Reference no: EM133504934
Review several case studies on various types of cancers. You will then answer the following questions for each of the case studies:
? Are there any signs and symptoms of this cancer?
? Are there any risk factors which may be genetic and/or lifestyle related? Any possible preventive measure?
? Is there any recommended screening procedure and appropriate diagnosis for cancer?
? What are the traditional treatment options? Any side effects?
? Are there any recommendations for complementary and alternative medicine treatment options for the cancer that may help ease side effects and improve patient's quality of life?
In addition, you will also answer one question in each case study, posed by the patient, as if you are that patient's physician.
Case Study 1
Jennifer is a 28-year-old Caucasian woman who works as a legal assistant in a law firm. While showering one morning she notices a lump in her right breast. Jennifer knows her mother had a harmful mutation in the BRCA1 gene, and her mother died of breast cancer. Jennifer has also had a history of early menstruation. She has never been pregnant, although would like to have children one day. Concerned, Jennifer sees her primary physician, who sends her to have a mammogram. The mammogram shows that she does indeed have breast cancer. Her doctor discusses treatment options with her.
- Imagine you are Jennifer's physician, and provide your response to her question: "How will these treatments affect my fertility?"
Case Study 2
John is a 40-year-old, 6-foot-tall African American male with a BMI of 30. He is in the real estate business, and likes to have a drink after work to unwind. He also enjoys going out with friends to a bar on weekends. John has approximately 20 drinks per week. At the doctor's office during a regular checkup, he reports feeling tired at work, a change of bowel habits over the past 2 months, and occasionally has blood in his stool. He has a family history of colon cancer; his father had colon cancer, but has managed it through treatment and is alive and doing well. The physician sends him for a colonoscopy after a sigmoidoscopy. He is told after the procedure that a suspicious mass is detected and a biopsy and CT scan are needed to confirm the diagnosis.
Imagine you are John's physician, and respond to the concerns he expresses: "I'm nervous, Doctor. If the results come back indicating I have cancer, then what is my prognosis? What treatment options are there?
Case Study 3
Sofia, a 65-year-old woman, visits her doctor, complaining of a 4 week history of right sided chest pain. She describes the pain as dull and intermittent, and has not changed over the last few weeks. She has also lost about 7 pounds last few months. After a series of tests and procedures such as chest X-ray, CT scan, sputum cytology, and biopsy of the lung tissue, Sofia is diagnosed with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). She used to smoke, but quit 10 years ago at age 55. She had started smoking at age 16. Her father was also a smoker, and died of lung cancer. She is informed about other tests and procedures that may be used in the staging process, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) scan, and pulmonary function tests (PFTs). Sofia is terribly anxious and asks her doctor about the prognosis.
= Imagine you are Sofia's physician, and provide your response to her question: "What is the prognosis? How long do I have to live?"
Case Study 4
Andrew is 48 years old, works in a health insurance company, and is single. Through discussion with colleagues, he becomes aware of the prostate specific antigen (PSA) test. He knows his father was diagnosed with prostate cancer at an early age. Andrew decides to go for the PSA screening test. His higher than normal PSA blood test and digital rectum exam (DRE) test suggest he might have prostate cancer. A biopsy is done at his doctor's office, and samples are sent to a lab. The pathologist confirms the presence of cancer cells in the samples and provided a Gleason score which is quite high.
- Imagine you are Andrew's physician, and provide your response to his question: "Should I put my sperm in a sperm bank before undergoing treatment? How will the surgery affect my regular life?"
Case Study 5
Larry, a 45-year-old marathon runner, visits his primary physician for a routine physical checkup. During the checkup, a suspicious looking mole is detected at the back of his left hand. The lesion has an appearance suggestive of melanoma. Larry informs his doctor that the mole has gotten larger over the past two years. Larry has a light complexion. He typically goes for a 5-6 mile run every day, and spends time gardening and biking. He is not sure whether any of his relatives have or have had skin cancer. He is referred to a dermatologist, who believes the mole looks like skin cancer. The mole is surgically excised and sent to pathology lab for histologic analysis. Larry is diagnosed with malignant melanoma. As further treatment, Larry's physician wants to remove his left axillary mass and do histologic examination to ascertain whether or not Larry's melanoma has metastasized.
- Imagine you are Larry's physician, and provide your response to his question: "Can I still spend time outdoors? Is there anything special I'll have to do in order to stay outside as often as I'd like?"
Case Study 6 - Student's Choice
Choose one more form of cancer that you are interested in, and complete the table below for that cancer.
- Anticipate a question that a patient who was recently diagnosed with the cancer you have chosen to research. Type that question below, and then provide an answer as if you are the patient's physician.