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9GuidelinesforCancerScreeningTestsNursesNeedtoKnow!

Distinctivetumorswerefirstreportedinscientificjournalsin1775,andthatwasscrotalcancerdirectly
associatedwithchimneysweeps.In1761,casesofnasalcancerroseamongindividualswhousesnuffor
smokelesstobacco.Sincethen,cancerhasmadeitsidentityknownasthediseasethatplaguesthe
unsuspectingsociety.
Cancercanoccuranywhereinthebody.Whenthebodysnormalcontrolmechanismsbecomedefective,old
cellsdonotdieandnewabnormalcellscontinuetoproliferate.Consequently,theseextracellsformtissue
masseswhichdeprivethenormalandhealthycellsofthenutrientsnecessaryforgrowthanddevelopment.
However,sincethereisstillnocureforcancer,thehealthcareindustryadvocatesforpreventionandearly
detection.Screeningtestsaremadetosubjectpersonssuspectedtohavecancerbutstilldonothavethe
manifestationsyet.Iftheresultsarehighlysuggestive,abiopsyisconductedtoconfirmtheworkingdiagnosis.

MortalityHitAroundtheWorld
WorldHealthOrganization(WHO)reportedthatin2012,therewere14millionnewcasesofcancerand8.2
millioncancerrelateddeaths.SixtypercentofthesenewcasesarefromAfrica,Asia,andsomepartsof
America.IntheUnitedStatesalone,itisestimatedthatfor2016,therewillbe1.6millionnewcasesofcancer
andcancerrelateddeathswouldreachhalfamillion.

NursesasCancerInsurgents
Whenfacingcancer,nursesunderstandtheimportanceofearlydetectionandtreatment.Thisguaranteesa
relativelyhigherchanceofsurvivingthesavagedisease.Theproblemwithcanceristhatitonlysignalsits
existencewhenitisalreadysevere.Unlikeotherdiseases,itdoesnotscreampain.Mostofthetime,before
onebecomesawareofitsexistence,cancerhasmadeamapoutofonesbodyandhaslodgeditselfinevery
corner.
Nurseshavewitnessedparentsbecomechildlessandchildrenbecomeorphanedbecauseofcancer.
Therefore,itisimportantfornursestospreadawarenessoncancerandhowitcanbepreventedinthe
earliesttimepossible.Nursesshouldlearncancerscreeningtestguidelinesbyheartaspartofthecommitment
tosavinglives.

CancerScreeningTestGuidelines
HerearethescreeningtestguidelinesfordifferenttypesofcanceraccordingtoAmericanCancerSocietyand
U.S.PreventiveTaskForceServices:

1.BreastCancer
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Seventypercentofwomenhavenoknownpredisposingfactorstobreastcancerbutcertainriskfactorshave
beenestablished.Riskfactorsincludeage65andabove,twofirstdegreerelativesdiagnosedwithbreast
canceratanearlyage,highbreasttissuedensity,andfactorsthataffectcirculatinghormoneslikelate
menopause,longtermuseofhormonalreplacementtherapy,andobesity.
Breastcancerscreeningincludesmammography,clinicalbreastexamination(CBE),andbreastself
examination(BSE).Itisimportantthatpatientsunderstandwhattheseexaminationsareallabout,howtheyare
performed,andtheirlimitations.

Mammogram.Imagevia:Wikipedia.

Mammography(xrayofthebreast)isdoneyearlyforwomenage40andabove.However,forwomenwith
increasedrisk,itmaybestartedatage30.CBEisdoneevery23yearsamongwomen2039yearsofageand
thenannuallyafter40yearsofage.Basically,thisisaphysicalexamdonebyahealthcareprovideraspartof
theregularmedicalcheckup.Lastly,nursesshouldteachwomen20yearsofageandaboveonhowtoperform
BSE.Thisshouldbedone57daysaftermenstruationwhenthebreastsarenotswollenandtender.Forwomen
withanirregularsexualcycle,aspecificdatemustbechosenformonthlyBSE.

2.CervicalCancer

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PapSmear

ThescreeningtestforcervicalcancerisPapSmear.In2012,theAmericanCollegeofObstetriciansand
Gynecologists(ACOG)releasedanewguidelineforthistest.Firstscreeningshouldbeatage21.Forwomen
age21to39,screeningisdoneeverythreeyears.Untilage60,screeningisdonewithcytologyifPapSmearis
positiveorifthepatientisathighriskforHPVtest.Forwomenwhohaveundergonehysterectomyforbenign
reasons,routinescreeningisdiscontinued.Lastly,forwomenage65andabove,routinescreeningis
discontinuedifthreeconsecutivePapsmearresultisnegative.

3.OvarianCancer
Currently,thereisnoeffectivescreeningtestforovariancanceralthoughriskfactorswouldincludehistoryof
breastorovariancancerinthefamilyandmutationinBRCA1andBRCA2genes.

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Pelvicexam

Pelvicexamisdoneuponcheckupandthedoctorwouldrequestultrasoundandmagneticresonanceimaging
(MRI)asneeded.

4.TesticularCancer

Testicularselfexam.

Monthlytesticularselfexamination(TSE)isrecommendedformen.Apainlessnoduleorlumpfeltisalways
advisedtobereportedtothedoctor.TSEshouldbedoneafterawarmshowersotheskinisrelaxed.

5.LungCancer
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