The Practical Application of the Faye Glenn Abdellah's Theory in the Holistic Care of a Patient with Terminal Stage Breast Cancer
INTRODUCTION
"Your mammogram is suspicious for breast cancer" "Your biopsy was positive for breast cancer." These are among the most terrifying words a woman can hear from her doctor. Breast cancer elicits so many fears, including those relating to surgery, death, loss of body image and loss of sexuality. Managing these fears can be facilitated by information and knowledge so that each woman can make the best decisions concerning her care. Optimally, these issues are best discussed with the patient's doctor on an individual basis. What follows is a review of information on breast cancer intended to aid patients and their families in their navigation through the vast ocean of breast cancer issues.
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S and other countries. While the majority of new breast cancers are diagnosed as a result of an abnormality seen on a mammogram, a lump or change in consistency of the breast tissue can also be a warning sign of the disease. Heightened awareness of breast cancer risk in the past decades has led to an increase in the number of women undergoing mammography for screening, leading to detection of cancers in earlier stages and a resultant improvement in survival rates. Still, breast cancer is the most common cause of death in women between the ages of 45 and 55. (Stoppler, 2009)
RATIONALE
Breast cancer is a preventable disease but can be very chronic if it appears in a woman’s body, especially if it metastasizes to other parts. When a woman has breast cancer, it is sometimes very hard for them to accept the fact that they have cancer. According to an article by Gina Shaw, 2005 entitled," Metastatic Breast Cancer as a Chronic Condition”, the hardest part, for most women, is the uncertainty. The uncertainty as to when they will stop suffering from this disease and when they will ever get rid of it has always been the problem that breast cancer
"Your mammogram is suspicious for breast cancer" "Your biopsy was positive for breast cancer." These are among the most terrifying words a woman can hear from her doctor. Breast cancer elicits so many fears, including those relating to surgery, death, loss of body image and loss of sexuality. Managing these fears can be facilitated by information and knowledge so that each woman can make the best decisions concerning her care. Optimally, these issues are best discussed with the patient's doctor on an individual basis. What follows is a review of information on breast cancer intended to aid patients and their families in their navigation through the vast ocean of breast cancer issues.
Breast cancer is the most common cause of cancer in women and the second most common cause of cancer death in women in the U.S and other countries. While the majority of new breast cancers are diagnosed as a result of an abnormality seen on a mammogram, a lump or change in consistency of the breast tissue can also be a warning sign of the disease. Heightened awareness of breast cancer risk in the past decades has led to an increase in the number of women undergoing mammography for screening, leading to detection of cancers in earlier stages and a resultant improvement in survival rates. Still, breast cancer is the most common cause of death in women between the ages of 45 and 55. (Stoppler, 2009)
RATIONALE
Breast cancer is a preventable disease but can be very chronic if it appears in a woman’s body, especially if it metastasizes to other parts. When a woman has breast cancer, it is sometimes very hard for them to accept the fact that they have cancer. According to an article by Gina Shaw, 2005 entitled," Metastatic Breast Cancer as a Chronic Condition”, the hardest part, for most women, is the uncertainty. The uncertainty as to when they will stop suffering from this disease and when they will ever get rid of it has always been the problem that breast cancer
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