Topics About 'Cancer'.

Over a few months, we had a rash of cancer patients on our ward. The time period was somewhere in the early 1990s. We had many end-stage patients, most were elderly. But there was one young woman I will never forget. She was in her early 30's. She wa...

It was a story I'd seen before: 19-year-old airman, T-cell lymphoma, air evac'd from overseas after a plethora of symptoms led to the discovery of his cancer .I headed boldly into the room, my orientee close behind me. A young black male, no older th...

I remember the day we went to the oncologist with my father. The doctor came in said hello, and before he finished sitting down, he had delivered the bombshell, "you have less than 6 months to live." I remember being so angry at him, and me the meek ...

So my usual morning routine goes like this: print my report sheet, and start putting in my little boxes for med times, assessments, etc (yes, I'm the OCD nurse), while I wait for the night nurses to be ready for report. Get a face-to-face report from...

As a pediatric hematology/oncology/BMT RN, I have heard hundreds of stories from patients, parents and caregivers about their journeys to diagnosis. Common threads among all the stories are the numerous misdiagnoses made along the way. Pediatric canc...

The very first time I ever stepped foot into an oncology office was the day my Dad was diagnosed with Stage IV Melanoma. The only thing I could think as I sat there was, "Why does anyone decide they want to become an oncologist or even work in a plac...

Can someone please help with nursing diagnosis and care plans? My pt was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, but he was not in pain so I can't include this issue in my care plan. He was anemic and this is indicated in his labwork, but what really s...

It makes sense that patients have put off getting a mammogram, colonoscopy, heart tests, etc. due to the Covid epidemic. Since the beginning of the pandemic, we have seen many services become limited and together with the fear of contamination, has l...

My phone lit up with a message from a friend in a nearby town. "Let's get together for lunch this week.” I responded with, "Sure, what's up?” Her answer made me sit down. "Breast cancer.” Breast Cancer Statistics The "C" word is met with for...

The oncology fellow--a tall, wiry Navy doctor--was speaking to my patient's sons. Dr. Clark was strangely aloof, his eyes meeting everything but the eyes of the men before him, his gaze shifting constantly to avoid the uncomfortable topic that their ...

I thought I would share this touching story with you. I work on a Palliative/Oncology/General Medicine floor and work mostly nights. We mainly have geriatric patients, but we do have some younger children that are on our floor as well. There is this ...

I've had two cases within the last few months, pt. w/projectile vomiting just prior to death, both cancer patients. I've explained this to the families as the body's method of expelling the buildup of toxins from the cancer. In both cases, the episod...

"Mrs. R? Which room?" I asked in return. "Room four." Ms. O, a plump, pleasant woman of African origins, replied. Her thick accent and tendency to say things with a smile seemed to smooth a much-needed salve over my less-than-lovely evening. The onco...

It was not a difficult decision to pursue a career in nursing when my first career came to an abrupt halt. I had been an elementary school teacher for six years, enduring two layoffs and finally a school closure. None of the schools had any sort of m...

I remember one day when you were receiving blood. I went into the room with your primary nurse to double-verify. You were sitting on the couch, that same smile greeting us as we entered. "Let's get the good stuff running, sir." I said. "Is it good st...

On June 9th, the American Cancer Society (ACS) released updates to its diet and activity guideline for cancer prevention. Since 1991, the ACS has published nutritional and physical activity guidelines to inform the public, policy makers and health p...

The advancements in the treatment of cancer have greatly increased the odds of survival; even for the worst types of cancer. Miraculous and inspirational recoveries, such as those by chief Justice William H. Rehnquist, who was recently hospitalized w...

OK, so I'm a little jaded after having been a med/surg nurse for awhile and seen a lot of noncompliant medical patients, addicts and alcoholics returning for their umpteenth detox, and the usual assortment of frail, sickly, demented elderly patients ...

Mr. P, 80 years of age, a war veteran man was admitted with a chief complain of abdominal pain and loss of appetite. Looking at Mr. P for the first time gave me an impression that he was a good looking, gentleman back in his younger days. His looks w...

Breast cancer and cervical cancer screening tests in the United States dropped significantly when COVID-19 cases spiked, according to CDC health scientists. Introduction In the United States, over the past years, the incidence of breast canc...

March finally arrived and I was on my way to my first med-surg clinical. The instructor came to each of us assigning a patient, giving us a report on their diagnosis and sent us on our way. I was so nervous looking through a"real" chart to learn more...