Cancer pain management
Cancer Pain Management
Cancer Pain Management Cancer is rapidly becoming a chronic illness, and an estimated that 10 million individuals in the United States are survivors of cancer (Sun, Borneman, Piper, Koczywas, & Ferrell, 2008). According to 2008, cancer statistics from the American Cancer Society, about 565,650 people die in the United States from cancer every year. Approximately 1.6 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year (American Cancer Society, 2012). This is why the health care needs of cancer patients are unique, and many are at risk for developing late or long-term side effects and pain from their primary treatments. These long-term effects may also hinder optimal physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning for patients (Sun et al., 2008).
Pain is experienced by 30% to 50% of cancer patients receiving treatment and by 70% to 90% of patients with metastatic or advanced disease. In almost every cancer-related case pain is inadequately managed due to a lack of patient and professional knowledge of optimum management (Sun et al., 2008). This paper will discuss how nurses can help provide adequate pain management in advanced cancer patients.
Patient and family needs
Support for the patient and family may include education and information, coping skills, counseling and psychotherapy, and family meetings, etc. Patients, as well as their family have psychological needs. Family members’ psychological distress can be as severe as that of the patient. Studies of psychological distress have found that the psychological distress of patients and their family paralleled over time so when you help the family to manage their distress may have a beneficial effect on the distress level of patients (Herschbach, Keller, Knight, Huber, Henrich & Marten-Mittag, 2004).
Psychological/Psychosocial/Physical concerns
One third of patients with cancer will
Cancer Pain Management Cancer is rapidly becoming a chronic illness, and an estimated that 10 million individuals in the United States are survivors of cancer (Sun, Borneman, Piper, Koczywas, & Ferrell, 2008). According to 2008, cancer statistics from the American Cancer Society, about 565,650 people die in the United States from cancer every year. Approximately 1.6 million new cases of cancer are expected to be diagnosed in the United States this year (American Cancer Society, 2012). This is why the health care needs of cancer patients are unique, and many are at risk for developing late or long-term side effects and pain from their primary treatments. These long-term effects may also hinder optimal physical, psychological, and cognitive functioning for patients (Sun et al., 2008).
Pain is experienced by 30% to 50% of cancer patients receiving treatment and by 70% to 90% of patients with metastatic or advanced disease. In almost every cancer-related case pain is inadequately managed due to a lack of patient and professional knowledge of optimum management (Sun et al., 2008). This paper will discuss how nurses can help provide adequate pain management in advanced cancer patients.
Patient and family needs
Support for the patient and family may include education and information, coping skills, counseling and psychotherapy, and family meetings, etc. Patients, as well as their family have psychological needs. Family members’ psychological distress can be as severe as that of the patient. Studies of psychological distress have found that the psychological distress of patients and their family paralleled over time so when you help the family to manage their distress may have a beneficial effect on the distress level of patients (Herschbach, Keller, Knight, Huber, Henrich & Marten-Mittag, 2004).
Psychological/Psychosocial/Physical concerns
One third of patients with cancer will