NURS 3234 Lecture Notes - Lecture 23: Menopause, Radical Mastectomy, American Cancer Society
Document Summary
Incidence of cancer: 1 in 2 men and 1 in 3 women will be diagnosed with cancer. Cancer continuum: diagnosis treatment survivor. Stages of surviving cancer: acute, getting through the diagnosis and treatment, extended, waiting for results, reoccurrence, dealing with long term effects of both having cancer and treatment, permanent, effects on life. Assess your patient in all 4 areas: physical/emotional/social/spiritual, sometimes patients don"t look at the whole picture, or understand the symptom is connected to their cancer treatment, or know that these are common issues, with resources to help. Provide resources: american cancer society, cancercare, acor, livestrong. Info on social effects (partner, sex, children, work) Info on self care, healthy behaviors (smoking cessation), prophylaxis: referrals & resources. A complication of therapy: lymphedema: depends on axillary node disruption; vessels are not able to carry all fluid out of affected arm.
