Cervical Cancer Case Study and Care Plan
Cervical Cancer
The following represents an outline for a plan of care, including information intended to educate the patient about what she can expect given her recent diagnosis of cervical cancer at the age of 45. The good news is that a cervical cancer diagnosis is no longer a death sentence.
Cervical cancer in women is common and afflicts close to 530,000 women worldwide each year (Colombo et al., 2012). Importantly, human papillomavirus (HPV) infections are believed to be the most important causative agent and this virus is detected in 99% of all cervical tumors. Accordingly, the expected protection rate conferred by the HPV vaccine is around 70%.
Of the three categories of cervical cancer recognized by the World Health Organization (WHO), squamous cell carcinoma is by far the most common, representing 70-80% of all cervical cancers (Colombo et al., 2013). Other types of cervical cancer include glandular (adenocarcinoma), neuroendocrine, undifferentiated, or mixed. The type of cancer is important because it impacts prognosis and plan of care, in addition to how advanced the disease is (stage), tumor size, patient age, and patient health (NCI, 2013).
Once cervical cancer has been diagnosed the first step is to stage the cancer (NCI, 2013). Of primary concern is whether the tumor is localized within the cervix, involves the whole cervix, or has spread to the surrounding tissues and lymph nodes. The Bethesda System for cervical cytology classification helps initiate this process by providing terminology standards for specimen quality, type of cervical cancer, and grade of lesion (Davey, 2003). A number of imaging tools are also available to help determine the extent of cancer spread within the cervix, surrounding tissue, and the rest of the body if metastatic disease is suspected (NCI, 2013).
Treatment Plan
As discussed above, staging is the first step towards developing a treatment plan. Either a computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) will likely be performed to initially determine how big the tumor is and whether it has metastisized (Small et al., 2012). Additional imaging tests may need to be performed if the disease has spread beyond the cervix, including positron emission tomography (PET) or a combination of PET and CT. Such studies will be needed to stage the disease, determine whether surgery is appropriate, and guide surgeons should surgery be indicated (Querleu and Morrow, 2008). PET and CT…
The ACS seems to contain a relatively balanced and unbiased approach, not categorically endorsing any treatment, for every patient, with every type of cancer. Its list of references, provided by a link on the site, contains numerous outside scholarly journals, as well as individuals associated with the ACS. It also provides helpful guidelines for talking to a patient's doctor about therapies to support conventional treatments, underlining the fact that
Cervical Cancer What it is Cervical cancer is cancer of the cervix. Cancer begins when a body's cells start growing and multiplying out of control. Any cells within a body can become cancerous with potential to spread to other parts of the body. Originating in the lining of the cervix or the womb, another name for this area is the uterine cervix. It connects the uterus to the vagina. Most occurrences of
If the cancer is confined to this area, that may be the only treatment required. However, if the cancer has spread, there may be additional surgery necessary to remove the organs where it has spread. There may also be chemotherapy or radiation treatments necessary if the cancer has spread. With stage I or II cancers, the overall prognosis for survival is very good. The prognosis of stage III or
Cervical Cancer Vaccine Cervical cancer will usually transpire when abnormal cell found within cervix grow out of control. However, when cervical is identified in its early stages it can be successfully treated. Through the help of Pap test this cervical cancer can be identified. Majority of cervical cancer tend to be caused by virus known as human papillomavirus (HPV). An individual can easily get HPV when they have sexual contact
Women's Health Promotion: Cervical Cancer Cervical cancer is a serious women's health issue. While many women go to their doctor yearly for testing in order to detect cancer and other problems early, many other women ignore this important examination (Gadducci, et al., 2011; Harper, 2004). Additionally, women who have symptoms of cervical cancer often avoid seeing their doctor. They may not have health insurance, they may be frightened, or they may
This includes infection caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV), a high-risk virus that could lead to genital warts and worse, cervical cancer (Bristow 2001). Since both types of cancers have excellent recovery prospects in their early stages, it is important for women to seek medical help as soon as these symptoms are observed. In cases where endometrial cancer is suspected, a physician would take a biopsy of the patient's uterus
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