Approach to Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Approach to Care - Essay Example Cancer patients need integrated care through the involvement of a multidisciplinary team due to its complexity. This involves having specialists coming together. Each one of them observes the patient individually; they then compare the results and medical history to be able to come up with the medical plan and the recommendations collectively. It is therefore recommended to choose a care center offering multidisciplinary care to be able to get a comprehensive and convenient care to cancer. The care given should be holistic to be able to attend to the emotional but also social needs of the patient. Individualized, whole-patient care According to Gotay, Lipscomb & Snyder (2006), this mode of treatment should be varied according to age, stage of cancer, preferences, and emotional issues of the patient. It extends to taking care of the social, spiritual and cultural preferences and norms of the patient. Inclusive care Inclusive care entails consulting the patients and including them in t he decision-making process. The patients regardless of class and financial strength need to be given equal treatment. The treatment plan should be based on agreement and recommendations arrived at to ensure that whatever treatment they are given is their choice. Respect According to Gotay, Lipscomb & Snyder (2006), the patients and caregivers need to be treated with care and respect. They should also be allowed to participate actively in decision-making. Patients and caregivers should be encouraged to engage actively in the whole process. Communication Communication is one of the most important aspects in any organization. Cancer being a very sensitive thing, the doctors needs to be bold, upfront, honest and straightforward with the patient, regarding their progress and status. Describe the Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer According to Gotay, Lipscomb & Snyder (2006), the stages in the progression of cancer have been evolving over time, so are the staging systems. This is because the scientists are ever studying and conducting research on the same. Some stages cover all types of cancers, while some are more specific. These are the common factors and signs to look out for at the time of diagnosis: The site of the primary tumor The number of the tumors that the patient has, consideration is also given to the size of the tumor(s) The concerned or infected lymph nodes together with the rate at which the cancer cells are invading into the lymph nodes The cell type, together with the progression and the stage of the tumor. This is how closely the cancer cell is of resemblance with the normal cells What is the TNM system? According to Gotay, Lipscomb & Snyder (2006), the TNM system focuses on the extent of the tumor (T), the progress of the spread to the lymph nodes (N), and the availability of distant metastasis (M). Each letter is added a number as an indication of the size and the extent of the primary tumor as well as the degree to which the cancerous cells have s pread. For example, T0, T1, T2, T3, T4 show the size or the extent of the tumor. TX demonstrates the impossibility of evaluating or showing the primary tumor while Tis shows that the adjacent tissues have not been invaded by the abnormal cells; although yet cancer. The lymph nodes, N0, N1, N2, and N3 show that the regional lymph nodes are involved, (the precise number of lymph nodes and/or degree of spread, and NX shows that regional lymph no