The purpose of this assignment is to develop a health maintenance plan for Cancer in the USA.
Your paper should:
1. Assess, develop, and recommend health maintenance plans for clients in all developmental stages of life within the primary care practice.
2. Apply evidence-based guidelines to the identification and prevention of significant healthcare problems affecting populations at risk.
Submission Instructions:
The paper is to be clear and concise and students will lose points for improper grammar, punctuation, and misspelling.
The paper should be formatted per current APA and 5 pages in length, excluding the title, abstract, and references page.
Incorporate a minimum of 4 current (published within the last five years) scholarly journal articles or primary legal sources (statutes, court opinions) within your work.
Health Maintenance Plan for Cancer in the USA
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Health Maintenance Plan for Cancer in the USA
Introduction
Cancer is a global health concern everywhere across the world. The Cancer statistics reflect the true impact of the disease on people. In the year 2020, about 1,806,590 were diagnosed with cancer in the United States and approximately 606,20 people died from the disease (Price & Sikora, 2020). The most common cancers in the U. S. include breast cancer, lung and bronchus cancer, prostate cancer, colon and rectum cancer, melanoma of the skin, bladder cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, kidney and renal pelvis cancer, endometrial cancer, and others respectively (Price & Sikora, 2020). Cancer affects people across the developmental stages. In that regard, this paper presents a health maintenance plan for cancer across the developmental stages of life.
Cancer Assessment/Diagnosis
Assessment happens during cancer screening or diagnosis when the patient is either symptomatic or asymptomatic. There are several ways to diagnose cancer among high-risk individuals (Price & Sikora, 2020). Physical examination may be performed to look for lumps in various areas of the body. During the physical exam, the doctor looks for abnormalities such as changes in the skin color or enlargement of an organ (Price & Sikora, 2020). The doctor also takes notes of cancer symptoms such as unexplained fatigue that does not get better, nausea and vomiting, weight loss, and loss of appetite among others.
Mammography is used to assess the breast to detect tumors or abnormalities in the breast. Another careening method is imaging tests that include MRIs, CT scans, PET scans, ultrasound, X-rays, and others. Assessment is based on the suspected type of cancer (Price & Sikora, 2020). Mammograms are used to detect breast cancer. For cervical cancer, Pap test and HPIV tests are used to assess possible cancer. For colorectal cancer, diagnostic procedures include colonoscopy, sigmoidoscopy, fecal occult blood test (FOBT), double-contrast barium enema, and stool DNA tests (Price & Sikora, 2020). For head and neck cancers, a nose, head, mouth, and throat examination is required.
Health Maintenances for Cancer Patients Across Lifespan
Chemotherapy
Chemotherapy is also referred to as chemo and involves the use of drugs to kill cancer cells. Chemo works by slowing down or stopping the growth of cancer cells. The two primary goals of chemotherapy include treating cancer and to ease cancer symptoms (National Cancer Institute, 2022). Besides curing cancer, chemotherapy can shrink tumors that are causing pain and other problems.
Hormone Therapy
Hormone therapy is a type of cancer treatment that aims at stopping the growth of cancer cells that make use of hormones to thrive. The therapy falls into two main categories such as those that stop the production of hormones and interfere with how hormones behave in the body. The two types of cancer that are treated with hormone therapy include breast cancer and prostate cancer (Waks & Winer, 2019). Common side effects include hot flashes, diarrhea, nausea, and fatigue.
Immunotherapy
Immunotherapy helps patients’ immune systems to fight cancer. The immune system is responsible for detecting and destroying abnormal cells as well as preventing the growth of many cancer cells (National Cancer Institute, 2022). There are different types of immunotherapy, such as immune checkpoint inhibitors, T-cell transfer, monoclonal antibodies, treatment vaccines, and immune system modulators.
Radiation Therapy (Radiotherapy)
Radiotherapy is a type of cancer treatment that uses high doses of radiation to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors. At low doses, radiation is used in x-rays to see inside the body. Radiotherapy kills cancer cells by destroying their DNA to stop them from dividing (National Cancer Institute, 2022). The two main types of radiotherapy include external beam and internal radiation therapies. When used to treat cancer, radiation therapy can cure cancer, prevent it from returning, or stop or slow its growth.
Stem Cell Transplants
Stem cell transplant is also called bone marrow transplant. These are medical procedures that are designed to restore blood-forming stem cells in people with certain types of cancer. Stem cells may be destroyed by the high doses of chemotherapy or radiation therapy that are used to treat certain cancers (National Cancer Institute, 2022). In stem cell transplant, the patient receives healthy blood-forming cells through a needle in the vein. Once they enter your bloodstream, the stem cells move to the bone marrow, where they take the place of the cells that were destroyed by treatment.
Targeted Therapy
Targeted therapy is a type of cancer treatment that is designed to target proteins that control the growth, division, and spread of cancer cells. Most targeted therapy is in the form of either monoclonal antibodies or small molecule drugs (National Cancer Institute, 2022). Before treatment, the physician may test the tumor to determine if it contains the targets for which the drugs are designed. Targeted therapy treats cancer in many ways, such as boosting the immune system, stopping the growth of cancer cells, blocking the formation of new blood vessels, causing cancer cell death, and others.
Surgery
During surgery, the surgeons remove cancer cells or tumors from the body. Many types of cancer can be treated with surgery, however, it works best for solid tumors that are contained in one place (Waks & Winer, 2019). It cannot work for leukemia or any other type of cancer that has spread. Surgery can work by removing the entire tumor, removing part of the tumor (debulk a tumor), and removing tumors that cause pain to ease the symptoms.
Coping and Support
A cancer diagnosis can change one’s life forever, hence, everyone should find a way of coping with the emotional and physical changes that it brings along. Learning enough about cancer is important to make proper decisions regarding care and lifestyle (National Cancer Institute, 2022). Patients should ask their doctors for more information about their illness including treatment options and prognosis. Another way to cope is by keeping close family and friends to help in dealing with the illness. Family and friends can provide practical support one may need. Non-pharmacological strategies that can be effective in reducing pain caused by cancer include patient psycho-education, supportive psychotherapy, and cognitive-behavioral interventions (National Cancer Institute, 2022). Proper diet and moderate physical exercise are also recommended for the management of cancer.
Evidence-Based Guidelines for The Identification and Prevention of Significant Healthcare Problems Affecting Populations at Risk
Several health problems increase one’s risk of developing cancer. It is critical to identify and prevent these risk factors to improve an individual’s health and reduce the chances of getting cancer (Price & Sikora, 2020). Certain lifestyles such as smoking, excessive drinking, excessive exposure to sunlight, and being physically inactive can lead to cancer. Several forces can cause gene mutations, such as smoking, radiation, viruses, cancer-causing chemicals (carcinogens), obesity, hormones, chronic inflammation, and a lack of exercise (Price & Sikora, 2020). Healthcare providers are instructed to assess for all these risk factors and prescribe more appropriate regimens.
These health care problems that affect the population at risk can be prevented. Patient/community education is the most efficient way of preventing cancer risk factors. Patients or community members should be aware of the risks of smoking, exposure to radiation, excessive drinking, and other unhealthy behaviors that can cause cancer (Price & Sikora, 2020). Education regarding early diagnosis and cancer screening is very crucial. Other programs such as smoking cessation and free screening services can help prevent these health care issues problems.
Conclusion
Cancer refers to the uncontrollably diving abnormal cells that are capable of infiltrating the normal body cells. The abnormal cells are called cancer cells or malignant tumor cells. In the year 2020, about 1,806,590 were diagnosed with cancer in the United States and approximately 606,20 people died from the disease. Therefore, cancer is a community health concern all over the world. There are several treatment options for cancer as discussed in this paper that can be used to improve the health of cancer patients. Cancer risk factors should be identified and prevented to reduce the disease incidences.
References
National Cancer Institute. (2022). Types of Cancer Treatment. https://www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types
Pucci, C., Martinelli, C., & Ciofani, G. (2019). Innovative approaches for cancer treatment: Current perspectives and new challenges. Ecancermedicalscience, 13. https://doi.org/10.3332/ecancer.2019.961
Price, P., & Sikora, K. (2020). Treatment of Cancer. Taylor & Francis Group.
Waks, A. G., & Winer, E. P. (2019). Breast cancer treatment: a review. Jama, 321(3), 288-300. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2018.19323