(9) Cancer Treatment/Meds

Overview of Cancer Treatment and Medications

Thousands of individuals live five years or longer post-diagnosis, demonstrating significant advancements in cancer management.
Approximately 68% of cancer patients can achieve a cure, depending on the type and stage of cancer.
Patients may experience exacerbations, periods of increased symptoms or disease activity, and remissions, states of decreased or absent symptoms.
Cancer profoundly affects both physical and psychological functions, leading to declines in quality of life, emotional well-being, and social interactions. Areas affected include sleep, appetite, and overall life satisfaction.

Cancer can develop in any organ or tissue, aggressively destroying normal tissue and significantly diminishing its function, leading to organ failure.
Metastasis, the spread of cancer cells to distant sites, can disrupt vital organs and physiological processes, complicating treatment and worsening prognosis.

Cancer invading bone marrow compromises the production and function of healthy white blood cells, amplifying the risk of infections.
Leukemia and chemotherapy regimens lead to neutropenia, a drastic decrease in neutrophils, making patients particularly vulnerable to infection.
Anemia results from decreased red blood cell production, causing symptoms such as fatigue, tachycardia, pallor, and shortness of breath, severely affecting daily activities and quality of life.
Thrombocytopenia occurs when there is a significant reduction in platelets, leading to easy bruising, bleeding, and potential life-threatening hemorrhages.

Tumors located in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract can elevate metabolic rates and nutrient needs, complicating nutritional management.
There's a risk for nutrient absorption issues and appetite loss, potentially resulting in severe weight loss and cachexia (C-A-C-H-E-X-I-A), a condition characterized by muscle wasting and fatigue.
Increased catabolism can occur despite adequate dietary intake; early satiety due to GI obstruction may also be present.
Recommendations include small, frequent meals, nutritional supplements, and internal feedings, all managed by a registered dietitian to optimize patient nutrition.

Chemotherapy agents frequently cause peripheral neuropathy such as chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN), particularly affecting lower extremity sensations and function.
Patients may experience both motor and sensory deficits due to nerve compression or invasion by cancer cells, leading to an increased risk of falls and fractures.
Care considerations include pain management strategies and tailored mobility plans to address issues of spinal cord compression.

Tumors can impede normal respiratory gas exchange, resulting in hypoxemia or dyspnea, severely affecting the patient’s ability to perform daily activities.
Superior vena cava syndrome is categorized as a critical oncology emergency, where obstruction of the superior vena cava can lead to severe cardiac events and requires immediate intervention.
Treatments such as radiation and chemotherapy may adversely impact cardiac function, leading to long-term risks of heart disease and dysfunction.

Purpose: To cure or control cancer while minimizing therapy side effects and addressing symptoms.
Types of Surgery:
- Prophylactic: Designed to remove potentially cancerous tissue before any malignancy develops.
- Diagnostic: Involves excision biopsies to confirm or rule out cancer.
- Curative: Aims to completely remove all cancerous tissue, most effective for small, localized, and non-invasive cancers.
- Cytoreductive: Involves partially removing a tumor to alleviate symptoms and enhance the effects of other treatments.
- Palliative: Focuses on symptom relief without attempting to cure the cancer, improving the quality of life.
- Reconstructive: Aims to restore function and improve appearance post-surgery, especially crucial for cancers affecting visible areas such as the face.
Post-operative Care: Should include psychosocial support, physical rehabilitation programs, and pain management to facilitate recovery.

Purpose: To kill cancer cells and control disease progression while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissues.
Methods:
- External Beam Radiation (Teletherapy): The patient remains non-radioactive during and after treatment.
- Brachytherapy: Involves placing an internal device that delivers radiation directly to the tumor, making the patient temporarily radioactive.
Side Effects: Vary by treatment site and may include skin changes, fatigue, hair loss, and bone marrow suppression, all of which require careful monitoring.
Patient Care Considerations: Include meticulous skin care, oral hygiene, and education about potential side effects to enable patients to manage their health effectively.

Nature: A cytotoxic systemic therapy designed to kill cancer cells and disrupt normal cell regulation, affecting both cancerous and normal cells.
Usage: Particularly effective for metastatic cancers but can cause significant damage to healthy cells and subsequent side effects.
Categories of Chemotherapy Drugs: Include alkylating agents, anti-metabolites, anti-mitotic agents, and anti-tumor antibiotics, each with unique mechanisms of action and side effects.
Common Side Effects: Include nausea/vomiting, myelosuppression, alopecia, mucositis (inflammation of the mucous membranes), and cognitive function changes (often referred to as "chemo brain").
Administration: Typically done intravenously or orally, requiring careful handling and monitoring for potential adverse reactions.

Risk for these conditions increases significantly due to low white blood cell counts in patients, making infection prevention efforts critical in cancer care.

This condition involves excess secretion of antidiuretic hormone (ADH), leading to water retention and hyponatremia; management requires treatments aimed at restoring fluid balance.

Requires thorough neurological assessment and potential palliative treatments, such as corticosteroids or radiation therapy, to reduce symptoms and prevent long-term disability.

Characterized by a severe increase in serum calcium levels, often requiring aggressive management involving hydration, diuretics, and potentially dialysis to prevent serious complications.

Treatment may involve radiation or stenting, with symptoms typically including edema, dyspnea, and increased intracranial pressure, which necessitate prompt medical attention.

A potentially severe condition that occurs after treatment initiation; prevention strategies include hydration and renal monitoring, with dialysis considered in severe cases to manage electrolyte imbalances and acute kidney injury.