...Anemia in Chemotherapy Patients Anemia: Side Effect of Chemotherapy BIOS 260 Section B 2/4/2012 Anemia and Chemotherapy Patients For patients receiving chemotherapy, anemia can be a common side effect . The big question, though is, why is anemia a common side effect for these patients? In order to be able to answer that question, the understanding of what both anemia and chemotherapy is necessary. Once that understanding is clear, then the causes can be analyzed. From that analysis, treatments can be established. What is anemia? Generally speaking, anemia is a condition of low levels of red blood cells. Nutritional deficiency, chronic disease, and hemorrhage could all be particular causes. These conditions decrease the number of red blood cells and oxygen delivery to the cells and tissues. Anemia symptoms that a patient can experience are fatigue, energy loss, lightheadedness or dizziness, shortness of breath, headaches, pallor appearance, tachycardia and chest pain. There are many different types of anemia, such as iron deficiency, anemia of chronic disease, megaloblastic and hemolytic (Zelman, 2009). The classes that are the result of chemotherapy are iron deficiency and anemia of chronic disease. The difference is the class is based on the type of cancer that is being treated. Iron deficiency anemia is when the body does not have enough iron. When that occurs, the body will make fewer red blood cells or the red blood cells are too small. Iron deficiency...
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...and try to decrease the side effects in the process. One of the most known treatments for this kind of cancers is chemotherapy. Chemotherapy is a combination of several drugs that are given to the patient in a set regimen (Radhakrishnan et al.372). This can be administered in many different ways, for example, orally, in a form of a pill or liquid, intravenously, which is through the veins, injection or topically, which is a form of cream; normally used in early stage of cancer. Chemotherapy drugs can be divided by their cell cycle effects or by their biochemical properties (Caley and Jones 186). In addition, drugs that have the same biochemical class have a similar mechanism of action and those that are classified by their cell cycle...
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...cells, some of which are drug-sensitive while others are drug-resistant. Treatment kills only the drug-sensitive cells, but leaves behind a higher percentage of drug-resistant cells. As the tumor begins to grow again, chemotherapy may completely fail because the remaining cells are resistant to the drug (Nature America). After selection for resistance to a specific drug, cells might also show cross-resistance to other mechanistically unrelated drugs, a phenomenon...
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...Despite of enormous research efforts cancer still presents one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Although conventional chemotherapy helps to fight cancer but it shows some major drawbacks like, drug toxicity to normal cells, non selective drug distribution and limited toxicity to cancer cells, which results in toxic side effects to normal tissues and post treatment cancer recurrence. An appropriate carrier for tumor specific drug delivery can limit the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs against healthy cells. Bacteria can be engineered to overcome these limitations and to increase the efficiency of current chemotheraputics. Famous coley’s vaccine was developed on the basis of the fact that many bacterial strains show anticancer effect...
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...For six months every three weeks I lived in a set ritual where everything was planned down to the minute and second. It was my ritual of chemotherapy. Everything was always the same from what the doctors did to what I did. I only did this ritual to survive, not by choice. Upon arrival at the hospital I would go directly to the Oncology Center, better known as the Massoud Clinic. There, I would wait until the nurse who would weigh and measure me called me back, after that she would draw two vials of blood to test my blood cell levels. An hour prior to all of this I would take a strip of saran wrap, with a quarter sized amount of numbing gel, and place it on my port. This would ease the pain when they accessed it. The nurses were always very meticulous when they accessed my port, everything was sterilized twice and once they were sure it was clean they would stick the needle into my chest and begin an intravenous therapy of saline at 999 milliliters per hour. Then, I would walk through the hospital to room 316, get comfy in bed and wait for chemotherapy to begin. At 10:45 sharp my doctor would come in and begin my first round of chemo, Etopside. It was given through my IV and took a I would wear a blood pressure monitor that would check every fifteen minutes to make sure my heart rate wasn’t getting out of control. After the first chemo was given I would always crave Panera Bread chicken noodle soup, so I would eat a couple bowls of it during my second round of chemo...
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...It is believed that the use of garlic as a possible chemotherapy treatment will be very effective. Chemotherapy plays the role of killing cells that are in the process of splitting into 2 new cells. Tissues are made of tons of individual cells. Once we are completely developed, most of our body cells don't divide, and multiply as fast/rapid as they used to at a younger age.When cells divide they split into 2 equivalent cells. So, if there was 1 cell, there are now 2, etc. With cancer, the cells keep on dividing at an abnormal speed until there is a mass of cells. This mass of cells becomes a tumour, because cancer cells divide much more quick than most cells, they are more probable to be killed by chemotherapy. Some chemotherapy treatments...
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...Chemotherapy is a term used to describe the therapeutic intervention of disease with drugs. It is a common term used in cancer treatment circles. With the incidences of cancer disease on the rise, doctors have embraced chemotherapy as a modern technology to control body cells that turn cancerous and multiply at an uncontrollable rate (Epstein & Samuel, 26). The chemotherapy treatment process is one that has balanced positive and negative implications on the patient's quality of life. Besides the process offering a second chance to patients who are almost giving up on the cancer disease, it has equally many side effects that often turn unbearable to the soft-hearted. More than one hundred drugs are available and can be used singly or in combinations to eradicate any remaining cancer cells after a radiological or surgical treatment of the same (Greenwald & Edward, 9). The mention of chemotherapy shifts our thinking to cancer matters. Cancer has...
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...Long 1 Meghan Long English 3 18 May 2017 Does Chemotherapy Help or Harm Cancer Patients? This paper will be showing you, the reader, the truth about chemotherapy. It isn't a magic medicine that helps kill cancer like pharmaceutical companies and oncologists want you to think. Chemotherapy is a cancer drug that, although it seems to be the right answer, usually ends up doing more harm than help. Chemotherapy is well known for killing cancer cells, but what most people do not think about is that it also kills your healthy cells. This is what causes the hair to fall out, as the chemotherapy kills hair cells. Chemotherapy also kills your white blood cells, the cells that help your body fight infection, making you very susceptible to illnesses while...
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...Other treatments may be used if tests reveal benefit from additional treatments. Chemotherapy uses chemicals to exterminate cancer cells. It can either be through intravenously (vein) or in a pill form or both. Chemotherapy is more likely used prior to surgery for IBC also called neoadjuvant therapy to shrink the cancer before going into surgery. Also, it can be used after surgery. Women with IBC usually have an operation called a mastectomy this means that they will have to remove the breast surgically. Most undergo a modified radical mastectomy, which invests removing the entire breast and several lymph nodes that were affected by cancer cells. The lymph node is tested for signs of cancer. Radiation therapy are high-powered energy beams to kill cancer. This machine moves around the body where the cancer is located. Also, this type of therapy can be used after chemotherapy and surgery to kill any cancer cell that still might remain in the breast or underarm. If IBC is sensitive to hormones doctors might recommend hormone therapy. Another, treatment is targeted therapy, which exterminates cancer by focusing on cancer cells. INC with a certain genetic mutation a medication called trastuzumab (hereceptin) that might be...
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...Introduction The last few years have seen an increase in research in the treatment of childhood cancer. Such research is essential for understanding common challenges that arise after the difficult cancer diagnosis experience and may lead to better strategies and interventions for anticipating and mitigating the adverse impact of cancer on the child and his or her family giving a more holistic approach to care. From this case study, one can immediately notice that family Cauchi have passed through a lot of hardships over a short period of time. Over three weeks they have faced the diagnosis of cancer, prolonged hospitalisation, and a disrupted routine, together with surgical and invasive procedures, intensive treatment along with adverse side-effects, as well as changes in the child’s body image and in his habitual personality. In its first section, this assignment will give an overview of the initial diagnosis and acute phase of the leukaemia treatment. In light of literature, the following section will discuss and evaluate interventions carried out to prevent, reduce and manage adverse side-effects, in order to maintain the overall physical health of the child. Subsequently, the impact of the illness experience on the child, sibling and the parents is addressed from a psychological, social and spiritual point of view. The nurse’s role in providing support, information and education throughout hospitalisation, as well as in preparation for discharge, is outlined...
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...I loathe writing with every cell in my body. When I found out that I needed an English class for my degree plan, I considered not going to college at all. Dramatic right? This is because I knew that essays go hand and hand with any English class like side effects with chemotherapy. And just like the cancer treatment, the pain needs to be endured in order to advance to the next level. So that is what this course was for me -- a 5-week chemotherapy session. I have never had to go through chemo so I do not have the credibility to compare the two, but just allow me to exaggerate my disdain for writing. Throughout this course, I repeatedly participated in the essay review process, was forced to learn how to form a proper thesis, and was introduced to graphic organizing techniques that will, unfortunately, actually help me out in the future. The essay review process is almost as boring as it sounds and is self-defined in its name. Writing an essay consists of brainstorming ideas, creating a rough draft, reviewing the rough draft, then submitting the final paper. We learned this early on in English class and as a matter of fact, we had to submit a “bio” of who we were on the first day of class. Now as I look back at that...
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...In the case of Cassandra and chemotherapy, the central moral tension is Cassandra having her life preserved and having being strapped down to receive the replacement of the tube used to administer the chemotherapy drugs. She wants to protect her human life especially her adolescent life when it has a disease, she just doesn’t want drugs going into her body. An adolescent like Cassandra wants to do what they think is right for their body. Another concern is the doctors having the values of being able to make informed decisions about her medical care. Perhaps their not really going to listen to a minor when it comes to their health. For example, she still has the Chemotherapy scenario she never wanted to go into her body. But, however, in this...
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...Clinical management and patient’s response and evidence based comparisons Upon admission, following subsequent blood works, the doctor on duty ordered for Miss N.M. to be administered IV Lasix 40mg, Nifedipine 10mg po stat, cocktail stat (100cc 50% Dextrose, 20 cc of calcium gluconate and 20 units of soluble insulin) slow push to be infused 3 unit of Packed Red Blood Cells, and IVF 2.5L/24 hrs: normal saline. Four days later Miss N.M. was diagnosed with Hypokalemia, obstructive Uropathy, Anaemia and Likely Cervical Cancer. A biopsy confirmed Cervical Cancer Stage III B and bilateral Nephrostomy tubes were ordered and inserted to aid the client in eliminating wastes from here body. With the administration of the IV Lasix 40 mg and Nifedipine 10 mg po there was a significant improvement in the client’s blood pressure readings 149/96 122/82. However, there was still no urinary output of significance. There should have been increased urinary output due to the therapeutic action of this loop diuretic. The administering of the loop diuretic, cocktail (100cc 50% Dextrose, 20 cc of calcium gluconate and 20 units of soluble insulin) and the insertion of the nephrostomy tubes improved the clients potassium reading from a 7.6 to a 5.8mEq/l. Normal potassium level range between 3.5-5.0. The potassium level in the blood was still elevated thus Kayexalate 15g po tds was added to the regime. This antihyperkalemic drug releases sodium ions in exchange primarily for potassium ions and ultimately...
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...Cancer is a group of 200 or more diseases of controlled cell growth. The treatment of cancer can be very difficult process. Breast Cancer is most prevalent form of cancer among women and second leading cause of death. From a clinical standpoint radiation chemotherapy not only made strides in preventing the reoccurrence in cancer but also has some side effects that needed to be treated in order for a women to return to a healthy lifestyle. For example chemotherapy cause substantial weight loss, diaria, vomiting, anorexia and nausea after chemotherapy. The person may develop anemia, skin disorders, be sun sensitivity and become more vulnerable to every day common infections. The person will most likely lose their hair and substantially loss muscle tone and energy. Another fact about chemotherapy is along with killing cancer cells it may also kill healthy white blood cells that prevent common infections that lead to a weaker immune system. The person will need to take extra caution to avoid any kind of infections. They will also need to be washing their hands frequently, having excellent oral care, avoiding large crowds in areas with pore circulation, staying away from people with infection diseases and just the common cold. Thus returning to a healthy lifestyle will already be extremely challenging process for this person. Nutrition will be at the forefront at helping this person recover rapidly and prevent the reoccurrence of cancer. The person will need to have a relativity...
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...de Souza et al. BMC Health Services Research 2012, 12:481 http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-6963/12/481 RESEARCH ARTICLE Open Access Unsupported off-label chemotherapy in metastatic colon cancer Jonas A de Souza1,2*, Blase Polite1,2,3, Monica Perkins4, Neal J Meropol5, Mark J Ratain1,2,6, Lee N Newcomer4 and G Caleb Alexander7 Abstract Background: Newer systemic therapies have the potential to decrease morbidity and mortality from metastatic colorectal cancer, yet such therapies are costly and have side effects. Little is known about their non-evidence-based use. Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study using commercial insurance claims from UnitedHealthcare, and identified incident cases of metastatic colon cancer (mCC) from July 2007 through April 2010. We evaluated the use of three regimens with recommendations against their use in the National Comprehensive Cancer Center Network Guidelines, a commonly used standard of care: 1) bevacizumab beyond progression; 2) single agent capecitabine as a salvage therapy after failure on a fluoropyridimidine-containing regimen; 3) panitumumab or cetuximab after progression on a prior epidermal growth factor receptor antibody. We performed sensitivity analyses of key assumptions regarding cohort selection. Costs from a payer perspective were estimated using the average sales price for the entire duration and based on the number of claims. Results: A total of 7642 patients with incident colon cancer were identified...
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