Introduction
Cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the world due to its complexity and high treatment costs. Poor lifestyle and environmental factors are the major causes of cancer among human beings. In its simplest definition, cancer is associated with abnormal cell growth, infiltrating and destroying normal body tissues. While cancer is a complicated human condition, various approaches and diagnostic methods have been adopted for effective early detection, treatment, and care by nurses.
Identifying the Possibility of Cancer
Imaging Techniques
Early cancer detection benefits patients since it allows sufficient time for treatment and care. Imaging techniques are one of the methods adopted to help identify the possibility of cancer (Jasti et al., 2022). The technique allows doctors to examine internal body organs, including the bones, in noninvasive ways. Some image tests are ultrasound and X-ray, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) scan, among others. The imaging techniques protect the sensitive internal body tissues vulnerable to cancer.
Laboratory Tests
The imaging technique can be ineffective in accessing tissues such as blood. Therefore, a laboratory test is another method that physicians can use to identify the possibility of cancerous cells. Urine and blood tests are common laboratory processes that allow doctors to identify cancer (Liao et al., 2023). For example, a complete blood count is a laboratory test on blood that reveals the number of white blood cells and their associated abnormalities if cancerous (Cheng et al., 2022). Although laboratory tests may fail to reveal complex cancer types, they are the first methods used.
Biopsy
Biopsies are similar to laboratory tests but involve complex processes. In this method, physicians collect cell samples for testing in medical laboratories (Jasti et al., 2022). Unlike other methods, biopsies are the only definitive and effective method of diagnosing the condition (Liao et al., 2023). The effectiveness of the technique is due to the possibility of collecting tissue and cell samples from almost any part of the human body. Biopsies are crucial in detecting functional and structural abnormalities associated with cancer.
Cancer Staging
Numeric Staging System
Upon cancer detection, the staging process is important in helping to determine how large a tumor is. Moreover, staging cancer allows physicians to plan the best treatment plans and clinical trials for their patients. The numeric staging system is one approach adopted to understand the extent of cancer cell growth (Cheng et al., 2022). The system uses a numbered scale, ranging from 0 to IV, to indicate the extent of cancer development in the body.
The first stage, 0, involves abnormal cells in the areas formed without invading nearby tissues. For stage I, the cancerous cells are small in size and are limited to the organ of origin. Stage I cancer is that which has not spread to nearby lymph nodes and other body parts.
Stage II cancerous cells are large and have spread to nearby tissues, but lymph nodes and other distant organs. Stage III cancer spreads to nearby lymph nodes and deeply invades other tissues. Stage IV is the most advanced, spreading to distant organs and other body parts (Entenberg et al., 2022). In the numeric staging system, the higher the number, the more advanced the cancer stage.
Tumor, Node, Metastasis (TNM) Staging System
Unlike the numeric staging system, TNM provides a more detailed assessment of tumor characteristics. Additionally, TNM assesses the lymph node involvement and the presence of distant metastasis. Consequently, TNM is applied for various types of cancer since it provides specific information needed for understanding the cancerous cells (Entenberg et al., 2022). The first component of this system, tumor (T), describes the advancement of the primary tumor and ranges from T0 to T4. While T0 indicates no evidence of a primary tumor, T4 shows extensive local invasion.
Node (N) is the second component of TNM that shows whether the affected cells have invaded nearby lymph nodes. The lymph node involvement component ranges from N0 to N3. The N0 stage indicates no involvement of the lymph nodes, while N3 shows an extensive invasion (Cheng et al., 2022).
The last component, metastasis (M), involves the presence or absence of cancer cells in distant tissues and organs. M0 shows an absence of distant metastasis, and M1 indicates its presence (Sparano et al., 2023). A combination of the two staging systems is significant for patients and healthcare givers.
Cancer Effects
Complications
Cancer is associated with metastasis, paraneoplastic syndromes, and treatment-related complications. Metastasis is a complication in which cancer cells spread from the primary tumors to other distant body parts. This often leads to the breakdown of essential body organs such as the liver and kidneys. Additionally, cancer is associated with paraneoplastic syndromes, which complicate the normal functioning of the affected tissues and cells (Sparano et al., 2023).
Paraneoplastic syndromes cause hormonal imbalances, skin disorders, and rheumatologic problems. Furthermore, treatment-related problems are cancer complications that include infections, organ damage, and fatigue, among others (Al Kayyali et al., 2023). An effective treatment plan is essential in lessening the complications identified.
Treatment Side Effects
Given the complexity of cancer cell growth, the treatment process is sometimes associated with patient side effects. Hair loss, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting are three common side effects associated with cancer treatment (Vardy et al., 2022). The use of radiation therapy on the gastrointestinal tract is one of the major causes of nausea. Chemotherapy drugs are powerful in attacking cancer cells and other cells, which promote hair growth (Vardy et al., 2022).
Therefore, many cancer patients lose their hair when using chemotherapy drugs. Fatigue among cancer patients is associated with the increasing reduction in red blood cells due to chemotherapy (Sparano et al., 2023). While the side effects are less complex, proper cancer treatment management helps in reducing them.
Lessening the Effects
Hair loss, deep vein thrombosis, and lymphedema are some of the major physical effects of cancer. Various treatment approaches are used to lessen the problems caused by the physical effects. Complementary therapies such as acupuncture and massage are used to alleviate the pain of the physical effects (Vardy et al., 2022).
Drug administration, including the use of painkillers, can be used to lessen the complications. Furthermore, cancer patients are subjected to regular exercise and a balanced diet that promotes the growth of new cells. The method applied depends on the severity of the physical side effects identified.
Psychological side effects are those that affect patients’ mental health and cognition. Anxiety, depression, and emotional distress are common psychological side effects of cancer and its consequent treatment procedures (Davies et al., 2022). Supportive care, which includes counseling and emotional support, helps lessen the psychological effects. Moreover, patients with chronic distress and depression can be subjected to mindfulness-based stress reduction and cognitive-behavioral therapy (Vardy et al., 2022). Reducing psychological effects can be significant for cancer treatment since it promotes response among the patients.
Cancer in Americans
Yearly Incidence Causes
Cancer incidents in the U.S. are caused by various factors, ranging from social, economic, and environmental. Cancer can result from poor lifestyles such as a lack of regular exercise, consumption of fast foods, which are non-nutritious, and smoking tobacco, among others. Meanwhile, the inability to afford quality healthcare and hospital access is an economic factor that can cause the condition (Davies et al., 2022). Another factor causing yearly cancer incidences in the U.S. is occupational exposure to cancer-causing agents such as asbestos. Although various factors cause cancer in the U.S., poor lifestyle is the leading one.
Mortality Causes
Mortality causes are those that contribute to the death of cancer patients. Many factors can encumber the survival of American cancer patients. According to the City of Hope (2023), the U.S. cancer survival rate is 68%, indicating a low mortality rate. The inability to access quality healthcare and afford cancer treatment is one of the causes of mortality among cancer patients in the U.S. Another cause of mortality is the misdiagnosis of the condition during its early stages (Rodriguez-Gonzalez et al., 2022). Therefore, there is a need for proper and effective cancer screening techniques for patients.
Additionally, complications such as blood clotting and reduced white blood cell count in cancer patients can lead to death. Furthermore, treatment side effects such as infection and severe complications lead to mortality. There is a need for collaboration among stakeholders to reduce the mortality rate among cancer patients.
American Cancer Society (ACS)
Education and Support
ACS is an organization dedicated to fighting cancer by providing resources needed by patients, the public, and healthcare stakeholders in the U.S. For education and support, ACS may provide informational materials such as brochures, posters, and other digital content that disseminate cancer awareness knowledge to the public (Pichardo et al., 2022). Moreover, the organization may provide cancer experts to help patients monitor and manage the effects of the condition.
A nurse could recommend ACS services such as support and road-to-recovery programs for cancer patients. Support programs can be suggested because they provide emotional support to patients, helping them understand coping measures. On the other hand, a road-to-recovery program can be recommended because it reduces the financial and natural challenges associated with transportation (Rodriguez-Gonzalez et al., 2022). ACS can work with nurses to provide the most beneficial services to American cancer patients.
Nursing Process: Safe and Effective Cancer Patient Care
Productive and effective care for cancer patients is anchored on the nursing process. The framework involves a series of systematic and organized nursing approaches that help cancer patients manage the condition throughout their lifespan. Holistic and patient-focused care can occur in five phases: assessment, diagnosis, planning, implementation, and evaluation (Pichardo et al., 2022). Nurses are involved in activities promoting cancer patients’ health during each of the five phases.
During the assessment phase, nurses collect important patient data and information. Thorough health history and physical examinations are significant in understanding the patients’ conditions. After the assessment, the next phase, diagnosis, kicks in, where treatment plans are identified based on the type of cancer (Vyas et al., 2022). Collaboration with patients and their family members helps achieve desired outcomes.
The third phase, planning, involves developing specific care plans and interventions that address the identified diagnosis. Patients’ changing needs are of the essence for effective care plans. Implementation is the fourth phase in which the nurses execute the care plans. During this phase, cancer patients receive direct care, medications, and psychological support (Sparano et al., 2023). Moreover, communication is facilitated between the cancer patient and other healthcare stakeholders, such as oncologists.
The last phase is evaluation, where the nurses assess whether the interventions were effective or not. Each of the five phases is crucial for a productive cancer care and treatment process.
Interdisciplinary Research Approach
The interdisciplinary research approach integrates liberal arts, science studies, mathematics, and social and physical sciences. The approach helps understand cancer from various perspectives, such as moral, ethical, technical, cultural, and social. Moreover, nurses must develop effective care plans since they gain knowledge on cancer from various perspectives (Pradeu et al., 2023).
For instance, liberal arts such as philosophy guide moral dilemmas when handling cancer patients. Meanwhile, mathematics can be used to predict the spread of the condition. Therefore, the interdisciplinary approach offers a wide perspective on understanding cancer.
Conclusion
Cancer can be detected through imaging techniques, laboratory tests, and biopsies. Numeric and TNM staging systems are used to categorize and characterize cancer advancements in the body. Treatment and therapies can manage physical and psychological complications among cancer patients. Although the U.S. mortality rate of cancer patients is low, collaboration with ACS and nurses and the application of interdisciplinary research approaches can help counter the condition in the country.
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