Cancer: Diagnosis, Staging, Complications, and Treatment Side Effects

This article discusses cancer diagnosis, staging, complications, and treatment side effects. It emphasizes the role of oncology nurses in cancer care and provides ways to lessen physical and psychological impacts of cancer and its treatment. The article cites relevant studies and literature to support its claims.

Running head: CANCER
CANCER
Name of the student;
Name of the university;
Author note:

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Introduction:
An oncology nurse can be described as the healthcare professionals who cared for
patients and educated them when they suffer from cancer. They are seen to work in
multidisciplinary teams to provide the best care meeting all aspects of treatment to the patient
(Yarbo et al., 2016). They play an important role in educating patients, coordinating care of the
patient, administering chemotherapy drugs, managing side effects of the drugs and many others.
This assignment would be involving various important knowledge and skills that nurses need to
develop so that good quality and safe care is ensured.
Diagnosis and staging of cancer:
Imaging procedures can help in creating of different images of different arenas of the
body that aide the doctor to locate about the exact location of the tumor. CT scan includes an X-
ray machine that remains connected with the computers and takes sequences of comprehensive
pictures of different organs dyes and contrast materials are used for highlighting different areas
of the body. These contrast materials make the pictures easier to read (Given et al., 2016).
Another method of diagnosis is the nuclear scan where an injection of a little quantity of
radioactive material called tracer is made to flow through the blood stream and thereby gets
collected in the bones and organs. Machine called a scanner helps in detecting and measuring the
radioactivity. The scanner creates picture of the bones and organs on a film or the computer
screen. Another method uses the ultrasound device that helps in sending out waves, which
individuals cannot listen. These waves are seen to bounce off from that of the tissues present
inside from the body looking similar to that of an echo. Moreover, a computer utilizes such form
of the echoes for creating an image of the different areas in the body. MRI method uses a strong

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magnet that remains linked to the computer for making detailed picture of areas in the body,
which the doctor can print on a film. Pet scan can be used as well. Here the patients are given an
inoculation of the tracer and then a machine would be making a 3-D pictures showing where the
tracer gets collected within that of the body. Such scans help in understanding how well the
tissues and organs are working. X-rays are also used to where low dose radiations are utilized in
creating pictures of the inside of the body. In order to finalize about the presence of absence of
cancer, a biopsy is conducted (Basch et al., 2016). The professional removes the sample of tissue
in this procedure. Following this, a pathologist professional observes the tissue under a
microscope for finding cancer. This might be removed in a number of methods like with the help
of needle, endoscope and with surgery.
Stage is mainly seen to be referring towards the extent of the disorder like how larger
the tumor is and whether it has started to spread. Studies opine that every healthcare
professionals need to identify and know the stages of cancer as it helps them in number of ways.
Its helps them to understand the intensity of the seriousness of the cancer and the chances of their
survival, planning the best treatment of the affected patient and then identifying the clinical trials
that might act as the treatment options for the patient. Different types of staging systems are
present which include TNM staging system and this is mainly used for different types of cancer.
The systems of staging provide different information. These include location of the tumor, cell
types, size of the tumor, the spreading of disorder to nearby lymph nodes, spreading of cancer to
different body parts and many others (Stewart et al., 2018). Stage 0 mainly describe about the
abnormal cells that remain present but are not spread to nearby tissues. Stages “I, II and III”
show that cancer within the patient is present. It has been found that he higher the stage, the

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bigger the cancer tumor and it had spread to different nearby tissues. “Stage IV” states that
disorder had already metastasized to distant parts of the body.
Three complications of cancer:
Weight loss is one of the complications of cancer as well as cancer treatments. These are
the cells are believed to take up food from the normal cells. they deprive the healthy cells of the
nutrients. This remains unaffected by the number of calories or even any specific kind of food
that is eaten. Even studies have shown that artificial nutrition provided to patients through tubes
in the stomach or vein also fail to help in changing the status of weight loss. Secondly, cancer
can result in upsetting the normal chemical balance in the body and this result in increasing the
risk of various serious complications (Hendriks et al., 2019). Some of the symptoms of different
types of chemical imbalances are seen to be including excessive constipation, thirst, as well as
confusion and frequent urination. Third, in some of the cases, the immune system of the body
may be seen to be reacting in the presence of certain types of cancer by invading different
healthy cells. These are called the paraneoplastic syndrome. These are very rare reactions leading
to different o signs as well as symptoms like that as difficulty in walking, occurrences of seizures
and many others. Fourth, cancer is also found to be associated with pain, fatigue, difficulty in
breathing, nausea and even diarrhea or constipation.
Side effects of treatment:
Chemotherapy drugs can invade the cells that are dividing quickly and therefore they
become fruitful to work against cancer cells. However, there are other set of cells in the body
like those in hair follicles, lining of mouth, bone marrow, and intestines and similar others which

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divide quite quickly. Chemo-drugs cannot distinguish between the two types of cells and these
can result in different types of side effects. The side effects of the chemo depend on two
important factors like the type as well as dose of drugs and even the total amount of time taken
for their action. These include loss of hair, mouth sores, nausea as well as vomiting, loss of
appetite as well as diarrhea or constipation (Henrickson et al., 2016). Other side effects include
increased chance of infection like having too few white cells as well as easy bruising or bleeding
like having too few blood templates. Patients also suffer from fatigue due to having very few red
blood cells. Many of the studies have also shown that patients undertaking cancer treatment also
remain at the risk for developing blood clots for various reasons. It also causes bone issues with
an increase in the risk for different complications (Momani et al., 2017). This would include
weakening of the bone, fractures, high calcium levels in the blood and many others. Side effects
also include tooth decay as well as other mouth issues including dry mouth and mouth sores.
Methods for lessening physical and psychological impacts:
Different studies have tried their best in finding out the various ways by which physical
and psychological impact of cancer and its treatment can be managed effectively by healthcare
professionals in patients. It has been found that promotion of the exercise program during the
radiation therapy help in improvement of the symptoms and signs and physical and mental well-
being of the patient (Wallace et al., 2015). However, it is important for the healthcare
professionals to be present during the times of the exercise for addressing the complication that
can arise. Secondly, the patients should be also be provided the relaxation techniques. A large
number of studies have shown that patients who suffer from cancer live in fear as they lose the
hope of surviving. Therefore, teaching the patients about the ways of relaxing and thereby coping
up with the situation and helping them to lessen physical and psychological impacts. These

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techniques might include diaphragm breathing as well as guided imagery. This involves
techniques where opportunities are given to the patient to think about good moments in their
lives (Myers et al., 2018). Anxiety reduction is very important and the healthcare professionals
might educate the patients to help them to understand their condition and look for the betterment
and development of hope. Studies also say that educating patients about the type of cancer they
are having, the way by which they need to change their lifestyles and similar others might relieve
the patient from the dilemmas that concern the disorder reducing psychological disturbances
(Sarfati et al., 2016). In addition, counseling of the patients is important to share his concerns and
fears and replace them with positive thoughts.
Conclusion:
From the above discussion, it becomes clear that nurses need to be aware of the ways by
which they can identify the different diagnosis and stages of cancer is that they can plan the
treatment. Following this, they have to develop idea about the side effects and even the
psychological and physical impacts on students. Accordingly, they need to develop interventions
so that high quality nursing care for cancer can be provided to patients.

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burden for the cancer patient. Cancer nursing, 39(5), 423.
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Hendricks-Ferguson, V. L., & Haase, J. E. (2019). Parent Perspectives of Receiving Early
Information About Palliative and End-of-Life Care Options From Their Child’s Pediatric
Providers. Cancer nursing. doi: 10.1097/NCC.0000000000000589
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https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pec.2016.01.019
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literature. Journal of Pediatric Oncology Nursing, 34(3), 173-184.
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Myers, J. S., Erickson, K. I., Sereika, S. M., & Bender, C. M. (2018). Exercise as an intervention
to mitigate decreased cognitive function from cancer and cancer treatment: an integrative
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