Analysis of Lung Cancer Treatment: A Case Study of John Smith

This case study focuses on John Smith, a 58-year-old man with advanced lung cancer, detailing his plan of care including pharmacological interventions such as potential surgery and psychosocial aspects like family therapy to manage his condition and provide comfort in his final stages. The study evaluates both medical and non-medical approaches to alleviate his symptoms and improve his quality of life, considering his wish to spend his remaining time at home with his family. It further discusses the importance of family support, meditation, and professional counseling to address the emotional and psychological challenges faced by both John and his family during this difficult time. The report concludes by emphasizing the significance of a holistic approach to cancer care, integrating medical treatments with psychosocial support to enhance patient well-being.

Case Study

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ..........................................................................................................................3
MAIN BODY...................................................................................................................................3
Plan of care of John Smith...........................................................................................................3
CONCLUSION ...............................................................................................................................6
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................7

INTRODUCTION
Lung cancer is the type of cancer which damages lungs of an individual and also causes
various breathing issues with them. This report will based on case study of John Smith who is
suffering from lung cancer. He is having severe condition. This report will evaluate medication
which will help in treating this disease (pharmacological intervention) and will also discuss
psychosocial treatment ( non-pharmacological intervention).
MAIN BODY
Plan of care of John Smith
Mr John is the 58 years old man and having advanced lung cancer. He got admitted in the
hospital for the treatment of chest infection initially and abdominal and severe back pain. The
condition of John is getting worst since he got admitted in the hospital. He has been assigned
palliative care nurse which is taking care of his medication. By seeing his severe pain nurse has
increased the dose in order to reduce pain. John and his wife Susan both has talked with doctor
regarding this illness and have also asked that how much time John his having.
John told his wife that his condition is getting worst everyday and he wanted to go to home and
he wish to die at their home. His wife is very concern about the health problem of John. She is
anxious and she wants that her daughter Jane who does not stay with them is coming to see her
father so Susan was worried that her daughter do not miss to say goodbye to her father.
Although John has been provided treatment but he has reached to the last stage of lung cancer
and he is having less time.
Pharmacological intervention of care
Lung cancer also develop just like other cancers under this cancer cell grows very fast ad
then becomes tumor (Lung cancer., 2020). This cancer will not develop in some days but it can
take many years to grow. Smoking is considered as the most common reason for the lung cancer.
People who does smoking regularly experience some abnormal changes in their lungs in their life
span. Then the abnormal changes becomes tumor and develop lung cancer. Although there are
many people also who have never smoked in their life but also have experienced lung cancer.
This cancer has becoming very common and it is also causing higher deaths. John is suffering
from non small cell lung cancer. This type of cancer is very common. The growth rate of this
kind of lung cancer is also slow as compared to small cell lung cancer. Some common

symptoms of lung cancer are hoarseness, weakness, chest pain which causes cough, infections,
blood sputum etc. chest pain and weight loss is the major symptoms of lung cancer and John is
also getting such symptoms (Laurell, 2019).
Pharmacological aspect through which the lung cancer can get diagnosed is with the help of
biopsy. In the biopsy method cells gets removed from the suspicious mass. Biopsy can be done
through two types firstly camera has fed via breathing tube and it can be also done by inserting
needle within skin inside the lung cancer. So doctors of Mr John can try these two technique to
cure his lung cancer and if these two technique also doesn't work then they can go with surgery.
Biopsy is required so that doctor can determine that which kind of lung cancer is faced by
patient. Treatment for lung cancer is based on the condition of the patients. There are many
treatment for lung cancer but doctors has to decide that what treatment he or she can provide to
the patient in order to provide them fast recovery. Lung cancer has observed as the most
challenging type of cancer to treat (Si and et.al., 2019). In order to determine the survival rate
cell type and stage are the most important factors to be considered.
Lung cancer is detected at the initial stage then it is curable. But in most cases people get
awareness of the disease when it is spread within body and also develop nodes in chest. This
same case is with Mr John also he has developed his cancer within his body. So that is why he is
only having limited time. As lungs are considered as the sensitive organ so to handle that is also
not an easy task. The pharma treatment which can be used for John is Surgery. Surgery is still
considered as the best way of treating lung cancer. Under surgery doctor removes the tumor and
also lung tissues which are surrounding it so through this manner patient can get cure from this
disease. It is the common pharma method but risky as well.
Lung cancer must be diagnosed by thoracic surgeons who are having expertise in treating lung
cancer and malignancies. Surgeon will decide that which tumor they will remove. As to remove
every tumor is not very easy. All the tumor is not resectable as they are located at various places
(Huang and et.al., 2017). In every lung cancer, surgery option cannot be chosen. Team of
multidisciplinary which involves oncologists, radiation oncologists and pulmonologists will
decide that surgery have to be taken place or not. An individual who is having many health
problems cannot go for surgery.
Psychosocial aspect of care

Psychosocial aspect which is non pharma intervention is also used with patients in order to
recover from disease. When patients listens that they are suffering from lung cancer then they
went in trauma so to relax them and to divert their mind there are many non pharma solutions
which is applied on patient in order to speed up their process of recovery.
John Smith can provide family therapy (Choi and Ryu, 2018). When family is going through
the tough times whether it can be stress, anger or any issue then family therapy is very important
and helps in various manner. It helps couples, children and other family member to come
together can communicate with each other. John Smith is very sensitive and he wanted to live
life but due to lung cancer he is having limited time (Naito and et.al., 2019). So in order to cheer
him up family therapy is the most suitable therapy. As in his last time he will be with his family.
He is the family oriented person so it can be said that nothing is better for him expect family
therapy. This will also reduce the stress of Mr John. He will feel good and also gets distracted
from the stress of lung cancer. Lung cancer is not the small disease and an individual who is
suffering from this went into trauma. Although there are many therapy but for man like John
family therapy will going to work magical. Sessions are undertaken by family therapist who will
talk to the person which require therapy in order to release their stress. Therapist who provide
counselling to the family have better knowledge and understanding of family and relations.
Distraction leads a person into interesting activity so that patient can take out his or her mind
from discomfort and pain. It is very important to divert the mind of an individual who has been
detected lung cancer.
Problems which comes in family affects entire family or family as a whole. There are chances
that in family, members can face various troubles to cope up with their lives just like John is
facing problem as he is having lung cancer but this therapy will help him to relax his mind
because this therapy will fulfil his wish of living with the family and to die at his home and not at
hospital(Zeng and et.al., 2019). although the problem is faced by John only but whole family is
associated with him. His wife is also concerned for him and she is also worried about her
daughter because she wants that her daughter does not miss chance to say goodbye to her father.
Meditation is also considered as vital thing to release stress. When an individual does meditation
then he or she feels good from inside. So meditation is good in diverting mind of the patient.
Family therapists can help in various ways to the family like recovering from mental or illness,

facing financial problems in family, family member caring with special needs, family members
issues etc.
Family therapist in the case of John will talk with every family member and will find out ways
that how he can help John to feel good and relaxed. It is also the duty of therapists to work on
treatment plane which is non pharma but will help John to get mental peace.
CONCLUSION
Through this report it can be concluded that John Smith is the old age man having lung
cancer. He is having massive chest pain so that is why his wife has taken him to the hospital for
treatment. Then eventually they find out that he is having lung cancer and his condition is also
getting worst. In pharmacological intervention, surgery can be done with patient by the doctor
who is having expertise to treat lung cancer. While in non-pharmacological intervention family
therapy can be given to the patient. This therapy is considered as the useful therapy in releasing
stress and fear of treatment from the mind of patient.

REFERENCES
Book and Journal
Choi, S. and Ryu, E., 2018. Effects of symptom clusters and depression on the quality of life in
patients with advanced lung cancer. European journal of cancer care. 27(1). p.e12508.
Huang, J. and et.al., 2017. Short-term high-intensity rehabilitation in radically treated lung
cancer: a three-armed randomized controlled trial. Journal of thoracic disease. 9(7).
p.1919.
Laurell, G., 2019. Pharmacological intervention in the field of ototoxicity. Hno. 67(6). pp.434-
439.
Naito, T. and et.al., 2019. Feasibility of early multimodal interventions for elderly patients with
advanced pancreatic and non‐small‐cell lung cancer. Journal of cachexia, sarcopenia
and muscle. 10(1). pp.73-83.
Si, X. and et.al., 2019. Management of anlotinib‐related adverse events in patients with advanced
non‐small cell lung cancer: Experiences in ALTER‐0303. Thoracic cancer. 10(3).
pp.551-556.
Zeng, L. and et.al., 2019. Interventions for smoking cessation in people diagnosed with lung
cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. (6).
Online
Lung cancer., 2020. [Online]. Available through:
<https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/4375-lung-cancer>