Cancer Treatment and Alternative Methods

The assignment delves into different cancer treatment options, examining conventional medical treatments like chemotherapy and supportive care measures. It also discusses alternative methods, highlighting their limitations and the need for careful consideration due to potential risks and interactions with conventional therapies. The emphasis is on the importance of informed decision-making in cancer treatment.

Health Facility and Planning

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CANCER SERVICES STREAM – PRESENT CONDITION........................................................1
GOALS............................................................................................................................................1
OBJECTIVES..................................................................................................................................1
STRATEGIES TO BE ADOPTED BY CANCER SERVICES STREAM....................................1
DELIVERY OF CARE IN MOST APPROPRIATE SETTING................................................1
REDUCTION IN CANCER INEQUALITIES:..........................................................................3
RECOMMENDATION...................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

Cancer services stream – present condition
Cancer is considered as a disease that involves the growth of cells in an abnormal manner
and it can also be spread to the other parts of the body as well. Various common signs and
symptoms have been observed in case of the diseases are unnecessarily bleeding and cough,
unexpected weight loss (McKenzie and et.al, 2011). Along with this, the changes in bowl
movements have also been observed. As observed, for around 22% of the deaths that has been
caused by cancer, were due to use of tobacco, a few percent was because of alcohol, unbalanced
diet, fewer activities and movements of the body. In Sydney Local health district, there has been
observed a huge amount of cancer patients, to which the organisations provide various support
and care measures for the patients. Various methods and modern technologies have been used
by the organisation in order to provide appropriate services to cancer patients.
Goals
The goal of Sydney Local health district is to provide efficient services to cancer patients.
Objectives
To make use of all possible factors for treatment.
To involve modern technologies in the whole treatment.
To ensure appropriate transplantation of the stem cells or bone marrow.
Strategies to be adopted by cancer services stream
There is need to plan specific strategies that can be adopted by Cancer Service Stream in
order to provide patients with efficient services in Sydney. Following are the given strategies that
can be implemented:
Delivery of care in most appropriate setting
Much focus is required for minimizing the wait in hospitals and provide patients with
efficient care services. Thus, there is need of some models in order to provide high quality care
services which are as follows:
Increasing access to diagnostics:
Increasing access to diagnostic test is the important need in cancer services as there is
need of diagnosis at some important level such as: to help general practitioner is order to exclude
cancer diagnosis in people having low chances to survive, to ensure the good quality service in
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patients with high rate of having cancer and to effectively monitor the cancer patients during
their treatment procedures (Soubeyran and et.al, 2012).
Thus, there is need of access for diagnostics test for nurses and general practitioners in
order to control and manage the cancer in patients. Generally, they have direct access to conduct
blood tests and chest x-rays, but there is need of protocols that should provide this access to
wider number of tests such as: CT scanning, MRI, Endoscopy services and non-obstetric
ultrasound. Thus, through this approach wider section of people can be diagnosed at proper
interval of time (Walsh and et.al, 2011).
Specialist diagnostic services:
In case when patients is identified by having high chance of cancer in primary test than
that particular patient is referred to specialist diagnostic unit linked with MDT (Youlden and
et.al, 2012). This unit have the latest technology and highly experienced staff that help in
interpretation of cancer diagnostic information. This approach is effective in identifying the
patients who need the services and provide them with effective treatment by reducing the waiting
time.
Provision of inpatients care:
Cancer patients cover around 5.3 million bed day in a year, which states that 14550
patients are on the hospital bed per day. In the past few years there has been rise in emergency in
patient’s admission in the hospitals. Thus, many patients are provided with inpatients services in
hospitals around the world in order to fight effectively with cancer. The inpatient services
generally include test related to cancer and proper diagnosis of patients. After the result are
obtained, then they are provided with effective medical care in order to reduce the chances of
cancer in further life.
Improvement in inpatient care:
Many steps are taken by various hospitals order improving the inpatients care services
provided to the patients such as: they tend to minimise the length of stay in hospitals for medical
admissions, preventing the unnecessary admission of patients in cancer care unit and by bringing
are the necessary services required in cancer care in the form of ambulatory care model
(McKenzie and et.al, 2011). On the basis of some study it has been identified that patients with
cancer can be managed by reducing bed utilization in the hospitals by the application of effective
ambulatory care modal. Ambulatory care is the type of care in which services are delivered to the
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patients in the outpatient basis. There are many types of investigations that can be performed on
the ambulatory basis such as: blood tests, endoscopy, x-rays and many biopsy procedures.
Along with this it was also , that many issues associated with cancer do not require
admission in the hospital and can be managed by continuing the treatment at home.
Advancement in the drug therapy allows patients to get effective treatment at home without any
longer stay in hospitals. It is found that almost all types of chemotherapy treatments are delivered
in ambulatory care settings and on the home basis. The four key principle should be adopted in
order to improve the inpatient care: the patient who are in emergency should be assessed and
diagnosed earlier before admitting them in hospitals and no patient should be admitted without
any reason, patients should be segregated on inpatient pathway on the basis of type of tumour
and major reason for admission, clinical decisions should be performed on daily basis in order to
promote proactive case management and emergency admission should be kept as an exception
(Youlden and et.al, 2012). By appropriate implication of such principles there has been
significant decline in longer stay at hospitals along with unnecessary admission.
Multidisciplinary team working:
Service delivery is increased by working as the multidisciplinary team. Depending on the
type of cancer the team may include member such as: surgeons, physicians, pathologist, clinical
nurse specialist, oncologists, radiologist, radiographer, palliative care nurses and other
coordinators (Walsh and et.al, 2011). These health professionals also play an important role such
as dieticians, physiotherapist, speech and language therapist and occupational therapists. Thus,
multidisciplinary team play a major role in providing effective care to the patients dealing with
cancer.
Reduction in cancer inequalities:
Inequalities related to cancer treatment have been observed in wide range of groups such
as: black and minority ethnic groups, old or younger people, men or women, people with
disabilities, gays, lesbians or bisexual and in socio economically deprived groups (McKenzie and
et.al, 2011). There are many sources that are directly related to the inequalities in cancer
treatment which can pose negative impacts on survival, mortality, patients experience and their
quality of life. These includes: exposure of patients to infections that are related to cancer,
various risk related to genetics that may result in cancer, uptake of prevention and screening
services, awareness and attitude to lifestyle risk factors for cancer.
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Thus, there is need of approaches that can help in reducing inequalities related to cancer.
Various national level actions can be taken in order to control inequalities that are related to
cancer such as beginning the national cancer equality initiative that help in bringing all stake
holders from different sectors such as voluntary sectors, academia, professionals and equality
groups that will form research proposals related to cancer inequalities, identify the necessary
test's and interventions along with the advice necessary for the development of wider policy.
This initiative will mainly focus on: increasing the data collection that will aid in understanding
the base of inequalities, promoting research and spreading the practice of good services.
Recommendation
The Sydney Local health district can ensure that all the organisations must be include all
types of treatments that can be used for the treatment of cancer such as surgeries, radiation
therapy, targeted therapy, immunotherapy and chemotherapy (Soubeyran and et.al, 2012).
Depending on the type of the condition of the patient, the organisation can decide which therapy
or treatment will be suitable for the patient. There are various other procedures as well such as
photodynamic therapies, lasers, transfusion of blood, hyperthermia, transplantation of the stem
cells etc., which should be included in all the organisations in Sydney health local district. The
organisation in Sydney LHD should ensure that staff must be trained and skilled so that they can
diagnose condition well because proper diagnosis can lead to appropriate and efficient treatment.
They should also check behaviour of staff and employees whether it is efficient or not towards
patients because there must be a well interaction between the patient and the staff (Walsh and
et.al, 2011). This interaction helps in making patient comfortable with the nurses and patients
feels better enough to share their issues properly with them about health, what they are going
through. It helps in a better evaluation of the patient by nurses. This will further help in better
diagnosis. Various common types of treatments described above are discussed as under:
Surgery and Radiation therapy
If cancer is diagnosed in only one area of the body, that means if it is localised, the
surgery can help in the whole treatment procedure. In this case, surgery can help in removing it
along with all the nearby tissues that may be including cancer cells (Youlden and et.al, 2012).
But this is not possible in every case, it can only be done in case when cancer has been
recognised in only one part of body because it seems an easy procedure to remove cancer cells
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from some specific part of a body, rather than picking up at different parts. Radiation therapies
are also used for the treatment where it is diagnosed in one area. By this way, cancer cells are
destroyed by the rays that are provided during the therapy. The radiations in this process can be
given by either the external radiations or the radiation implants. External radiation therapy is
quite painful as the rays are being penetrated into the body and in case of radiation implants, it is
being provided by the implants that are placed in the body.
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy involves giving strong drugs and medications either by means of
injections or by mouth (Dy and et.al, 2010). If the person is in a condition to take the food by
mouth, in that case it is preferred to give them by mouth only but when the patient is not in that
situation, it is being provided in the injections. Chemotherapy, unlike radiation therapy and
surgery is used to treat cancer throughout the body. Unlike the radiations and surgeries in which
the treatment can be done when the cancer is found in only one part of the body. The drugs and
medications that are provided in this therapy flows through the blood stream of a human, thus
providing relief to every part including the cancer affected as well, so it can be used for treatment
of cancers in many parts of the body.
Complementary and alternative methods
The Sydney LHD can also make use of two methods that are used along with the regular medical
care being provided to the cancer patients. Two of the methods are discussed as under:
Complementary methods are the methods that helps in providing some sort of relief to the
patient. It includes various processes such as meditation, acupuncture, peppermint tea. These
options provide a relief to the patient from the food and factors of the hospital or the organisation
(Agnelli and et.al, 2012). It helps in refreshing their mind so that they can stay fresh and stay
away from any factor that causes any stress or disappointment factor in them. Although there are
various methods for the process but a few of them are tested and are being implemented on the
patients in providing them some support.
Alternative methods comprise the methods excluding all the methods from the medical
care. Although, still these methods have not been resulted safe and secure for the health of the
patient (Taylor and et.al, 2010). A biggest disadvantage of this method can be that using these
methods may decrease the effect of all the medical treatments and medications are being
provided to the cancer patients., so it is better to be avoided. There has been a very less number
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of these alternative methods that have been proved as positive, so these methods also can be
considered sometimes but only in that case when other treatments are not working.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Agnelli, G., & et.al. (2012). Semuloparin for thromboprophylaxis in patients receiving
chemotherapy for cancer. New England Journal of Medicine. 366(7). 601-609.
Dy, S. M., & et.al. (2010). Cancer Quality‐ASSIST supportive oncology quality indicator
set. Cancer. 116(13). 3267-3275.
McKenzie, H., & et.al. (2011). Chemotherapy outpatients’ unplanned presentations to hospital: a
retrospective study. Supportive Care in Cancer. 19(7). 963-969.
Oh, B. & et.al. (2010). The use and perceived benefits resulting from the use of complementary
and alternative medicine by cancer patients in Australia. Asia‐Pacific Journal of Clinical
Oncology. 6(4). 342-349.
Soubeyran, P. & et.al. (2012). Predictors of early death risk in older patients treated with first-
line chemotherapy for cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 30(15). 1829-1834.
Taylor, C., & et.al. (2010). Multidisciplinary team working in cancer: what is the
evidence? BMJ: British Medical Journal. 340.
Walsh, J., & et.al. (2010). What are the current barriers to effective cancer care coordination? A
qualitative study. BMC Health Services Research. 10(1). 132.
Walsh, J., & et.al. (2011). What is important in cancer care coordination? A qualitative
investigation. European journal of cancer care. 20(2). 220-227.
Youlden, D. R. & et.al. (2012). The descriptive epidemiology of female breast cancer: an
international comparison of screening, incidence, survival and mortality. Cancer
epidemiology. 36(3). 237-248.
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