This paper will consider the diagnosis and staging of cancer, the complications of a disease, side effects of treatment, and methods to lessen psychological and physical effects of cancer treatments. Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer Diagnosis of cancer refers to the processes by which a physician determines the presence of cancer through screening or observing symptoms (Lee & Wood, 2010).
Screening and monitoring of symptoms does not require physicians to examine tissue samples, however medical tests are necessary when investigating and diagnosing suspected cancer in the patient.
The medical tests commonly include ultrasound, endoscopy, blood draws such as cancer marker tests, biopsies of area in question, Computed Tomography (CT) scans, X-rays, pap- smears, mammograms, (there are two new forms of mammography that are making news: Computed Tomography Laser Mammography and Full Field Digital Mammography).
(Lee & Wood, 2010).
Effective diagnosis will confirm the presence of cancer, determine the progress of cancer, and look for the suitable approach of its treatment.
Staging of cancer refers to the determination of the level at which cancer has progressed (Lee & Wood, 2010).
The TNM system is based on the extent of the tumor (T), the extent of spread to the lymph nodes (N), and the presence of distant metastasis (M).
A number is added to each letter to indicate the size or extent of the primary tumor and the extent of cancer spread. (National Cancer Institute At the National Institute of Health).
The Term Paper on Approach to Care of Cancer
... All these tests may suggest presence of cancer but to establish a definitive diagnosis and properly classify the disease biopsy is essential. A cancer diagnosis is ... in an individual patient. Staging considers the tumor size, extent of local growth, lymph node and organ involvement, and presence of distant metastases. ...
|Stage 0 |Carcinoma in situ. |Stage I, Stage II, and Stage|Higher numbers indicate more extensive disease: Larger tumor size and/or spread of the cancer beyond the | |III |organ in which it first developed to nearby lymph nodes and/or organs adjacent to the location of the | | |primary tumor. | |Stage IV |The cancer has spread to another organ(s).
| This is a significant determinant of cancer treatment and medical prognosis.
Physicians use a variety of techniques, including surgery, biopsy, Positron Emission Tomography (PET) scans, and CT scans, in order to determine the progress of cancer for its effective treatment (Lee & Wood, 2010).
Therefore, both invasive and non-invasive techniques allow for successful cancer staging. Cancer may lead to serious complications due to delayed treatment, especially when diagnosis and staging do not take place when cancer has not progressed extensively (Lee & Wood, 2010).
Complications of Cancer
Cancer and treatment of cancer can lead to a number of complications, which include severe pain, weight loss, decreased appetite, anxiety, depression, constipation, diarrhea, fatigue and breathing difficulty, just to mention a few (Jones, 1998).
Studies have shown that cancer and many medical interventions of cancer affect bowels and lead to constipation or diarrhea. Chemotherapy is a likely cause of diarrhea since it affects the intestinal linings. Constipation may take place because of pain and strong anticancer medications. This can also occur due to insufficient intake of fluids and fiber content in daily meals.
Fatigue is another complication that cancer patients experience before and during treatment (Jones, 1998).
It is among the most distressing complications of cancer and outcome from treatment interventions. The cause of fatigue during medical management includes radiation therapy or chemotherapy treatment. Breathing difficulty is a frequent complication that many lung cancer patients experience due to the cancer itself or cancer related treatments (Lee & Wood, 2010).
The growth of cancerous cells in lungs may block air passages, which will lead to suffocation.
The Essay on Lung Cancer Treatment Cough Lungs
LUNG CANCER Lung cancer is a carcinoma that develops in the epithelial cells that form the interior lining to the lungs. The airways get the most exposure to inhaled pollutants, thus most people who get lung cancer are smokers. Lung cancer is not just one disease. There are many types of cancer that form in the lungs most of which you can only see through a microscope. The most common cancer of ...
This is a serious complication and physicians have to look for a timely intervention strategy. Side Effects of Treatments Treatment of cancer causes a number of side effects including constipation, vomiting, delirium, insomnia, mouth sores, and fatigue as the frequent side effects (Lee & Wood, 2010).
Delirium is a condition that takes place when the brain malfunctions. Many patients who experience delirium can experience other problems such as perception disorder, attention deficit, emotion, decreased muscle control, walking and memory problems.
Another common symptom of cancer treatment is vomiting, which takes place due to various factors, such as taste, smell, anxiety, irritation or poor blood flow (Jones, 1998).
Some cancer patients develop mouth sores in the course of receiving chemotherapy treatment which further complicates issues with weight loss. Constipation is another symptom of cancer treatment among many patients. They experience a slowed movement of body wastes or stool through the large and small intestines. When the stool takes a long time to travel in the colon, it loses large quantities of water and becomes dry and hard.
Sleeping disorders is another widespread side effect of cancer treatment. Cancer patients experience the inability to sleep, as well as stay asleep for many hours (Lee & Wood, 2010).
They sleep excessively as compared to healthy people. Methods to Lessen Psychological and Physical Effects of Cancer Treatments Studies have shown that relaxation techniques have a significant effect on easing the side effects during cancer treatment (Payne, 2010).
Physicians can teach patients the adoption of relaxation techniques while they go through various hard-to-tolerate treatments of cancer.
This will help patients to cope with pain, nausea, vomiting and other disturbing symptoms. The relaxation techniques may include progressive mental imagery, muscle relaxation, and hypnosis (Payne, 2010).
Reduction techniques reduce psychological symptoms like anxiety, tension, and depression, unfortunately few treatment programs for cancer use relaxation techniques regularly. Research has shown that cancer patients ought to learn various relaxation techniques prior to receiving cancer treatments (Payne, 2010).
The Essay on Cancer Treatment Disease Radiation Surgery
In recent years Cancer is disease that has seemed to captivate and frighten Americans. Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the U. S. with more than 1 million new cases occurring a year. With each day scientific findings aid a better understanding of the causes of the disease. These findings have opened doors to help treat cancer patients more effectively. Scientists have gained a more ...
This leads to reduced anxiety more effectively than when cancer patients learn about relaxation techniques while going through aggressive cancer treatments. Relaxation techniques help cancer patients to attain physical control over their body and this will reduce anxiety, as well as responsiveness to unpleasant stimulations (Payne, 2010).
Therefore, relaxation techniques reduce both psychological and physical effects of cancer treatment. Physicians may also administer drugs that reduce the pain during painful cancer treatments, including chemotherapy.
Conclusion Cancer and its treatment are unpleasant experiences among cancer patients because of the symptoms they undergo. However cancer therapy has progressed considerably in recent years, and remarkable advancements has been made in reducing the morbidity and mortality from many types of cancer. An emerging concept is that cancer is possible to be a controllable disease, comparable to osteoporosis or even hypertension, and demand early detection, intermittent observation, and coordinated therapeutic medical care.
