Month: March 2023

So You’ve Been Diagnosed With Cancer… Now what?

Posted on by Jenni Daniel BSN, RN

Breathe….  You’ve been given the news that you have cancer, so now what?  There are a million thoughts, emotions, feelings, and reactions that accompany a cancer diagnosis.  I assure you any and ALL are normal reactions. 

 

It’s important to learn about your cancer and ask questions.  You will be sent to see a doctor who specializes in your specific cancer, called an oncologist.  Depending on your cancer, you may first see a medical oncologist (a doctor who uses medicine), or a surgical oncologist (one who removes cancer using surgery).  It is important to bring someone with you to this appointment who can take notes, while you listen.  

 

I recommend making a list of questions to ask during your appointment.  Ask for your specific type of cancer, and what stage it is (if known yet).  Ask if there is a need for further tests before you can start treatment.  Ask for treatment options recommended for you and the goal of each treatment.  Ask the benefits, and risks involved, for each  recommended treatment.  Ask where you can get the treatment.  It is important to be an active partner in your care.  If you do not understand information, or options, or are not feeling comfortable with your doctor, or want a second opinion, speak up or find a person to help you early on. 

 

There are multiple ways that your oncology team may recommend treating your cancer such as surgery, chemotherapy, immunotherapy, hormone therapy, radiation or even using a clinical trial. There also may be more testing needed to confirm the diagnosis and plan for your treatment.  

 

In order to find immediate answers, many people use a web search. Instead of proving to be helpful, this activity is shown to increase anxiety for many.  Which makes now the perfect time to ask for support.  Support looks different for everyone.  Family, friends, colleagues, or a nurse who specializes in working with cancer patients, are perfect support choices.

 

This is one of the most difficult things to face, one that takes us on a roller coaster of emotions from the minute you receive the news.  I recommend journaling to my clients once they receive a cancer diagnosis.  Writing out what you were told immediately following your diagnosis, and writing about what you feel. Continuing a journal throughout treatment can help you process your feelings plus be useful in tracking appointments, side effects, and any changes or questions you have along the way.  

 

A cancer diagnosis can be as intense on one’s mental health, as the physical changes or side effects you experience, and will last longer if not supported.  Going through cancer can be incredibly challenging.  Keeping the mind healthy to support what is physically happening can help.  Get informed about your specific cancer and what the journey will look like for you.  This is not a one size fits all situation.  Try not to compare your journey with someone else’s. Consider options from your provider, understand what is happening, and what to expect, and get support early, as you decide what is best for you.

 

How Is Cancer Diagnosed? Part 2

Posted on by Jenni Daniel BSN, RN

This is part two of two articles discussing ‘How Is Cancer Diagnosed?’.

A biopsy is many times the only way to tell for sure if you have cancer.  This will review the multiple types of biopsies your doctor may want to perform or send you.

Biopsy-

A biopsy is a procedure where the doctor will remove a sample of your tissue.  Doctors need to do a biopsy to confirm cancer in most cases.  After the tissue is removed, it is placed under a microscope, looked at by a pathologist, while tests are done to see if the tissue is cancerous.  A report is produced, this is called a pathology report, giving details about the findings.  Pathology reports give important information about your specific cancer and are used to help decide treatment in a cancer diagnosis.

There are many ways a biopsy sample is obtained.

Using a needle:  A doctor can use a needle to get tissue or fluid.  This is used for some breast, prostate, liver biopsies, bone marrow aspirations, and spinal taps.

Using Endoscopy: A lighted, thin tube called an endoscope can go into your body’s natural openings, such as your mouth or anus, so the doctor can view the body tissue.  If abnormal tissue is seen, the doctor can remove this along with some of the normal tissue through the endoscope.

Endoscopy exams include a colonoscopy.  This is an exam of your colon and rectum.  The endoscopy goes through the anus which allows the rectum and colon to be examined.  Polyps, if found, can be removed and sent to a lab for testing.

Bronchoscopy is another exam using an endoscope.  This goes through the mouth or nose and down the throat.  This is an exam of the trachea, bronchi, and lungs.

Surgery-

A surgeon can remove abnormal cells during an operation or surgery.  There are two types of surgical biopsies, excisional and incisional.  During an excisional biopsy, the entire area of abnormal cells is removed by the surgeon.  Many times, some normal tissue around the cells is also removed.  During an incisional biopsy, the surgeon removes a part of the abnormal area.

Some surgery will require anesthesia or a sedative.  Anesthesia keeps you from feeling pain and includes using local, regional or general anesthesia.  Sedatives are medications that help you relax, stay still or sleep during the biopsy.

After A Cancer Diagnosis-

If your biopsy or other testing shows that you have cancer, sometimes more testing on the sample or tumor is needed to help your doctor come up with the best treatment plan.  The doctor needs to have the stage of your cancer and usually the grade of the tumor which are helpful in determining treatment.  The tumor may also be tested for other tumors or genetic markers.

 

 

Support yourself, and your mental health immediately. Reach out for tips on how, questions can be submitted to mynurseathome1@gmail.com or go to www.mynurseathome.com

Resources:

(National Cancer Institute, n.d.)

(American Cancer Society, n.d.)

 

How Is Cancer Diagnosed? Part 1

Posted on by Jenni Daniel BSN, RN

Many symptoms, in addition to screening exams, suggest an individual may have cancer.  So, ‘How Is Cancer Diagnosed?’.  This is the first of a two-part article discussing just that.  This first article will cover how lab work and imaging are used, and the second article will cover the various biopsies used to diagnose or rule out cancer.

Your physician will work to find out if there is a cancer diagnosis or another cause for your symptoms.  The doctor will need your personal and family medical history, and will likely give you a physical exam.

 Lab Work

You may be sent to the lab for blood work, or a urine screen.  These workups can show if there are any substances or abnormal results which could indicate cancer is possible.  There are tests for tumor markers that are sometimes ordered.  Tumor markers are produced by cancer or other cells in your body in response to cancer.  These can be present in some conditions that are not cancer.

Imaging

Imaging takes pictures of the inside of your body so a doctor can see if a tumor is present.  Here we review different tests which use imaging.

CT Scan

This machine is similar to x-rays, designed to take a series of pictures from different angles of your organs. These pictures then create detailed 3-D images of the inside of the body.  A CT machine is a donut-shaped scanner that moves around you, as you lie still on a table.

You may or may not receive a dye or contrast material before the scan.  This can be given by a needle placed into your vein, or you may be asked to drink the dye.  This helps to highlight areas of your body, making images easier to see.

MRI

MRI machines use radio waves and a powerful magnet to take pictures, in slices, of your body.  The slices provide details of the inside of your body that can show the difference between healthy and unhealthy tissue.

The MRI machine makes loud noises so you should be given ear plugs to put in prior to lying on the table that puts you into a long, round chamber.  Dye or contrast may be given by a needle into your vein during or prior to the exam.  This dye can make tumors show up brighter in the pictures.

 Nuclear Scan

A nuclear, or radionuclide scan, uses radioactive material to take pictures of the inside of your body.

Before this type of scan, you will receive a small amount of radioactive material, called a tracer, in your vein.  The tracer flows through your bloodstream, collecting in certain bones or organs.  While lying still on the table, a scanner detects and measures radioactivity inside your body and creates pictures of bones or organs.  The radioactive material will lose its radioactivity over time, and leaves the body through your urine or stool.

Ultrasound

An ultrasound uses high-energy sound waves which echo off tissues in your body using a computer to create pictures. This exam is performed by a technician while you lay on a table.  The technician uses a device called a transducer, covered in warm gel, to glide over the body part being examined.  The picture created is called a sonogram.

 X-Rays

X-rays create pictures of the inside of your body using low-dose radiation.  After being placed in position, the x-ray beam is directed to the correct body part. You need to stay very still, possibly holding your breath.

Resources:

(National Cancer Institute, n.d.)

(American Cancer Society, n.d.)

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