Cancer and Nursing Care Flashcards
What is cancer staging?
(Cook, et al, 2021)
The process to assess the extent to which the tumour has developed.
What is TNM?
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- stands for Tumour, Node, Metastasis
T refers to the size and extent of the main tumor
N refers to the number of nearby lymph nodes that have cancer.
M refers to whether the cancer has metastasized- spread from the primary tumor to other parts of the body.
- internationally recognised cancer staging system
What is metastasis?
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- measure of the spread of the cancer
Describe ‘In situ’ in relation to the staging of cancer.
(Cook, et al, 2021)
abnormal cells are present and have not spread to nearby tissue
Descrive ‘localised’ in relation to the staging of cancer.
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- cancer is limited to the place where it started
- has no sign of spreading
Describe ‘distant’ in relation to the staging of cancer.
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- cancer has spread to distant parts of the body
Describe ‘unknown’ in relation to the staging of cancer.
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- not enough infomration to figure out the stage if tumour development
What are the two ways a cell can become cancerous?
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- epigentic alterations: changes in DNA methylation or acetylation and gene expression
- genetic alterations: DNA mutation and faulty protein formation- impacts cell division
Name some mutations that affect genes and whole chromosomes.
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- frame shift
- non-sense
- mis-sense
- translocation
- inversion
- insertion
- deletion
- amplification
What are the 8 hallmarks of cancer?
(The traits that characterise cancer cells)
(Hanahan, 2000)
- Promote their own growth signals, increasing rapidly and uncontrollably
- override mechanisms that regulate cell growth and dividion
- resist apoptosis allowing them to survive and accumulate genetic mutations
- replicative immortality meaning they divide indefinetely
- stimulate angiogenesis to supply nutrients and oxygen, promoting tumor growth and metastasis.
- able to metastasise- spread to surrounding tissues and distant sites
- reporgramming energy metabolism to support their own growth e.g. increased glucose uptake
- evading immune detection and destruction
How does cancer metastasise?
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- cancer cells break away from the main tumor and spread around the body via different mechanisms e.g. lymphaitc system, cardivascular system, local invasion
- can spread to almost every part of the body but more commonly bone, liver, lungs, and brain.
- less common to see spread to the skin, muscle, or other organs
List some treatment options for cancer.
(Vickers, 2018)
- surgery
- radiotherapy
- cytotoxic chemo
- angiogenesis inhibitors
- hormone therapy
What is chemotherapy?
(Vickers, 2018)
treatment that involces using drugs to kill cancer cells
What drugs are used in chemotherapy and why?
(Vickers, 2018)
- cytotoxic drugs- because they are toxic to cells, especially those that are fast growing
- administered IV or orally
What factors must be considered before beginning chemotherapy?
(Vickers, 2018)
- stage of cancer
- overall health
- treatment goals
Why would cytotoxic chemotherapy be selected as a form of treatment?
(Vickers, 2018)
- designed to target and destory rapdily dividing cells
- these drugs interfere with the multiplying of cancerous cells
- this stops the spread and skrinks the tumour
Contradictions of cytotoxic chemotherapy.
(Vickers, 2018)
- chemo affects healthy cells in your body also e.g. bone marrow, digestive system
- especially fast growing cells e.g. hair follicles
What is the role of the nurse when their patient undergoes chemotherapy?
(Yates, 2020)
- educate
- monitor
- manage pain
- assess
- administer
- support
In describing the physiology and physiopathy of cancer, what must be mentioned?
(Cook, et al, 2021)
- physiology of normal cells compared to cancer cells
- hallmarks of cancer
- tumour microenvironment- the tumor isnt just a group of cancer cells but has its own environment of extracellular matrix, infiltrating and resident host cells and secreted factors
- metastasis
Define carcinoma.
(Cook, et al, 2021)
malignant tumour originating from epithelial tissue lining
What is acute pain?
(Howarth, 2019)
- pain arises from an injury
- typically considered to last for less to 12 weeks
- the pain will subside after the individual begins to recover from the injury or disease
What is chronic pain?
(Howarth, 2019)
- complex
- defintions differ, lasts more than 12 weeks or 6 months
- pain that persists after normal time of healing of underlying disease or injury
How is chronic pain assessed?
(Howarth, 2019)
- intensity of the pain
- effect it is having on individuals quality of life
- emotional effects involved
- pain assessment tools e.g. Abbey pain scale, faces, etc.
- important to consider factors that infulence how individuals respond to pain in different ways- e.g. age, gender, race
How is chronic pain managed?
(Howarth, 2019)
- analgesics
- nerve blocks
- electrical nerve and spinal cord stimulation
- management programmes- including psychological CBT, acceptance and commitment therapy
- physical activity and exercise
List some references for cancer and nursing care.
- (Cook et al, 2021)
- (Howarth, 2019)
- (Vickers, 2018)
- (Hanahan, 2000)
