Cancer: Complication and Care - Assignment Example

Cancer: complication and care Cancer: complication and care Cancer is one of the most dreaded diseases of our time. Millions of people all over the world have been diagnosed of cancer. Many of the people recently diagnosed are in the process of treatment while others have succumbed to the disease. According to American cancer society, cancer is a name, which generalizes a family of one hundred diseases or more, which normally involve an abnormal growth of human body cells. Failure to access timely and professional treatment of cancer results to serious illness and even death.

In many occasions, absolute damage to the Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) predisposes the normal cells to transform into cancer cells. In rare occasions, individuals inherit damaged DNA. However, most damages to the DNA occur during reproduction of normal body cells. To some extent, it is affected by environmental factors such as smoking which may elicit abnormal growth of body cells. The DNA blocks are often exchanged in the chromosomes during the process called meiosis, which leads to chromosal variation.

During this process, if the exchange is not accurate, alterations in body occurs that becomes fatal in relation to body gamete. The degree of severity arises to oral complications during cancer treatment (Maquire, 2011). Chemotherapy impairs the normal functioning of the bone marrow. This then surpasses the reproduction of red blood cells, white blood cells and the platelets. Some cancer complications are unique in that they are only found in specific type of treatment whereas treatment with toxic effects on oral tissues is referred to as stomatotoxic.

In addition, cancer treatment complications can be common in situation where radiation and chemotherapy techniques are applied. These may include oral mucositis that involve ulceration and inflammation of mucus membranes in the body. This normally increases the risk of pain and systematic oral infection (Maquire, 2011). Cardiovascular complications may also arise during cancer treatment. This can be because of chemotherapy or due to presence of other anticancer agents. Drugs administered for treatment of cancer during this period may always lead to these complications because of their effects.

Among the anticancer drugs that have caused complications to the body is anthracyclines, which is widely known for its cardiotoxicty. Cumulative dosage has been reported to cause heart congestion, which leads to failure of the heart to function normally. Furthermore, cardiomyopathy prevalence also increases in the case of doxorubicin administration. During cancer treatment, other factors accelerate cardiotoxicty of drug that are used to cure the disease. According to Block (2009), in-depth understanding of most of these factors limits the options of cardiovascular severity.

Those physicians involved in administration of cancer drugs must have knowledge of drug administration, components of drug given and time of drug delivery. Age and the previous records of diseases majorly cardiovascular diseases, metabolic challenges and radiotherapy history must also be considered during cancer treatment. Gastrointestinal complication is also one of the major reported complications in those patients treated from cancer. It involves large or small bowel obstruction. In most cases, those patients diagnosed of advanced cancer experience either progressive or chronic obstructions that cannot be operated.

Accumulation of fluid makes decompression of food hard because of excessive production of gastrointestinal secretions, which eventually leads to death. Side effects of cancer treatment may be categorized into three sub groups: Chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and surgery effects. In the later stages after treatment, a cancer patient may experience the following signs after chemotherapy; cataracts, heart problems, early menopause for women, liver problems and infertility. Radiotherapy effects may include; tooth decay, Hypothyroidism, memory problem and lung diseases.

Lastly, lymph edema is the main side effect that a cancer patients experiences after undergoing surgery. However, it is important to note that not every patient experience the enlisted side effects. Various factors such as the drug administered during treatment may eventually lead to specific side effect. Radiation and surgery also affects only those parts of the body that they were used to treat. For example, a person operated in the abdomen will not experience tooth decay (Maquire, 2011). Physical and psychological effects experienced by cancer patients both during and after treatment are diverse; therefore, caretakers need to understand the unique needs of their patients.

Patients from time to time experience fatigue, pain, nutrition, and eating problems, skin change, lymphedema, nausea and vomiting. Psychotherapy plays a vital role in treatment of depression in that it assists the patients to gain positive side of himself and rule out misconceptions about his present and past (Block, 2009). In addition, psychotherapy focuses on individual strength. At this stage, antidepressants such as paraxetine are administered to ward off stress and depression. The patient tries to gain physical strength by regularly doing exercise and using both integrative approaches to boost psychological and physical spheres of the body.

Summarily, treatment of cancer in individual results to total transformation of a person’s day to day activities. Complications resulting from this reality need strong will and absolute support from those surrounding the patient. In addition, the side effect that occurs from time to time also requires regular medical intervention. How a patient handles himself or herself in relation to emerging side effects because of treatment ultimately contributes to either speed healing or deterioration of the patient’s health.

References Block., K. (2009). Life over cancer: The block center program for integrative cancer treatment. New York: Bantam. Maquire.,P. (2011). When cancer hits home: An empowered patient is the best weapon against cancer. New York: Coastal Carolina Publishing.