CANCER

 Cancer: from the Latin cancer or

cancrum, meaning crab.
 ancient Greek physician Galen noted
the similarity between a certain type
of tumor with a crab as well--the
swollen veins around the tumor
resembling the legs of a crab.
 In English: Cancer, the disease, dates
to about the year 1000.
 The astronomical sign was introduced
into English about 1391 and appears
in Chaucer.
CANCER IS A GROUP OF MORE
THAN 200 DISEASES
 UNCONTROLLED GROWTH OF CELLS

 SECOND LEADING CAUSE OF DEATH

IN THE U.S.
 MORE THAN 500,000 AMERICANS
WILL DIE FROM CANCER THIS YEAR
INCIDENCE AND DEATH RATES
 HIGHER IN AFRICAN AMERICANS
THAN IN WHITES
WHY DO AFRICAN AMERICANS
HAVE HIGHER INCIDENCE AND
MORBIDITY OF CANCER?
 ENVIRONMENT

 SOCIAL FACTORS

 NUTRITION
CANCER CAN DEVELOP ANYWHERE
IN THE BODY
 SKIN
 LUNG
 BRAIN
 BREAST
 PROSTATE
 COLON
 OVARIAN
 LEUKEMIA
 WHAT GOES WRONG?
 DEFECTIVE GROWTH OF CELLS

 DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF
CELLS
DEFECT IN CELLULAR
PROLIFERATION
 NORMALLY NUMBER OF NEW CELLS
EQUALS THE NUMBER OF CELLS
THAT HAVE DIED/DEGENERATED.
 OR, PROLIFERATION IN RESPONSE
TO PERCEIVED NEED (EX: INFECTION
= INCREASED WBC)
 RATE OF PROLIFERATION IS
DIFFERENT FOR DIFFERENT CELLS
 RATE OF PROLIFERATION
 BONE MARROW, HAIR, EPITHELIAL
LINING = RAPID PROLIFERATION

 MYOCARDIUM, NEURONS, AND

CARTILAGE DO NOT HAVE
PROLIFERATION
 DEFECTIVE GROWTH:RATE OF
PROLIFERATION
 LOSS OF CONTROL OF
PROLIFERATION MAY RESULT FROM
MUTATION OF THE STEM CELLS.

 MUTATED STEM CELLS HAVE THE

POTENTIAL TO BECOME MALIGNANT
(STEM CELL THEORY).
 WHAT GOES WRONG?
 DEFECTIVE GROWTH OF CELLS

 DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF
CELLS
 DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF
CELLS
 ALL BODY CELLS ARE DERIVED FROM
THE FERTILIZED OVA.
 DIFFERENTIATION MEANS THE
MATURE CELLS PERFORMS ONLY ONE
FUNCTION.
 NORMALLY, CELLS DO NOT
DEDIFFERENTIATE
 DEFECTIVE DIFFERENTIATION OF
CELLS
 GENE MUTATIONS (ALTERATION)
MAY RESULT IN UNCONTROLLED
GROWTH OF ABNORMAL CELLS OR
CELLS MAY DIVIDE PREMATURELY.
 ONCOGENES – TUMOR-INDUCING
 PROTOONCOGENES – REGULATE
CELLULAR PROCESSES
 STAGES OF DEVELOPMENT OF
CANCER
 INITIATION – mutation in cell

 PROMOTION – proliferation of the

altered cell

 PROGRESSION – increased growth

rate, invasiveness, and metastasis
 CARCINOGENS –
CANCER CAUSING AGENTS
 CHEMICAL

 RADIATION

 VIRAL

 SOME GENETIC
ANOMALIES
ROLE OF NURSES IN HEALTH
PROMOTION

PREVENTION OF CANCER
 ROLE OF NURSES IN
HEALTH PROMOTION
 PUBLIC ATTITUDES

 IDENTIFYING THOSE AT HIGH RISK

 ACS GUIDELINES FOR SCREENING

 ACT AS ROLE MODELS FOR HEALTHY

LIVE STYLE
 ROLE OF NURSES IN
HEALTH PROMOTION

 TEACH DANGER SIGNALS (CAUTION)

 ACS WARNING SIGNS
 Change in bowel/bladder
 A sore that doesn’t heal
 Unusual bleeding/discharge
 Thickening/lump
 Indigestion/difficulty
swallowing
 Obvious change: mole
 Nagging cough/hoarseness
 PREVENTION AND DETECTION
OF CANCER
 REDUCE OR AVOID EXPOSURE
 BALANCED DIET
 REGULAR EXERCISE
 ADEQUATE, CONSISTENT REST (6-8
HOURS)
 REGULAR HEALTH EXAM (HISTORY,
PHYSICAL, SCREENING TESTS)
 REDUCE/MANAGE STRESS
 PREVENTION AND DETECTION
OF CANCER
 RELAXATION AND LEISURE
 PRACTICE SELF EXAMINATION
 SEEK IMMEDIATE CARE IF YOU
NOTICE A CHANGE – EARLY
DETECTION HAS A POSITIVE IMPACT
ON PROGNOSIS
 Diagnosis of Cancer
 Testing and waiting
 Diagnostic workup:
 Health history
 Present complaints
 Family history
 Exposure to carcinogens
 Chronic inflammation or immune
suppression
 Medications
 Diagnosis of Cancer
 Physical exam
 Tests
 Biopsy
 Lab analysis of blood /body fluids/cells
 X-ray or scans
 Goals of Cancer Care
 Cell type
 Location
 Size
 Extent

Cure?
Control?
Palliation?
 Surgery
 Cure
 Support
 Palliative
 Rehabilitation
Support