Research Paper on Cancer Diagnosis & Staging: Primary Step to Detecting Growth & Spread

Introduction

According to Jacobs, and Shulman, (2017), cancer diagnosis and staging is the primary step, towards detecting and determine the scope of growth in cancer patients. This includes a thorough analysis of cancerous cells and abnormal behavior of cells in the body. The concept of staging helps determine the exact location in the body where cancer is located. Moreover, this concept helps determine how far it has spread, and which parts are affected. According to (Fayanju, et al., 2016), cancer diagnosing and staging, are cumbersome, especially where cancer is at its first stage. This result, in assumptions, and

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Doctors heavily relay on diagnostic tests to determine cancer's stage. As a result, the diagnosis process is the primary stage to determine the staging level of cancer. Maddocks, et al., (2016) observed that, doctors heavily use tumor, node, and metastases (TNM) system to determine the result of the diagnosis. The TNM system helps the doctors to understand the tumor. This helps to understand the nature and complexity of cancer. The Node, on the other hand, helps determine the spread of cancer to the nearby lymph nodes, which are affected. Lastly, metastasis helps assess the range of cancer to other parts of the body. This allows doctors now to determine the spread of disease. As a result, patients can be enrolled in the medication process to establish an effective treatment.

Complications of Cancer

Cancer causes an array of complications during treatment, that significantly affects patients. In many cases, patients are subjected to pain during the administrating the medication. Although not all types of cancer subjects' patients to excessive strain, patients report numerous pains during the treatment sessions.

On the other side of the coin, patients experience unusual complications such as Weight changes, including unintended gain or loss. These are gradual changes that are not anticipated during and before treatment. Patients show tremendous changes, that may affect their treatment. On the same token, excessive weight loss results in halting in the administering of specific medication, due to patients being underweight; this affects the entire treatment process.

Cancer patients experience unexplained bleeding or bruising. According to Parent, Pituskin, and Paterson, (2016), this has remained one of the most significant complications, especially to patients in their late stages of cancer. Most of the patients require frequent blood transfusion to compensate for excessive bleedings. The spread of cancer in many parts of the body renders the body functionalities weaker, to respond to the typical behaviors of the body.

Factors Contributing to the Yearly Incidence and Mortality Rates of Cancers in America

The United States is one of the nations in the globe that is widely battling with cancer, despite the advancements in the healthcare sector (Fayanju, et al., 2016). This has resulted in a high level of mortality that affects the nation widely. According to (Maddocks, et al., 2016), the common cause of cancer deaths in the US is associated with lung cancer.

The United States is one of the nations with massive smoking characters among its citizens. This has resulted in higher levels of cancer deaths in the country. Despite the excessive imposing of tax on tobacco, cigarette smoking in the nation remains at a higher level. This has resulted in a high number of lung cancer to increase annually.

On the other side of the coin, Obesity has been a typical battle among the American community, which is associated with high levels of cancer. With the increasing demand for ready-made food, the American population has transformed its eating habits, which has affected the entire society. Obesity has remained as one key figure that causing cancer to Americans.

How the American Cancer Society Provide Education and Support

The US economy is at a threat, which has widely affected the overall levels of healthcare among ordinary Americans. As a result, the American Cancer Society has taken the initiative of conducting dozens of research for decades. This has helped to ensure that trends and patterns of cancer are identified in the nation, and across the world.

On the other side, ACS has been widely involved in numerous education programs to educate the mass. As a result, this has helped achieve the goal of creating cancer awareness across the globe. This helps the community to understand the common causes and habits that lead to cancer.

Recommended Services

In as much as the increasing researches are being conducted to curb the widespread of cancer, ACS should focus heavily on educating the society about threats of cancer. In many cases, creating awareness of cancer dos not fully help curb cancer spread. As a result, Education programs should target the community, and cigarette companies, which are the leading causes of lung cancer. Through this, the society will be enlightened about the patterns and the chain of cancer.

How the Nursing Process Is Utilized to Provide Safe and Effective Care

Stage-0 in many cancer patients shows that cells are still in their location, without spreading to different parts. The nursing process can be used during this stage to provide or administer the right medication, with the helped of doctors. Stage-1, during this stage, the spotted cells spread into different tissues, without spreading to other areas. Nurses help to administer pharmacologic therapies to patients, which aims at preventing pain in the process. Stage-2 indicates the region of spread, where cancer is spread into the nearby tissues and lymph nodes. Nursing practices are essential during this stage in explaining to both patient and the family members.

Stage-3 of cancer features a broader area than in phase two. Treating cancer in this stage it might be painful for patients. However, nurses ensure that compliance is achieved during this stage for maximum benefits. Lastly, stage-4 poses a more significant challenge where the spread of cancer is noted in different areas of the body, which may become painful and hard for patients to comply with. Nurses use their skills to educate patients on the threats of cancer, as well as the effects of not treating the condition. This gives patients a better understanding of their current situation, which empowers them to fight on with cancer.

How Undergraduate Education Contributes to the Foundation of Nursing Knowledge

The field of nursing has been widely influenced by different domains, such as mathematics and social science, to refine nursing practice. In many cases, the mathematical discipline has played a critical role in the calculation of different requirements of a patient that provides valuable data. This data is widely utilized in different regions in delivering better health care. On the other hand, the concept of social science helps nurses encourage patients to fight on through the use of the self-care theory.

References

Fayanju, O. M., Mayo, T. L., Spinks, T. E., Lee, S., Barcenas, C. H., Smith, B. D., ... & Walters, R. (2016). Value-based breast cancer care: a multidisciplinary approach for defining patient-centered outcomes. Annals of surgical oncology, 23(8), 2385-2390.doi.org/10.1245/s10434-016-5184-5

Jacobs, L. A., & Shulman, L. N. (2017). Follow-up care of cancer survivors: challenges and solutions. The Lancet Oncology, 18(1), e19-e29.doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(16)30386-2

Maddocks, M., Hopkinson, J., Conibear, J., Reeves, A., Shaw, C., & Fearon, K. C. (2016). Practical multimodal care for cancer cachexia. Current opinion in supportive and palliative care, 10(4), 298.doi: 10.1097/SPC.0000000000000241

Parent, S., Pituskin, E., & Paterson, D. I. (2016). The cardio-oncology program: a multidisciplinary approach to the care of cancer patients with cardiovascular disease. Canadian Journal of Cardiology, 32(7), 847-851.doi: 10.1016/j.cjca.2016.04.014