to higher cancer cases and their mortality thereof;
High body mass index – most American are obese. The High BMI is a cancer risk and there is a strong correlation of increase in cancer cases and the average BMI of Americans CITATION Sun19 \l 1033 (Sung, et al., 2019).
Low fruit and vegetable intake – Fewer Americans are conscious of their diet. With the availability of the many fast food stores all around the country, more people are eating unhealthily and hence have low fruit and vegetable intake. i.e Consumption of fried fast food items was significantly linked with an increased risk of developing CRC in Jordan CITATION Tay18 \l 1033 (Tayyem, et al., 2018).
Lack of physical activity – many Americans do not do physical exercise that helps to burn out excess calories and reduce the prevalence of obesity which is a cancer risk. Prevalence of a sedentary lifestyle is a multifaceted problem among Americans and deeply ingrained in the American culture and lifestyle CITATION Yan19 \l 1033 (Yang, et al., 2019).
Tobacco use – there are a high number of smokers in America. There is even a higher number of secondary smokers and tobaccos is the leading cancer risk factor CITATION LoC18 \l 1033 (LoConte, Brewster, Kaur, Janette K. Merrill, & Alberg, 2018).
Alcohol use – alcohol is a cancer risk and the alcohol industry in American is thriving very well due to local demand and consumption CITATION LoC18 \l 1033 (LoConte, Brewster, Kaur, Janette K. Merrill, & Alberg, 2018). Consumption of alcohol the other aforementioned factors continue to lead to increased yearly cancer incidences and mortality.
5 How does the American Cancer Society (ACS) provide education and support and the recommendable services offered by ACS
Education and support for cancer patients and families is indeed crucial. By educating the public about cancer, countries could spend less money on healthcare. As more people become educated, it becomes easier to respond to calls to liv...