Healthcare Case Study: M.D.'s Breast Cancer Diagnosis and Treatment

This case study report focuses on a 50-year-old woman, M.D., diagnosed with infiltrating ductal carcinoma in her left breast. The report details the diagnostic process, including a stereotactic needle biopsy, and the TNM staging system, classifying her cancer as stage IIB. M.D. underwent a modified radical mastectomy with lymph node dissection. The report addresses the risk of lymphedema, a potential complication of the surgery, and discusses the rationale for chemotherapy, including the use of CAF (cyclophosphamide, fluorouracil, and doxorubicin). The case study highlights the importance of patient education regarding chemotherapy side effects, such as alopecia, and the need for further teaching. The document analyzes the surgical intervention, chemotherapy regimen, and potential complications associated with breast cancer treatment.

Running head: REPORT 0
BREAST CANCER
FEBRUARY 13, 2020
STUDENT DETAILS:

REPORT 1
Answer 1:
M.D. is a woman of 50 years. M.D. has been diagnosed with lobulated mass in the left
breast. M.D. suffered stereotactic needle biopsy. The stereotactic needle biopsy included
restraining breast to determine specific location of tumour by conducting x ray analysis.
Afterwards, it inserted special biopsy needle to extract tumour cell. After getting specimen, the
pathologist measured it. Further, the pathologist created opinion (Yates, et. al, 2017).
Answer 2:
As per the TNM staging system, her classification would include stage ii. The stage ii
includes lymph nodes along with primary tumour. It is considered as invasive breast cancer. At
this level, the tumour assesses between two centimetre to five centimetre. The cancer has spread
to lymph nodes in arm as the breast cancer. Moreover, the stage II of breast cancer states the
slightly more innovative or forward-looking way of the disease (DeSantis, et. al, 2017).
Answer 3:
The initial treatment for the breast cancer is surgical intervention. M.D. had Modified
Radical Mastectomy. The modified radical mastectomy is considered as process where whole
breast is removed including nipple, skin, as well as axillary lymph nodes. However, the
pectoralis main muscle is freed. In general, the modified radical mastectomy was an initial way
to treat breast cancer. It can see that the whole breast as well as lymph nodes are detached in the
procedure of Modified Radical Mastectomy (Finn, et. al, 2016).
Answer 4:

REPORT 2
There is a risk of lymphedema because of the extraction of lymph nodes. The
lymphedema is swelling of the soft tissue caused by the accumulation of lymph fluid. Based on
the category of surgery as well as other treatment, it can say that this is possible for lymphedema
to befall in hands, breast, arms, chest, or stomach. It can evident that the swelling may be
complemented by discomfort, tension, detachment, along with contamination. Additionally,
having more underarm lymph nodes detached increases the risk of lymphedema. ALND
(Axillary lymph node dissection) is considered as procedure that eliminates various nodes
(typically somewhere from five to thirty). It can say that this process is related to high risk than
SLNB (sentinel lymph node biopsy).
Answer 5:
The main objective of the chemotherapy is to treat the cancer by removing everything
from the human body. The surgeon normally conducts chemotherapy by cutting in the body, as
well as remove cancer and certain surrounding healthy tissue to make sure that all of cancer is
detached. In this way, the chemotherapy is helpful in stopping the development of cancer cells.
Answer 6:
After appraising with her how to accomplish alopecia, it is determined that further
teaching
is required after stating by her I should go buy a wig now, before I start losing my hair (Couch,
et. al, 2017).

REPORT 3
References
Couch, F. J., Shimelis, H., Hu, C., Hart, S. N., Polley, E. C., Na, J. & Feng, B. (2017).
Associations between cancer predisposition testing panel genes and breast cancer. JAMA
oncology, 3(9), 1190-1196.
DeSantis, C. E., Ma, J., Goding Sauer, A., Newman, L. A., & Jemal, A. (2017). Breast cancer
statistics, 2017, racial disparity in mortality by state. CA: a cancer journal for
clinicians, 67(6), 439-448.
Finn, R. S., Martin, M., Rugo, H. S., Jones, S., Im, S. A., Gelmon, K. & Gauthier, E. (2016).
Palbociclib and letrozole in advanced breast cancer. New England Journal of
Medicine, 375(20), 1925-1936.
Yates, L. R., Knappskog, S., Wedge, D., Farmery, J. H., Gonzalez, S., Martincorena, I. &
Gundem, G. (2017). Genomic evolution of breast cancer metastasis and relapse. Cancer
cell, 32(2), 169-184.