Cancer Essay

Introduction

Cancer. The word by itself can conjure images of severely ill and frail people attached to IV medications and chemotherapy drugs as they cling to life in a hospital bed. Other illustrations and pictures depict unrecognizable, misshaped organs affected by abnormal cells that grow out of control, spread, and invade other parts of the body. Cancer studies show that close to one-half of all men and one-third of all women in the United States will be diagnosed with cancer during their lives. Today, millions of people are living with cancer or have had cancer. As patients are newly diagnosed with their specific type of cancer, whether it be breast, lung, prostate, skin, or blood cancer, etc., each patient has to consider what will happen with their future health care plan and who will be involved in their long journey from treatment to recovery. Once diagnosed, cancer patients become the focal point and the center of all activity in terms of care but cancer not only physically invades the patient’s body and well-being, it goes beyond the patient and significantly affects the emotional stability and support from from their loved ones and caregivers. Based on the insidious nature of cancer and typically late detection of malignant diseases, family members (either spouses, children, parents, other relatives, and friends) often become the patient's main caregiver. These caregivers, also known as informal caregivers, provide the cancer patient with the majority of the support outside of the medical facility or hospital environment and become the primary person to provide various types of assistance. They provide the physical support with bathing and assisting in activities of daily living, they become emotional ...

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...e unknown. It is also meant to meet the psychosocial needs of the caregiver and provide levels of rehabilitation from caregiver strain and burden.

Outcome Evaluation

What criteria will be used to show whether or not objectives have been met? What methods will be used to measure the effects of the planned intervention? Describe the process and any measurement instruments.

Outcome : Evaluate the effectiveness of the cancer caregiver support service team and whether objectives of the service has been met.

Reduction of caregiver stress and burden, utilization of coping mechanisms

Change of focus from partly patient-centered to patient/caregiver-centered cancer support

Decisions for advanced care plans have been communicated and discussed with patient and caregiver to alleviate stress of decision-making and remove pressure from the family members.