In the article, “Current Management of Advanced Resectable
Oral Cavity Squamous Cell Carcinoma”, it is stated that an estimated 24,000
cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma are diagnosed each year, and that this
specific cancer is ranked within the top 10 cancers that effect the oral
cavity. This type of cancer most commonly starts out as what looks like a scaly
red patch, open sores, elevated growth with a central depression or a wart. In
the case of my father, it started out as what looked like a scab on his upper
lip and by the time the small site was surgically removed, it had metastasized
to the lymph nodes in his neck.
The head and neck region is the most common site for
squamous cell carcinoma. Surgery is the leading treatment for this cancer,
however a new method of treatment is emerging that involves collaborative
therapy. Depending on the staging, a combination of: radiation therapy,
chemotherapy, and surgical intervention can be used to treat squamous cell
carcinoma of the mouth. Nursing care is a part of this collaborative care.
Nursing care starts from the initial assessment of any
patient, even before diagnosis of cancer. Considering the most common risk
factor for developing oral cancer is tobacco use, it is vital as a nurse to
include this in the initial assessment. If the patient denies tobacco use of
any kind, the assessment may move along. However, if the patient claims to have
used at any time in the past or present,
the nurse must get answers to the following questions: How long has the patient
been using tobacco products? How often are the products used? What type of
tobacco does the patient use? Nurses should also educate all patients that
although the risk is slightly lower than it is with smoking, smokeless tobacco
is still a risk factor in developing oral cancer.
Advancements are being made with the use of collaborative
care to treat more advanced stage cancer, including the use of radiation,
chemotherapy, and surgical resection/reconstruction; but even with these
progressive steps forward, there is still the high rate of failure and morbidity
that must be overcome to make further advancements. Tobacco use kills, the
nurses role of assessment and education plays a vital role in the prevention of
unnecessary bodily damage or even death to the patient.
Bibliography
Thomas
J. Ow, M. a. (2011, March 4). Clinical and Experimental Otorhinolaryngology.
Retrieved from US National Library of Medicine National Insitutues of Health :
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3062220/
I love the personal touch in your article. It's crazy to think of how common skin cancer really is and how easily it can be prevented. For skin cancer, just putting on sunscreen every day can be super beneficial! Thankfully for us females thats a little easier as a good bit of foundations and facial creams have built in sunblock! And as far as tobacco products go, never starting is the best way to go. There is so much harm from even a small amount of tobacco, and the package warnings are very explicit about the dangers of tobacco. I hope that these advancements for healing the patient with this cancer continues, a lot of lives could be saved and a lot of unnecessary deaths prevented. And I agree, it is especially important for us as future nurses to learn the importance of education to prevent problems and how to perform a thorough assessment to try and catch any possible future problems as soon as possible. My thoughts and prayers are continually with your dad and the rest of your family!
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