Introduction
Cancer is not a new disease. For many years, people had been suffering from it. While there are many clinical trials on their way, cancer remains to put people in misery and pain. As such, it is important to have a definitive knowledge of cancer. The knowledge of cancer should cover its diagnosis, treatment, complications, and how all of its physical and physiological consequences may be minimized. Furthermore, this paper will cover all of the aforementioned knowledge regarding cancer and describe the approach to the care of cancer patients.
Body
Approach to Care of Cancer Patients
There are nearly 200 types of cancer and they are approached in different ways. Many cancers may be cured with the proper approach. The many symptoms and complications of the disease may likewise be addressed. The approach to cancer, largely depends on many factors, which includes the time it was diagnosed. There is no best way to address all of the types of cancer. Moreover, there are methods that are mainly used to approach and treat cancer. Among these methods are surgery, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and hormone therapy. These methods may be used on their own or combined with other methods. All of which depends on the cancer type and the patient (Cancer Council, n.d.).
The care of cancer patients is multidisciplinary. This means that a team from multiple disciplines are required to care for a cancer patient. The skills that from a multidisciplinary approach help to develop the care plan that will suit a particular patient. This approach is effective as a patient will not have to visit different specialists separately. Instead, they work as a team that consults each other. This means that all of the needs of a patient are addressed, which may include physical, medical, and emotional needs along with other relevant factors. This approach has been used in many other countries. Australia even consider this approach to be the best approach that can be used for caring for cancer patients (Cancer Council, n.d.).
A multidisciplinary approach reduces delays. These delays may come from the referrals or transfer from a facility to another. Doctors, specialists, and any other individual which is relevant to the well-being of a patient meets and agree upon a plan for treatment. Conflicts regarding their medical opinion may be settled easily when they work as a team. This approach likewise helps patients receive consistent and appropriate information regarding their health since the persons involved in this information work together and have considered the patients’ choices. Also, this approach was also reported to improve the emotional state of a patient. Moreover, a team often includes general practitioners, surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, nurses, psychological services, and other health care service providers. Depending on the case of a patient, the people in the team may be modified in order to attain the most efficient treatment (Cancer Council, n.d.).
Diagnosis
Cancer cannot be diagnosed through simple physical examinations. The doctors need many diagnostic procedures or screening tests to determine if a patient has cancer. If the patient manifest certain symptoms that usual medications could address, the doctor may probe into the family history of a patient. Cancer can be influenced by a person’s genetic disposition and the family history provides a quick view of a patient’s risk for developing cancer. Afterwards the doctors may order for you to undergo several laboratory tests, procedures, scans, and the like (National Cancer Institute, 2015).
The levels of specific compounds or substances in the body can possibly be a sign that an individual has cancer. Laboratory tests that take samples from an individual’s urine, blood, and other bodily fluids can indicate many things and help make a diagnosis of cancer. However, it should be noted that a laboratory test result that deviates from the normal outcomes is not definitive of cancer. There are many other diseases that may cause differences in the laboratory test results. As such, doctors use other methods to accurately diagnose cancer. Imaging procedures or procedures that provide images of areas within the human body can be of great help in the diagnosis of cancer. There are many types of imaging procedures and some of them are CT scan, nuclear scan, ultrasound, x-rays, PET scan, and MRI. Lastly, if imaging procedures do not definitively diagnose cancer, a biopsy may be performed. It is a procedure wherein tissues from the body are taken and subjected to microscopic analyses. It may be done through a surgery that will excise a tumor, an endoscopy that is used to survey the tumor using a tube, or a needle that will withdraw tissues. (National Cancer Institute, 2015).
Staging
In terms of cancer, a stage is the extent of the disease that describes the size of a tumor and the degree of the spread of cancer cells. The determination of the particular stage a patient’s cancer helps doctors. This is because the stage of the cancer determines the chances of recovery or survival and thus, helps doctors identify the most suitable treatment available. In some cases, the determination of the stage of cancer also helps to know if clinical trials may be applicable to patients (National Cancer Institute, 2015).
A common staging system for cancer is the TNM system, wherein T is for tumor, N is for node, and M is for metastasis. T describes the size of the cancer and its spread on nearby cells. It can be rated from 1 to 4 with 4 being the largest. N is the characterization whether the cancer had spread in the lymph nodes. It can be rated from 0 (not in the lymph nodes) to 3 with 3 (many lymph nodes with cancer). Lastly, M characterizes if the cancer had spread into other parts of the body which may either be 0 (no spread) or 1 (has spread). A number staging may also be used. In this system, doctors often write down the stages from a roman numeral 1 (I) to 4 (IV). In stage I, the cancer is small and has not spread to any organ. In stage II, the cancer has become larger, but have not spread. In stage III, the cancer is becoming increasingly large and started to spread to nearby tissues and some lymph nodes. Lastly, in stage IV, the cancer had spread to other organs and may be called metastatic (Cancer Research UK, 2014).
Complications
According to Mayo Clinic, cancer and the treatment used for a patient may result in the development of several complications. Among the many complications is pain. Not every type of cancer is painful, however, there are times when the treatment themselves cause the pain. Pain may managed by administering appropriate medications. Fatigue is also common for people diagnosed with cancer. In some cases, fatigue can be managed. Otherwise, fatigue from radiation therapy or chemotherapy is usual for cancer patients, but is not permanent. Like pain, fatigue may also be managed through medication and other therapies. Weight loss is also a common cancer complication since cancer cells deprive the body of the nutrients that it receives. For instance, in the calories that a patient takes in, the cancer cells manage to steal the necessary nutrients and lead to weight loss. In this case, the patient should be subjected to special diets with considerations for nutrition and the ability of the body to break down the nutrients. The immune system may react unusually to cancer cells. There are cases when the immune system responds to cancer cells by attacking the healthy cells. There are also rare cases when the immune system causes the body to have difficulties in motor functions and experience seizures (2015).
Treatment Side Effects
The treatments for cancer often cause undesired side effects. These side effects present themselves when the particular treatment being used by a patient does not only affect the cancer cells, but also healthy cells or tissues. Of course, side effect may vary depending on the person, despite their similarities in their treatment. Patients respond differently to treatments. While some may experience many side effects, there are some who experience only a few. There are many other factors at play in terms of side effects and they may include the type and frequency of treatments, age, and the current health conditions. Among the most usual side effects from cancer treatments are: appetite loss, anemia, constipation, bleeding, bruising, diarrhea, delirium, fatigue, edema, infections, hair loss or alopecia, lymphedema, problems in the mouth or the throat, memory problems, nerve problems, nausea, vomiting, pain, changes in the nail or skin, problems in urinating, and sleep problems (National Cancer Institute, 2015).
Minimizing Physical and Psychological Effects
As stated earlier, there are medications that may be provided to relieve the physical complications that may result from cancer. For instance, to manage pain and fatigue, doctors may prescribe appropriate medications that may help. Doctors may also administer medicines that could supplement the nutritional deficiencies of cancer patients. As such, in terms of the psychological effects of cancer, a multidisciplinary team may include a psychiatrist or a therapist that may help address psychological effects. A well rounded team is key to minimize any undesired effects of cancer and the treatments that may be used to combat it (Mayo Clinic, 2015). Moreover, to address the psychological effects of cancer, it may be recommended to engage the patients in optimistic conversations or join him or her in groups that may help motivate him or her to continue battling cancer. A healthy environment should be provided to the patient to help him or her recover fully.
Conclusion
Cancer is a disease which may be hard to manage and treat if the approach used is inappropriate. However, if one opts to adopt a multidisciplinary approach, the likelihood that both the physical and psychological effects of cancer will be addressed. Nevertheless, cancer treatments continue to be developed that may help cancer patients lead a more convenient life.
References
Cancer Council. (n.d.). A Multidisciplinary Team Approach to Cancer Care. Retrieved May 24, 2016, from https://www.cancersa.org.au/assets/images/pdfs/Multidisciplinary_team_approach_to_cancer_care.pdf.
Cancer Research UK. (2014). Stages of Cancer. Retrieved May 25, 2016, from http://www.cancerresearchuk.org/about-cancer/what-is-cancer/stages-of-cancer.
National Cancer Institute. (2015). About Cancer. National Cancer Institute. Retrieved May 24, 2016, from http://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer.
Mayo Clinic. (2015). Complications. Mayo Clinic. Retrieved May 24, 2016, from http://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/cancer/basics/complications/con-20032378.
