Ovarian Cancer

1175 Words3 Pages

Care Study for a Patient with Ovarian Cancer Taneesha Rodriguez Northeastern Junior College

Care Study for a Patient with Ovarian Cancer
As a nurse, in order to take care of a patient, you should always be familiar with their disorders. Their disorders affect how to properly take care of the patient. This includes knowing a summary of the disorder they have and the medical management that takes place for the disorder. Once you have an accurate description of the disorder and a patient’s baseline assessment you can properly write up a care plan for the patient. The following will include a description of the disorder, the medical management for the disorder, a care plan for a patient diagnosed …show more content…

Around the world, more than 200,000 women are estimated to develop ovarian cancer every year and about 100,000 die from the disease. The lifetime risk of a woman developing epithelial ovarian cancer is one in seven. Most theories of the pathophysiology of ovarian cancer include the concept that it begins with the dedifferentiation of the cells overlying the ovary. During ovulation, these cells can be incorporated into the ovary, where they then proliferate. Ovarian cancer typically spreads to the peritoneal surfaces and omentum. The precise cause of ovarian cancer is unknown, but several risk and contributing factors have been identified. These include the following: age, obesity, drug or alcohol abuse, diet, hormone therapy, women without children and women who had early menarche or late menopause. Early ovarian cancer causes minimal, nonspecific, or no symptoms. Most cases are diagnosed in an advanced stage. Epithelial ovarian cancer presents with a wide variety of vague and nonspecific symptoms, including the following: bloating, abdominal distention or discomfort, pressure effects on the bladder and rectum, constipation, vaginal bleeding, indigestion and acid reflux, shortness of breath, tiredness, weight loss, and early …show more content…

It is usually found in later stages and there is usually a similar process in diagnosis. Since it is found in later stages, weight loss begins and the tumors are usually palpable. A gynecologist will perform a pelvic exam to try and feel for possible masses. Masses are not always found though. The two diagnostic tests used most often to screen for ovarian cancer are transvaginal ultrasound (TVUS) and the CA-125 blood test. The TVUS is a test that uses sound waves to look at the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries by putting an ultrasound wand into the vagina. It can help find and measure a mass in the ovary, but it can't actually tell if a mass is cancer or benign. CA-125 is a protein in the blood. In many women with ovarian cancer, levels of CA-125 are high. This test can be useful as a tumor marker to help guide treatment in women known to have ovarian cancer, because a high level often goes down if treatment is working. The next step after the tumor is found is surgery to remove the tumor and any other organs that are possibly cancerous around it. After surgery chemotherapy may be necessary to kill off any other possible cancerous

Open Document