Introduction
Cancer is a complex and multifaceted illness with a high risk of fatal outcomes. Many people worldwide are constantly struggling with this disease using the latest modern treatment methods. However, cancer is difficult to treat, and because of this, medical personnel may have difficulty accompanying and caring for such patients.
To better understand this illness, it is necessary to discuss sections such as pathophysiology, the role of nurses in intensive care, high-risk groups, and preventive interventions that apply to cancer. This article details each aspect so medical professionals can use the knowledge gained in their work more effectively.
Pathophysiology
Cancer is a disease with a specific development structure in the body characterized by the multiplication of certain cells. Cancer can be classified and characterized differently depending on which cells begin to show abnormal activity and spread, determining patients’ treatment choice and care (Caraceni & Shkodra, 2019). Due to abnormal cell division, the lymphatic and immune systems have the highest incidence of cancer.
Since the main task of the lymphatic system is to cleanse the body and filter out harmful materials, cancer cells attack it in the first place. When cancer spreads throughout the body, it can interfere with the lymph nodes and spread throughout the body via the lymphatic system (Caraceni & Shkodra, 2019). In many cases, such an infection significantly complicates the patient’s condition, requiring doctors’ immediate action.
The immune system, in turn, must play a control role, signaling the appearance of infection (Caraceni & Shkodra, 2019). The spread of cancer throughout the body can lead to a decrease in immunity, which significantly weakens the patient. In this regard, they may become more vulnerable to infection with other diseases that complicate treatment.
Intensive Care and the Role of Nursing
Nurses working in intensive care units can play an essential role in combating cancer. One of the most important interventions for patients is to help reduce pain. The division of cancer cells can be accompanied by painful sensations that bring significant discomfort (Hui & Bruera, 2020). To counter this side effect, intensive care unit nurses may prescribe various painkillers, including opioids and analgesics.
Another important intervention is patient education. It mainly consists of helping relatives and patients cope with the diagnosis and realize its seriousness, including nurses providing the necessary information regarding the patient’s procedures for recovery. The next type of intervention is studying the patient’s state to determine the best way to help (Hui & Bruera, 2020). This manipulation category may include workshops with colleagues and doctors who treat patients. This is necessary so that nurses can better understand their duties and responsibilities.
The fourth type of intervention in the intensive care unit is the direct infusion of drugs and helping patients with medications. This is an essential aspect for people with cancer to get better. Medicines in the form of chemotherapy may be the only option in most cases, which requires the nurse to have sufficient knowledge in this area and experience in assisting with the adoption of the necessary procedures for the patient.
Populations at Risk
Cancer forms in people with different social, racial, or other possible characteristics. Still, there are risk groups in which the disease appears most often. The first category of people who have an increased risk of developing cancer is elderly patients (Klein, 2021). This is justified because all body functions, including the immune system, are significantly weakened over time.
This, in turn, leads to diseases that can more easily develop in the body without encountering resistance. The prevalence and incidence in this group are high in people over 65, and cancer is diagnosed in 1,300 out of 100,000 people (Klein, 2021). This indicates the extreme danger of the disease for people in this risk group.
Another risk group is people with a family history of the disease who have met relatives with cancer. This disease can be transmitted with mutated genes from generation to generation, which means that the risk of developing cancer cells in people whose relatives had similar problems is relatively high (Klein, 2021).
Moreover, the prevalence and incidence may vary since each person has a unique family history of diseases and their types. However, this means that individuals in this group should be more attentive to their health and monitor their condition regularly.
Preventative Interventions
Preventive interventions in high-risk cancer groups can take a multifaceted approach. For older people, such interventions may increase examination frequency (Wild et al., 2019). The primary purpose of such actions is the early detection of deviations in the functioning of any body system. In the best case, this can lead to treatment being started much earlier, which will benefit patients’ health. For such interventions, various ways of implementation can also be chosen, such as promoting a healthy lifestyle, smoking cessation, or other habits that adversely affect the body.
In the case of people with a history of relatives with a history of cancer, preventive interventions may be different. One of the main types of preventive control is genetic counseling. It is aimed at examining the genes of people and their relatives to understand how likely the clients are to develop cancer (Wild et al., 2019). This can help to figure out whether or not they should be expected to develop cancer in their body and how likely it is.
Another necessary intervention for this category may be screening, which should be carried out regularly to determine whether there are any prerequisites for the development of cancer cells. These nursing interventions can help significantly reduce the risk of missing the onset of the disease, allowing for the start of treatment at an early stage of cancer development.
Conclusion
Cancer is a complex and dangerous disease that can significantly affect the lives and well-being of many people. Cancer can affect the two central systems of the human body, the lymphatic and immune systems, which have negative consequences in the form of a decrease in the body’s fight against diseases.
In addition, some risk groups are particularly susceptible to the disease, including the elderly and patients in whose families such problems have previously been observed. This means that people in these populations should be screened more often than others so doctors can start treatment earlier and help patients. Nurses play one of the critical roles in the fight against cancer, as they are always close to the patient and can provide comprehensive support and advice.
References
Caraceni, A., & Shkodra, M. (2019). Cancer pain assessment and classification. Cancers, 11(4), 510. Web.
Hui, D., & Bruera, E. (2020). Models of palliative care delivery for patients with cancer. Journal of Clinical Oncology, 38(9), 852-865. Web.
Klein, A. P. (2021). Pancreatic cancer epidemiology: understanding the role of lifestyle and inherited risk factors. Nature Reviews Gastroenterology & Hepatology, 18(7), 493-502. Web.
Wild, C. P., Espina, C., Bauld, L., Bonanni, B., Brenner, H., Brown, K., Dillner, J., Forman, D., Kampman, E., Nilbert, M., Steindorf, K., Storm, H., Vineis, P., Baumann, M. & Schüz, J. (2019). Cancer Prevention Europe. Molecular Oncology, 13(3), 528-534. Web.