Treatment and Management of Cancer Cancer Diagnosis

Obligations of community health nurse in providing healthcare

Cancer Diagnosis

The high demand for healthcare services, especially to those managing dreadful illnesses such as cancer, there is a dire need to understand the health promotion strategies and also ensure quality lives. Here, is a discussion assisting to analyze how best to improve health and better management of dreaded conditions like diseases such as cancer. Those affected will learn to adopt the right measures that will help to improve functional abilities, and what to practice in case self-care is not an option. The mandate of community health nurses will be scrutinized, to help acquire general knowledge on efficient management of diseases.

Cancer is a disease, which has characteristics of growths that cannot be controlled, and also the abnormality of how rapidly the cells are spread to other organs. Cancers vary in their areas of diagnosis such as breast, throat, lung, brain and many other types. Cancer is caused by many factors, both internal and external. The internal causes include poor immunity conditions, metabolic and inherited mutations and hormones. The external causes include consumption of chemicals, radiations, nicotine inhalation and other organisms that are infectious. The most effective way of controlling the disease is through early detection. Assuming the disease and allowing its development makes it more hazardous to treat, and also has high financial implications (Holtz, 2008).

Mrs. Thomas' condition

Mrs. Thomas was suffering from breast cancer, and at first it was only her right breast that was diagnosed with a malignant mass. A mass in relation to cancer is a lesion, which occupies space in human organs. The masses are defined either by margin or shape. The shapes are either regular or irregular. In case the mass is irregular, there is a high possibility of malignancy. This is what Mrs. Thomas was diagnosed with (Bui & Taira, 2009). Mrs. Thomas underwent mastectomy, which is a process were almost all tissues affected or likely to be affected, are removed. However, this does not assure complete freedom from future risks. Mrs. Thomas underwent the process and five auxiliary lymph nodes were removed....

This was consequentially followed suit by chemo and radiation therapy. The two therapies have proven to be more effective when done together, regardless of the one done first. The advantage is that there are high chances of reduced toxic levels and better body reaction to chemotherapy. There is nevertheless a risk that the tumors can develop resistance to therapy (Choy, 2004). Even after the therapies, Mrs. Thomas' BRAC analysis that entails scientific revelations of gene mutation there was still probability that the disease could recur in future.
Evidently, Mrs. Thomas suffered from cancer because of family linage inheritance. Three of her relatives had died at earlier ages due to the same disease. She was also diagnosed with what was described as a pea-sized lump in her left breast. The diagnosis further revealed that the abnormal cells had spread around the lung region. No prescription for surgery was availed, most probably because the risk of death. Her condition of the lungs was also not severe. She was taken through prognosis, where the illness is detected, and there is termination of affected cells. This did not work well for her so she hardly recovered. There was a recommendation for palliative care that entails complete care of patients, whose illness is not responding to treatment meant to cure (Foley & Gelband, 2001).

Mrs. Thomas believed that taking of her vicodin drugs, which are prescribed for cancer patients to relief then from any intense pain and agony, would lead to drug addiction. She had the wrong perception of drugs, and this caused her to undergo throbbing moments. Pain killers have always been the most abused drugs, due to ignorance of the affected victims. The pain led to more disaster as she had to stop her clerical job as a result of the regular trouble. Because this job helped supplement her husband's salary, they ended up experiencing financial constrains, and they had to strain in making ends meet. Fortunately, she had access to disability check. Though she was covered with medical insurance, she was not secured with healthcare insurance. This meant she had difficulty in terms of affordability and access to drugs and general treatment. This condition she was in most likely lead to depression and stress.

Mr. Thomas, her husband was going…