Cancer is a dreaded word in medicine. For the layperson, when they hear this word as part of their medical diagnosis, this is very devastating. Cancer is usually associated with pain and eventually death. For many, cancer can be drawn out for many months and years with alternating episodes of remission and worsening condition. This course looks into the difficulties of providing care to this patient population.
Learning Objectives Taking Care of a Cancer Patient
- Delineate benign vs metastatic cancer.
- General categories of cancer treatments.
- Lists possible side effects of chemotherapy.
- Recognize possible alteration on body image resulting from cancer treatment.
- Recognize possible burnout of primary caregivers of cancer patients.
- Explore end-of-life care options for terminally ill cancer patients.