Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer
Across the globe, cancer is a leading cause of death and is associated with a range of symptoms. A patient with symptoms will have to undergo physical tests, which will be supported by several tests and other procedures to establish the cause of the indications. During these procedures, the doctor is attempting to carry out a diagnosis (Koo et al., 2019). After conducting the diagnosis, the doctor will proceed to the next stage, which is cancer staging. During staging, the doctor attempts to ascertain the anatomic extent of the disease as at diagnosis (Brierley et al., 2016). Staging thus will help the medical team to understand the seriousness of the diseases, lay down a plan for appropriate treatment, and identify clinical trials that are available for a given patient. According to Brierley et al. (2016), cancer staging can be accomplished through technologies such as TNM, whereby T gives the magnitude of the main tumor while N indicates the number of the nearby lymph nodes affected by the disease. Differently, M is a pointer to whether cancer has spread from the tumor to other parts.
Cancer Complications
People suffering from cancer are often at a heightened risk of developing severe complications due to the underlying condition or treatment methods. Weight loss is one of the common complications associated with cancer. According to Hager (2016), weight loss in a cancer patient is triggered by pathophysiologic changes. Maintaining a balanced nutritional status is crucial in preventing weight loss in cancer patients. Oncology treatment often overwhelms a patient's nutritional reserve, which lays a foundation for malnutrition. Pain is the other complication that is characteristic of cancer patients. Pain occurs due to the chronic and progressive nature of cancer diseases, which is related to tissue damage (Chwistek, 2017). Tissue damage stems either from cancer itself or the treatment methods being used. Chronic pain due to cancer is a significant challenge to the management of different cancerous conditions in patients. It is, however, important to note that triggers of pain are multifactorial and intricate. As such, they are likely to vary from factors related to the tumor, host, and medication procedures. Chemical changes in the body of a patient are the other notable complication (Chwistek, 2017). The disease can destabilize the normal chemical balance in a patient's body, thus risking an increase in other serious complications.
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Side Effects of Cancer Treatment
Cancer treatments have detrimental side effects, which are issues that arise when drugs impact the functioning of healthy tissues and organs. Some of the side effects are anemia, loss of appetite, and lymphedema. Anemia is characterized by tiredness, shortness of breath, and headaches, among other signs. Anemia has remarkable adverse impacts on a patient's quality of life and diagnosis (Busti et al., 2018). When a patient becomes anemic, their blood cells count decreases, thus creating an oxygen deficit in the body. Due to certain cancer medications, the appetite of a patient may decline, which is worsened by problems in the throat and mouth (Hager, 2016). Nutrition is extremely critical in cancer management but can also be impeded by oncology treatment, which triggers malnutrition. Lymphedema, on its part, is the condition that is characterized by improper draining of lymph fluid. Cancer treatment may interfere with the working of lymph nodes and their drainage system causing lymph fluid to build up in tissues (Paiva & Dutra, 2016). The lymphedema can occur during treatment or years after a patient completed the primary treatment cycle.
Methods to Lessen Physical and Psychological Effects
Cancer patients undergo severe physical and psychological effects due to the disease itself and medications. There is thus a need to have approaches that can aid the patients in coping with these issues associated with cancer diseases. Relieving these side effects is a critical part of cancer care. Physical exhaustion due to anemia can be managed by saving energy through setting time for balanced rest. During these rests, the body will be able to maximally use the available oxygen. Also, patients can try to maintain their normal routines, which will help them manage their emotional reactions to illnesses. Nevertheless, this approach should be coupled with the previous one of not exerting undue physical strain on their body ( Parás-Bravo et al., 2017 ). Mental coping strategies are other ways that patients can use to cope with both physical and emotional impacts ( Zhang et al., 2016 ). For example, a patient can streamline their expectation to the reality of their medical condition. In line with this, one can choose to maintain positivity by having a robust emotional support system. Family and friends will be crucial to offer much needed emotional support.
Factors Contributing to the Incidence and Mortality Rates of Various Cancer in America
In the USA, cancer is the leading cause of mortality, with many types of the disease being preventable when detected early. Smoking, obesity, consuming too much alcohol, and being excessively exposed to UV radiation from the sun are the leading causes of cancer in the US. Smoking and exposure to second-hand smoke are attributed to 90% of deaths due to lung cancer (“ Cancers," 2019 ). Smoking is also associated with cancers of the larynx, mouth, kidney, cervix, colon, and stomach, among others. People exposed to second-hand smoke have a risk of between 20% and 30% of developing cancer (“ Cancers," 2019 ). Extreme exposure to sun's UV is the cause of leading cancer in the US, Skin cancer. For example, melanoma, the deadliest skin cancer, is as a result of exposure to ultraviolet light. Last, overweight and obesity are linked to more than 13 kinds of cancer. Some of these cancers include breast cancer, uterine cancer, and colorectal cancer. Obesity and overweight are responsible for almost 40 percent of the diagnosed cancers in the US. The situation is worsened by the fact that more than 40 percent of adults are obese, while over 70% are either overweight or obese (“ Cancers," 2019 ). If the research, policymakers, and medical professionals focus on these factors, it will be possible to reduce cancer incidences and associated mortality rates in the country.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
The American Cancer Society is an advocacy-based group that focuses on ensuring that the nation makes cancer a priority. Society gives information on different types of cancer that are rampant in the USA, such as prostate, skin, breast, and lung cancer. ACS can provide education by carrying our campaigns across the entire US. This can be achieved by having programs running in the media, have seminars with institutions, and provide those in cancer research with timely and factual data (“ American Cancer Society," 2020 ). Two ACS services on cancer are recommendable, ride to treatment, and online support communities. ACS provides transport for people who have scheduled treatment appointments but do not have means. But due to the current Covid-19 pandemic, they have temporarily suspended this service. Last, ACS provides online support programs for those who have been impacted by cancer either directly or indirectly (“ American Cancer Society," 2020 ). People with different cancers and their caregivers should take advantage of online support programs provided by ACS.
The Nursing Process's Five-Step Application
The nursing process is a uniting factor for different types of nurses in their varied job designations. It uses a five-step application process with providing holistic and patient-centered care being the motivating factor. During an assessment, a nurse will systematically and dynamically collect and analyze the information provided by a patient. Such data will include sociocultural, economic, and psychological, among others. Second, during diagnosis, the nurse will make a clinical judgment on the basis of data provided to arrive at the medical problem (“ The Nursing Process," 2020 ). Diagnosis will include other secondary impacts of the medical problem, such as poor nutrition and anxiety. Outcome and planning is the third step, which involves setting determinate and attainable goals, both long-term and short-term. For instance, maintaining proper nutrition and having counseling sessions. The fourth step is the implementation, which is based on the care plan but documented in the client's record. The implementation also focuses on continuity of care for the patient. Assessment is the last stage, which entails reviewing the patient's status and how effective nursing care was, thus having the basis for revising the care plan (“ The Nursing Process," 2020 ).
Contributions of Arts and Science Studies to Foundations of Nursing Knowledge
The field of nursing cannot operate in isolation without relying on other disciplines such as arts and science. Nursing is a profession that has caring as its key pillar, and thus there must be an understanding, unity, and connection between a nurse and a patient. Art comes in where task-oriented care is required in nursing. Nursing students must reap from the intertwining of the arts and science of nursing (Duran & Centinkaya-Uslusoy, 2015). Arts will help nurses understand a concept such as human emotions as they are central to nursing practice. Similarly, nurses need to be conversant with mathematical calculations since they need such knowledge to calculate does and administer medications. Nurses also need physical science knowledge for them to be able to discharge their mandate appropriately. Nurses will more than often be required to make decisions based on scientific information such as lab reports. On the social science front, nurses are interested in the welfare of individuals within society. Nurses must, therefore, understand social science dynamics such as sociology, psychology, economics, and politics, among others. For nursing to become a holistic career, curriculum developers must consider nursing, social and physical sciences, and mathematics as an interdisciplinary research area.
References
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