Medical Essay on Diagnosis and Detection of Cancer

Diagnosis and detection of cancer may require the physician to perform lab tests to check the presence of cancer. In particular, physicians examine the body fluids, urine, and blood to make a diagnosis. However, doctor cannot rely on laboratory tests entirely because they may not detect the disease. Some of the two main approaches to diagnosing cancer include imaging procedures and biopsy (Alterio, Maddox, Uy, Graeber & Quadri, 2014). Although cancer medication and treatments are available, many patients succumb to the condition because of the application of conventional TNM staging system, ineffective diagnostic procedures, and lack of social and professional support.

Diagnosis and Staging of Cancer

The most common form of actual diagnosis of cancer is biopsy in which the physician uses a sample of the body tissue to verify the presence of cancerous cells. The pathologist may use a needle, an endoscope, or perform surgery to determine the presence or absence of a disease. Excisional and incisional surgeries involve the removal of the entire tissue and a small section of the tumor respectively. In using the endoscope, the doctor inserts a tube into the body and uses another tool to remove a section of the tissue or the cell. Although using the need is simple biopsy, the doctor may not collect the right amount of tissue to warrant a definite diagnosis. As a result, inaccurate diagnosis can lead to improper treatment (Alterio et al., 2014). Additionally, there is a possibility that a fine needle biopsy may damage the tissue structure; thus, reduce the level of information gleaned from the identified sample. Conversely, incisional procedures require heavy anesthesia and sedation, which is time consuming and costly. Nevertheless, they allow the collection of enough materials for the physician to make a diagnosis.

Examples of imaging procedures include CT scan, nuclear scan, ultrasound, PET scan, MRI, and X-rays. A CT scan involves a machine that creates pictures of the body organs. In most cases, application of dye or other contrast items are useful in highlighting the areas as increasing the readability of the contents. In addition, in a nuclear scan, the doctor injects a small portion of radio-active material into the bloodstream (Mirnezami, Jimenez, Li, Kinross, Veselkov, Goldin & Darzi, 2014). The substance collects in various parts of the body including the bones and organs. Then, a scanner checks the presence of level of radioactivity in particular sections of the body. The use of ultrasound creates a sonogram that occurs due to the waves. Conversely, MRI is a detection tool method that uses a computer and a magnet to make pictures of the particular area of the body. Then, the doctor can print the image. A PET scan involves the installation of a tracer that faciliatates the formation of 3D images concerning the organ. One of the most common detection procedures is the use of low intensity radiation (X-rays) to make a picture of the tissues.

Cancer staging is the identification of the extent at which the disease has spread or its size in the body. Staging is important because it allows the doctor to understand the seriousness of the disease as well as the correct medication. Additionally, it enables the physician to identify the appropriate types of clinical trials for the patient. Care providers consider the location of the tumor in the body, the type of the cell, the size of the cancerous tumor, and the level of spread of the condition to determine the stage. Most physicians use TNM system of cancer staging to report the condition (Mirnezami et al., 2014). T refers to the extent and size of the primary tumor. N is an abbreviation for the number of lymphnodes near the tumor, and M destribes if the cancer has metastized.

Although TNM is effective, there is a need to apply it in conjunction with nonanatomic prognostic procedures to improve outcomes. Additionally, it does not allow a uniform language to communicate cancer reports; thus, poses risks for the patients. Notably, TNM only provides information concerning anatomic classification means at the expense of other factors including histopathologic, comorbidity, and molecular biology which have considerable significance in prognosis. Currently, the greatest challenge in regards to accurate implementation of improved TNM is the requirement to apply computational technology in the already complex system (Silvestri, Gonzalez, Jantz, Margolis, Gould, Tanoue & Detterbeck, 2013). Therefore, it appears that the future cancer staging techniques will focus on the particular genomes of a certain cancer. Thus, the biological profiles of the condition will be identified.

Complications

Cancer treatment may lead to mental, emotional, and physical complications. Some of the emotional and mental complications of the disease include sadness and anxiety in response to the process of treatment. Additionally, many patients tend to develop a mood disorder which affects them emotionally. Some of the treatments for the emotional and mental conditions are antidepressant medications, psychotherapy, and support groups. Conversely, physical complications include visceral pain, neurophatic, and somatic pain. Potential treatments for pain due to cancer include the use of medications such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Mirnezami et al., 2014). Other physical problems associated with cancer include erectile dysfunction and malignant pleural effusion.

Metastasis is another dangerous cancer complication. It involves the spread of timorous cells from one organ or tissue to another in the body. In fact, it appears that metastasis is the leading killer complication of cancer because it tends to affect vital organs such as the brain and heart. Moreover, some types of cancer invade close organs of the body. For instance, breast cancer may cause liver cancer while prostate cancer may cause complications in the pelvic region.

Side Effects

Notably, cancer is one of the conditions linked with increased side effects after the treatment process. First, the quality of life for an individual is greatly affected after undergoing radiation and chemotherapy. Radiation therapy, which treats internal tumors, can cause side effects which include hoarseness, skin irritation, and throat pain. The long-term side effects may include the destruction of the jawbone and the salivary glands (Mirnezami et al., 2014). Additionally, oral radiation therapy increases the risk of suffering from constant formation of cavities and chronic dry mouth. Moreover, there is a potential for reduced effectiveness of the immune system after the performance of chemotherapy and radiation. Other common side effects are hair loss, pain, and nausea. However, majority of the side effects may diminish in the first week after the treatment.

Managing Psychological and Physical Effects of Cancer

The prevalence of physical and psychological effects of cancer depends on the type of the condition. Psychological distress is common among cancer patients, as they start to worry about their body image, express feelings of fear, guilt, and mood disturbance. Therefore, there is a need to lessen both physical and psychological effects to improve health outcomes among cancer patients. Although there many ways in which cancer patient can manage psychological and emotional pain, research indicates that victims do not employ them because they have limited knowledge about them (Silvestri et al., 2013). Nevertheless, one can achieve psychological well-being if he/she makes healthy lifestyle choices. For instance, eating healthy diets is an effective way to reduce negative effects. Additionally, it is paramount to seek counseling services from a professional, a family, friends, or engage in group therapy.

What is more, after treatment, patients should engage in mind-body techniques which include laughter therapy, relaxation therapy, energy therapies, and stress management interventions. Notably, the methods improve the general well-being of an individual who is suffering from both short-term and long-term side effects of cancer. Apart from that, it is vital to avoid generalizing the side effects, as a person may exhibit different psychological complications from the others. Although the strategies noted in this section are important in lessening the psychological impacts, their effectiveness depends on the availability of strong social systems (Alterio et al., 2014). Close friends and family members play the role of offering psychological, logistical, and financial support. Also, if the healthcare system does not offer the required support, oncology care is diminished. Markedly, some physicians lack the right skills to offer high quality services and indicate inability to offer care. Conversely, physical exercises can lessen physical impacts.

In conclusion, biopsy is the most common process used in actual diagnosis of cancer. Both incisional and excisional approaches applied can be helpful to the clients. Detection procedures include use of CT-scans and other methods. Although TNM is an important component of cancer staging, it only provides information concerning anatomic classification means at the expense of other factors including histopathologic, comorbidity, and molecular biology. Some of the complications and side effects include somatic pain and metastasis effectively. Treatments to some of the complications may include medications such as opioids and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs.

References

Alterio, A., Maddox, D., Uy, K., Graeber, G., & Quadri, S. (2014). Logistics of Lung Cancer

Diagnosis and Staging for Patients in an Academic Medical Center. Chest, 146(4), 548A.

Mirnezami, R., Jimenez, B., Li, J. V., Kinross, J. M., Veselkov, K., Goldin, R. D., ... & Darzi, A.

(2014). Rapid diagnosis and staging of colorectal cancer via high-resolution magic angle spinning nuclear magnetic resonance (HR-MAS NMR) spectroscopy of intact tissue biopsies. Annals of surgery, 259(6), 1138-1149

Silvestri, G. A., Gonzalez, A. V., Jantz, M. A., Margolis, M. L., Gould, M. K., Tanoue, L. T., ...

& Detterbeck, F. C. (2013). Methods for staging non-small cell lung cancer: diagnosis and management of lung cancer: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines.CHEST Journal, 143(5_suppl), e211S-e250S