Oncological Disorders
Cancer a malignant neoplastic disorder that can involve all body organs with manifestations that vary according to the body system affected and type of tumor cells.
Effects:
- Impaired immune and hematopoietic (blood producing) function
- Altered gastrointestinal tract structure and function
- Motor and sensory deficits
- Decreased respiratory function
Cancer classification
- Solid tumors: Associated with the organs from which they develop, such as breast cancer or
lung cancer - Hematological cancers: Originate from blood cell–forming tissues, such as leukemias, lymphomas, and multiple myeloma.
Factors that influence cancer development
Environmental contributor
- Chemical carcinogen: Industrial chemicals, medications, and tobacco. Physical carcinogen: Ionizing radiation and ultraviolet radiation
- Viral carcinogen: Epstein-Barr virus, hepatitis B virus, and human papillomavirus (HPV).
Helicobacter pylori infection increased risk of gastric cancer.
Obesity and dietary factors
Genetic predisposition
Advancing age
Immunosuppressed individuals (e.g. HIV-AIDS, and organ transplant recipients)
Warning signs: " C A U T I O N U S"
▪ Change in bowel or bladder habits
▪ Any sore that does not heal
▪ Unusual bleeding or discharge
▪ Thickening or lump in breast or elsewhere
▪ Indigestion
▪ Obvious change in wart or mole
▪ Nagging cough or hoarseness
▪ Unusual anemia
▪ Sudden weight loss
Diagnostic Tests
Biopsy is the definitive means of diagnosing cancer and provides histological proof of malignancy.
Common types:
- Needle: Aspiration of cells
b. Incisional: Removal of a wedge of suspected tissue from a larger mass
c. Excisional: Complete removal of the entire lesion
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Frozen Section (Cryosection) |
Permanent Paraffin Section |
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> Time: Fast result (minutes) |
> Time:Takes about 24hrs for the result |
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> Quality: Lower quality result |
> Quality: Clearer details can be obtained |
Nursing Interventions:
a. Prepare the client for the diagnostic procedure
b. Obtain informed consent.
c. Provide post procedure instructions (*Pain management).
Causes of pain:
Bone destruction
Obstruction of an organ
Compression of peripheral nerves
Infiltration
Inflammation, necrosis
Psychological factors, such as fear or anxiety
"Assess the client’s pain. Do not under medicate the client with cancer who is in pain."
*Pain Management:
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Severity of Pain |
Pharmacologic Tx |
Nonpharmacologic Tx |
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Mild to Moderate |
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Severe |
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2. Bone marrow examination (particularly if a hematolymphoid malignancy is suspected)
3. Chest radiograph
4. Complete blood count (CBC)
5. Computed tomography (CT)
6. Cytological studies (Papanicolaou test)
7. Liver function studies
8. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
9. Proctoscopic examination (including guaiac test for occult blood)
10. Radiographic studies (mammography)
Treatments
Sugery indicated to diagnose, stage,and treat certain types of cancer. Decreases the number of cancer cells; therefore, it may increase the chance that other therapies will be successful.
Types:
Prophylactic surgery: performed in clients with an existing premalignant condition that strongly predisposes to the development of cancer.
Curative surgery: All gross and microscopic tumor is removed or destroyed.
Control (cytoreductive or “debulking”) surgery:consists of removing a large portion of a locally invasive tumor.
Palliative surgery: performed to improve quality of life during the survival time.
Reconstructive or rehabilitative surgery: Performed to improve quality of life by restoring maximal function and appearance, such as breast reconstruction after mastectomy.
Adverse effects of surgery
1. Loss or loss of function of a specific body part
2. Reduced function as a result of organ loss
3. Grieving about altered body image
4. Pain, infection, bleeding, thromboembolism
Chemotherapy kills or inhibits the reproduction of neoplastic cells and kills normal cells.
Common side effects:
- Immunosuppression
- Mucositis
- Fatigue
- Alopecia
- Nausea and vomiting
*General Nursing Interventions:
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Physiological Integrity |
Safe and Effective Care Environment |
Psychosocial Integrity |
Health promotion and maintenance |
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Monitor CBC, BUA, electrolytes |
Prepare IV chemotherapy in an air-vented space |
Instruct the client about the possibility of temporary hair |
Diarrhea: avoid spicy foods, high-fiber foods, and foods that are hot in temperature |
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Initiate bleeding precautions if thrombocytopenia (PC <50,000 mm3) occurs. |
Wear personal protective equipment; gloves, gown, mask, eye shield |
Discuss the purchase of a wig before treatment starts |
Carry out good oral |
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Avoid intramuscular injections and venipunctures as much as possible |
Monitor for phlebitis with IV administration |
Discuss the potential effect of infertility, |
Avoid over crowded places and sick people |
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Monitor for fever, sore throat, and signs and symptoms of infection |
Monitor for skin breakdown |
Instruct the client about the need for contraception |
Bleeding precautionary measures |
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Monitor for nausea and vomiting |
Reduce IV site pain by altering IV rates or warming the injection site |
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Consult the HCP before |
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Administer antiemetics several hours before |
Notify the HCP if symptoms persist |
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Increase OFI; at least 2L/day |
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Treatments:
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Types |
Positive |
Negative |
Nursing Care |
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Radiation Therapy
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General care:
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Brachytherapy |
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The same care |
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Subtype: Unsealed Brachytherapy |
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The same care |
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Sealed Brachytherapy |
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Place the client in a private room with a private bath.
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Prioritization! Sealed Radiation Implant that Dislodges: 1. Encourage the client to lie still. |
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External beam radiation (teletherapy) |
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The same care |
Bone marrow transplantation (BMT) and Peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT) procedures that replace stem cells that have been destroyed by high doses of chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy.
Types of donor stem cells
1. Allogeneic: Stem cell donor is usually a sibling, a
parent with a similar tissue type, or a person who
is not related to the client (unrelated donor).
2. Syngeneic: Stem cells are from an identical twin.
3. Autologous most common type.
a. The client receives his or her own stem cells.
b. Stem cells are harvested during disease remission and are stored frozen to be reinfused later.
Procedure
1. Harvest
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- Apheresis or leukapheresis (the blood is removed through a central venous catheter and an apheresis machine removes the stem cells and returns the remainder of the blood to the donor). Length of time: 4-6hrs
- Harvested through multiple aspirations from the iliac crest.
- Filtered for residual cancer cells.
- Allogeneic marrow is transfused immediately; autologous marrow is frozen for later
use (cryopreservation).
2. Transplantation
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- Administered through the client’s central line (IV infusion or by IV push) in a manner similar to that for a blood transfusion.
4. Engraftment
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- Occurs when the white blood cell (WBC), erythrocyte, and platelet counts begin to rise.
- Engraftment process takes 2 to 5 weeks.
Complications
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Neutropenia (Decrease neutrophil count)
- Thrombocytopenia (Decrease platelet count)
- Graft-versus-host disease
- Hepatic veno-occlusive disease occlusion of the hepatic venules by thrombosis or phlebitis. S/sx: Right upper quadrant abdominal pain, jaundice, ascites, weight gain, and hepatomegaly.
Leukemia
A group of hematological malignancies involving abnormal overproduction of leukocytes, usually at an immature stage, in the bone marrow.
Major types:
- Lymphocytic (involving abnormal cells from the lymphoid pathway)
- Myelocytic or myelogenous (involving abnormal cells from the myeloid pathways).
Classification of Leukemia
1. Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia
▪ Mostly lymphoblast present in bone marrow
▪ Age of onset is younger than 15 years.
2. Acute Myelogenous Leukemia
▪ Mostly myeloblast present in bone marrow
▪ Age of onset is between 15 and 39 years.
3. Chronic Myelogenous Leukemia
▪ Mostly granulocytes present in bone marrow
▪ Age of onset is in the fourth decade
4. Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
▪ Mostly lymphocytes present in bone marrow
▪ Age of onset is after 50 years
Signs and Symptoms:
Headache
Bone pain and joint swelling
WBC count (normal, elevated, or reduced)
Decreased hemoglobin and hematocrit levels, platelet count
Anorexia, fatigue
Anemia
Overt bleeding
Positive bone marrow biopsy identifying leukemic blast–phase cells
Interventions:
- Initiate protective isolation procedures.
- Ensure frequent and thorough hand washing by the client, family, and HCPs.
- Visitors with known infection should avoid contact with the client.
- Use strict aseptic technique for all procedures.
- Place the client in a room with high-efficiency particulate air filtration or a laminar airflow system if possible.
- Initiate a bowel program to prevent constipation and prevent rectal trauma.
- Auscultate lung sounds, and encourage the client to cough and deep-breathe.
- Instruct the client to avoid activities that expose the client to infection, such as changing a pet’s litter box or working with house plants or in the garden.
- Reduce exposure to environmental organisms by eliminating fresh or raw fruits and vegetables
(low-bacteria diet) from the diet; and avoid leaving standing water in the client’s room. - Monitor for signs of bleeding tendencies.
- Emphasize safety measures and precaution.
- Emphasize the importance of a healthy lifestyle modification.
Lymphoma: Hodgkin’s Disease is a malignancy of the lymph nodes that originates in a single lymph node or a chain of nodes.
Involvement:
- Lymph nodes
- Tonsils
- Spleen
- Bone marrow
Risk Factors:
- Viral infection
- Combined chemotherapy
Signs and Symptoms:
- Fever
- Sudden anemia
- Presence of Reed-Sternberg cells in nodes
- Night sweats
- Body malaise
Nursing considerations:
- Extensive external radiation of the involved lymph node regions (earlier stage; 1 and 2)
- Radiation and multiagent chemotherapy (advance stage)
- *Refer to general oncological nursing care
Multiple Myeloma invasion of proliferated malignant plasma cell inside the bone marrow that destroys the bone.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Bone (skeletal) pain
- Weakness and fatigue
- Recurrent infections
- Anemia
- Urinalysis shows Bence Jones proteinuria and elevated serum protein level
- *Osteoporosis
- Thrombocytopenia and leukopenia
- Elevated calcium and uric acid levels
Nursing considerations:
- Provide supportive care to control symptoms and prevent complications
- Maintain neutropenic and bleeding precautions
- Increase OFI; 2L/day
- Encourage mobility
- Take medications as prescribed (bisphosphonate, antibiotics, analgesics, antineoplastic agents)
- Prepare the client for local radiation therapy
Different types of Neoplastic Disease
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Type of Cancer |
Definition |
Age variation |
Signs and Symptoms |
Treatment |
Nursing care |
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Testicular Cancer
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Arises from germinal epithelium, sperm-producing germ cells or from nongerminal epithelium |
15 - 40 years old |
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Orchiectomy |
Pre-op Care:
Post-op Care:
*Gynecomastia may indicate metastasis. |
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Cervical Cancer |
Due to the abnormal growth of cells that have the ability to invade the cervix and other pelvic structures. |
25 - 29 years old |
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Nonsurgical: ▪ Chemotherapy ▪ Cryosurgery ▪ External radiation ▪ Internal radiation implants (intracavitary) ▪ Laser therapy Surgical: ▪ Conization ▪ Hysterectomy ▪ Pelvic exenteration |
Pre-op Care:
Post-op Care:
* >1 saturated pad/hr = hemorrhage |
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Ovarian Cancer |
Grows rapidly, spreads fast, and is oftenbilateral. It has a higher mortality rate than any other cancer of the female reproductive system. |
55 - 65 years old |
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Similar care as to cervical cancer |
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Endometrial (Uterine) Cancer |
A slow-growing tumor arising from the endometrial mucosa of the uterus |
> 60 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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Similar care as to cervical cancer |
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Breast Cancer |
Invasive when it penetrates the tissue surrounding the mammary duct and grows in an irregular pattern. |
> 40 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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BSE:
Post-op Care:
*PROTECT THE AFFECTED ARM |
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Esophageal Cancer |
A malignancy found in the esophageal mucosa |
40 - 74 years old |
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Gastric Cancer |
A malignant growth of the mucosal cells in the inner lining of the stomach |
> 50 years old |
Early:
Late:
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Pancreatic Cancer |
Highly malignant, rapidly growing adenocarcinomas originating from the epithelium of the ductal system |
> 55 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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Intestinal Tumors |
Malignant lesions that developing the cells lining the bowel wall or develop as adenomatous polyps in the colon or rectum |
> 50 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
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Pre-op Care:
Post-op Care: Colostomy
Post-op Care: Ileostomy
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Lung Cancer |
A malignant tumor of the bronchi and peripheral lung tissue. Common target for metastasis from other organs. |
65 - 74 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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*Priority: Airway |
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Laryngeal Cancer |
A malignant tumor of the larynx |
> 50 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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Pre-op Care:
Post-op Care:
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Prostate Cancer |
A slow growing malignancy of the prostate gland; common cancer in American men |
> 50 years old |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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Post-op Care:
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Bladder Cancer |
A papillomatous growth in the bladder urothelium; noted malignant changes; infiltrates the bladder wall. |
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Nonsurgical:
Surgical:
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Pre-op Care:
Post-op Care:
General Ostomy information: |
Oncological Emergencies
Sepsis is a life-threatening illness caused by your body's response to an infection.
Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC) is a condition in which blood clots form throughout the body, blocking small blood vessels.
Interventions:
- Early identification of clients at high risk for sepsis and DIC
- Maintain strict aseptic technique
- Administer antibiotics and anticoagulants as prescribed
Priority: Hemorrhage
Syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone (SIADH) causes the body to retain too much water by stimulating substances that mimic antidiuretic hormone.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Weakness
- Muscle cramps
- Loss of appetite
- Fatigue
- Hyponatremia
- 3Cs (coma, confusion, changes in personality)
Interventions:
- DIET: Limit OFI, Increase Na intake
- Administer an antagonist to antidiuretic hormone
- Chemotherapy
Spinal Cord Compression occurs when a tumor directly enters the spinal cord or when the vertebral column collapses from tumor entry, impinging on the spinal cord.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Loss of urethral, vaginal, and rectal sensation
- Muscle weakness
Interventions:
- Administer high-dose corticosteroids
- Chemotherapy or Radiation therapy
- Use of neck or back braces
Hypercalcemia a late manifestation of extensive malignancy that occurs most often with bone metastasis.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Fatigue
- Anorexia
- Nausea and vomiting
- Constipation
- Polyuria
Interventions:
- Monitor serum calcium level and ECG changes (shortened QT/ST interval, wide or flat T wave)
- Administer oral or parenteral fluids as prescribed
- Prepare the client for dialysis if needed
- Encourage ambulation
Superior Vena Cava Syndrome occurs when the SVC is compressed or obstructed by tumor growth (commonly associated with lung cancer and lymphoma).
Signs and Symptoms:
- Early: Edema of the face esp. the eyes
- Strokes' sign ( tightening of shirt or blouse collar)
- Late: Edema in the arms and hand
- Dyspnea
- Erythema of the upper body
- Epistaxis
- Alarming signs: Airway obstruction
- Hemorrhage
- Mental status change
- Decreased cardiac output
- Hypotension
Interventions:
- Place the client in semi-Fowler’s position
- Administer corticosteroids and diuretics as prescribed
- High-dose radiation therapy to the mediastinal area
Tumor lysis syndrome occurs when large quantities of tumor cells are destroyed rapidly and intracellular components such as K+ and BUA are released into the bloodstream faster than the body can eliminate them.
Signs and Symptoms:
- Hyperkalemia
- Hyperphosphatemia
- Hypocalcemia
- Hyperuricemia (acute kidney injury)
Interventions:
- Encourage oral hydration
- Monitor renal function and intake and output
- DIET: renal diet low in potassium and phosphorus
- Administer diuretics and antihyperuricemia meds as prescribed
- Prepare to administer IV infusion of glucose and insulin to treat hyperkalemia.
- Prepare the client for dialysis if needed.
Anaphylactic Reaction an acute allergic reaction to an antigen to which the body has become hypersensitive.
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ASSESSMENT |
SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS |
PRIORITY INTERVENTIONS "ABC" |
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Obtain an allergy history |
Dyspnea (Tachypnea) |
B: Assess respiratory status |
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Administer a test dose when prescribed |
Chest tightness or pain |
Stop the medication |
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Monitor vital signs |
Pruritus or urticaria |
Contact the health care provider (HCP) and the Rapid |
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Tachycardia |
B: Administer oxygen |
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Dizziness, LOC |
Maintain the intravenous (IV) access with normal saline |
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Anxiety or agitation |
C: Raise the client’s feet and legs, if not contraindicated |
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Flushed appearance |
Administer prescribed emergency medications, such as epinephrine (Epi-pen, Prednisone, Diphenhydramine), |
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Hypotension |
Monitor vital signs |
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Cyanosis |
Document the event, actions taken, and the client’s response |