Cancer is among the diseases that contribute to many deaths in the world. It affects people of all races, gender, religion, and demographics. Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (2014), provides that cancer is among the leading causes of death in the United States of America. While it has the potential to affect all persons, its chances of occurrence can be reduced by practicing healthy lifestyle, engaging in physical activities as well as practicing good eating habits. When cancer occurs, its effects can be alleviated with early diagnosis and treatment. Healthcare workers should have an understanding of how to diagnose various types of cancer, the stages, complications, and side effects that occur out of treatment as well as ways of reducing and psychological and physical effects of treatment.
Diagnosis of Cancer
Cancer can be referred as a collection of varied illnesses that mainly occur due to genetic and epigenetic alterations. The alterations results in a rapid growth of cells that is not in proportion to the growth of other cells. Cancer results in growths that spread rapidly to the rest of the body if diagnosed and treated late. The disease is painless at the initial stages thus making it difficult to diagnose. The rapid spread of the cancerous cells to other parts makes it difficult to treat the illness. The disease is sometimes detected during routine exams or when a screening test is done after a person complains of the symptoms. The diagnosis of cancer is based on the affected cells or tissues. For example, when cancer affects the blood-forming cells then it is known as leukemia, when it affects connective tissues it is referred to as sarcomas and when it affects the epithelial cells then it is known as carcinoma (McCance et al., 2010). Cancer diagnosis is possible when the signs begin to occur. The symptoms may differ depending on location as well as the degree of cancer. Most common symptoms include formation of an abnormal lump in a part of the body, voice changes, coughing up of blood, bleeding parts of the body, changing bowel habits, and/or difficulties in breathing. Other symptoms may include fatigue, hematuria, liver damage, and lack of coordination. Anyone who presents such symptoms should be taken for cancer tests immediately as early diagnosis helps in saving the lives of the affected persons.
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Staging of Cancer
Staging of cancer occurs after conducting diagnosis. Stages are based on the extent of the disease. The severity of the original lump in the body is examined as well as the extent of spread. The staging helps the physicians to come up with an elaborate plan of care that matches the condition of the patient. It also helps them to calculate an approximate prognosis. Staging of cancer is done in a variety of ways. It can be used to cover a large percentage of cancer or a specific kind of cancer. The staging systems considers location, size, the present tumors, effect of lymph node, as well as the cell type that is affected (American Cancer Society, 2015). TNM system has gained popularity because it is accepted by most international health institutions. The abbreviation represents tumor, lymph node involvement as well as presence of metastasis. There are five stages of cancer under the classification. Stage Zero is used to indicate when the carcinoma is in situ; and stage two up to three is used to represent the extent of the cancer, its size, spread to other areas and nearest organs as well as the involvement of lymph nodes (American Cancer Society, 2015). Stage four is used to represent the spread of cancer to distant organs.
Complications of Cancer
The complications presented by the disease vary from one individual to another. However, cancer has three universal complications that comprise loss of weight, pain and attack of normal body cells. There are a lot of other complications, though the three are the most common ones. Pain presents the most frightening complication Pain occurs due to treatment methods or the type of cancer. However, not all forms of cancer are painful. The occurrence of pain in cancer patients often leads to additional stress because the body may not be prepared to handle it (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Pain in cancer begins to be felt when the tumor spreads to other tissues or organs. It thus places pressure on the nerves resulting in nerve injuries. Anxiety, insomnia and fatigue can also influence pain. In most cancer patients, pain management becomes the main focus hence adequate pain management drugs are prescribed.
Weight loss is a common complication amongst cancer patients. It mainly occurs as a result of the cancer disease and the cancer medications. The weight loss occurs because cancerous cells take nutrients from the normal cells thus inhibiting normal growth (Mayo Clinic, 2017). Weight loss is difficult to manage because it is not dependent on the number of calories or the type of food that is consumed. In some cases, the patients have to be placed on gastronomy tubes to facilitate artificial nutrition. The type of nutrition becomes necessary when the patient cannot eat food in the normal way. In some cases, the physician might be forced to feed intravenously.
The existence of cancer in the body can result in an unusual immune system reaction since the healthy cells are being attacked. The attack of normal functioning cells in the body is referred to as paraneoplastic syndrome. The effect of the syndrome is adverse because it can eventually attack the neurological system of the affected person thus incapacitating most of their motor functions. The patient may be unable to walk properly or my experience mental problems. The syndrome may also induce seizures. It, however, occurs in very rare occasions.
Side Effects of Treatment
Cancer disease can be treated or managed through a variety of treatments. The option of treatment chosen for a patient is dependent on some factors that comprise cancer type, general health of patient, the cancer stage, as well as the patient preference for treatment (Mayo, 2017). The oncologist and the patient deliberate to determine the form of treatment that is most suitable for their type of cancer. The decisions on the type of treatment to be used are made based on advantages and disadvantages of each therapy to the patient.
The most common forms of treatment for cancer include chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Chemotherapy can sometimes be dangerous to a patient because it may affect even the healthy cells when administered (Cancer Center, 2016). The damage that is caused to the healthy cells results into various adverse effects that include hair loss, vomiting, infertility, or weakening of the immune system. Radiotherapy is administered through the skin to help in the treatment of internal tumors. It can lead to an itchy and irritated skin, throat pain as well as hoarseness.
Methods to lessen the Effects of Cancer
Patients with the disease often experience psychological and physical distress. Undergoing treatment of cancer is very hectic hence causes a toll on one’s emotions. According to Henther (2014), it is important for patients to learn how to cope up with such challenges. The patient may also experience extreme fatigue due to treatment of cancer. The fatigue caused by the disease is more serious compared to fatigue in normal life. Unlike normal tiredness, it is not caused by normal day activities or physical exercises. Therefore, taking a break does not help in managing it. It is advisable to counteract it with physical activities. Cancer can also result in psychological effects to a patient. Such effects can be overcome by developing a new outlook to life. The patient should focus on the things that they can change and avoid things that are impossible to change. The healthcare practitioners and family members should converse with the patient on cancer experience as it helps in relieving their psychological burden (Henther, 2014). The family can also enlist the use pf spiritual leaders to reduce psychological effects of cancer on the patient.
References
Cancer Center (2016, Jan. 01). Cancer Treatment Approach: Diagnosis, Options and Procedures. Retrieved from https://www.cancercenter.com/become-a-patient/patient-experience/our-difference
American Cancer Society (2015). Cancer Staging. Retrieved from https://www.cancer.org/treatment/understanding-your-diagnosis/staging.html
CDC (2014). Leading Causes of Death. Retrieved from CDC Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/lcod.htm
Henther (2014, Jan 01). Emotional/Psychological: Managing Cancer Treatment Side Effects. Retrieved from https://www.cancercenter.com/integrative-care/depression
Mayo Clinic (2017). Cancer Complications. Mayo Clinic . Retrieved from https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/symptoms-causes/syc-20370588
