Cancer: approach to care, diagnosis, staging, complications, and treatment

Cancer

Under normal circumstances, cells deemed to be normal multiply when the human body needs them. When they are no longer needed, these cells die. However, for an individual with cancer, the growth as well as division of cells tends to be rather abnormal. The death of cancerous cells also differs from that of normal body cells. In this text, I concern myself with cancer. In so doing, I highlight the approach to the care of the disease while describing both its diagnosis and staging. Further, in addition to highlighting a number of complications occasioned by cancer and how they can be treated, I also describe the side effects of treatments. Lastly, with a special emphasis on the psychological/physiological side effects of care, I provide recommendations on the best approaches to handle the said side effects.

The Approach to Care of Cancer

In this section, I will largely limit myself to the palliative care approach. In basic terms, palliative care in the field of medicine is designed to prevent, relieve as well as ease patient suffering. In our context, the relevance of palliative care cannot be overstated when it comes to the control as well as care of cancer. According to Barraclough (2007):

"The palliative care approach has always emphasized the control of pain and other physical symptoms, included families and carers as well as patients, and taken a 'whole-person' perspective that includes the spiritual aspects of illness and dying."

The effectiveness of this approach has got to do with its all inclusive approach to care. This approach hence plays a significant role towards the improvement of the patient's quality of life. Although this approach can be adopted at any stage of the disease, it comes across as being best suited for those at the advanced stage of cancer.

Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer

According to White (2005), a number of diagnostic tests can be utilized in the detection of cancer. In this case, the author groups the diagnostic tests into three main groups including laboratory tests, radiologic studies and invasive diagnostic techniques. However, it is important to note that in the opinion of the National Center for Biomedical Information -- NCBI (2010), a biopsy (which is essentially an invasive diagnostic technique) is used in the diagnosis of most cancers. NCBI (2010) further points out that as far as cancer diagnosis is concerned, CT scans may be carried out so as to determine the tumor(s) precise size as well as location.

Staging according to White (2005) has got to do with the determination of "the extent of the spread of cancer." The American Cancer Society (2012) views staging as the process utilized in an attempt to determine the amount as well as location of cancer in the human body. In White's (2005) opinion, the relevance of staging has got to do with the influence it has on decisions relating to the modalities of treatment. Staging according to the author also aids in the prediction of overall prognosis. For purposes of selecting the most relevant treatment approach for an individual with cancer, it is imperative that doctors know the amount of cancer in the affected individual's body. This in the opinion of the American Cancer Society (2012) could for instance help doctors determine the disease's most likely course. In general terms, staging can be divided into two i.e. pathologic staging and clinical staging. When it comes to clinical staging, the American Cancer Society (2012) points out that the same seeks to approximate the amount of cancer through the utilization of approaches such as biopsies (tumor), imaging tests and physical exam. The society however further notes that in some instances, some cancers call for the utilization of blood tests as well as a number of other tests during staging.

Pathological testing on the other hand according to the American Cancer Society (2012) mainly utilizes information sourced from the surgical procedures undertaken. For this reason, this type of staging is also in some quarters referred to as surgical staging. Due to its utilization of surgery, this approach to staging comes across as being perhaps more precise than clinical staging. Indeed, in the opinion of the American Cancer Society (2012), this staging type avails to "the health care team more precise information that can be used to predict treatment response and outcomes (prognosis)."

Treatment of Cancer: Complications

To begin with, NCBI (2010) considers spread as one of the complications of cancer. For instance, the disease can spread to the bones where it can occasion serious discomfort as well as pain. Pain can also be considered another complication of cancer. In this case, pain can be as a result of the damage caused by the disease to the affected individual's organ tissue. It is important to note that pain management remains a critical component of cancer management and as White (2005) points out, "pain relief is a complex phenomenon requiring input from various members of the health care team." Emotional as well as mental anguish amongst those suffering from cancer can be considered yet another complication of cancer. Other complications commonly associated with cancer tend to vary with the stage as well as type of tumor (NCBI 2010).

There are a number of treatment options available for cancer patients. The treatment options I highlight in this section include chemotherapy, radiation therapy and surgery. In basic terms, the approach used in the treatment of cancer is largely dependent on a number of things. This includes but is not limited to the spread of the disease, the personal characteristics as well as health status of the individual suffering from the same and finally, the type of cancer under consideration.

According to White (2005), "surgery can be classified as curative, palliative, or reconstructive." While curative surgery in the opinion of White (2005) is mainly concerned with the restoration of health, palliative surgery comes in when the possibility of cure is slim. On the other hand, reconstructive surgery concerns itself with function reestablishment (White 2005).

When it comes to radiation therapy, White (2005) points out that the same is used to kill cancer through the utilization of "high-energy ionizing radiation." In terms of usage, this approach to the treatment of cancer comes second after surgery. The last cancer treatment I consider in this case is chemotherapy. In the opinion of White (2005), this approach to the treatment of cancer may be utilized in the cure or prevention of cancer symptoms. In the author's own words, "drugs used in chemotherapy are called antineoplastics because they inhibit the growth and reproduction of malignant cells." In conclusion, it can be noted that in some instances, more than one approach towards the treatment of the disease can be used. This is more so the case in those instances where one treatment option fails to eliminate all the cancer.

The Side Effects of Treatments and Recommendations for Addressing Psychological/Physiological Side Effects of Care

All the cancer treatment approaches I have listed in the section above have side effects. To begin with, NCBI (2010) points out that when it comes to radiation treatment, the side effects of the same are in most cases temporal. Side effects in this case could include skin irritation and throat discomfort. On the other hand, chemotherapy tends to weaken the immune system of the individual undergoing the same (NCBI 2010). Just like other forms of surgery, cancer surgery also has some side effects. These include but they are not limited to fatigue and pain after the procedure.