Analysis of Healthcare Concern
Breast cancer is among the leading concerns in the United States. In the US, it is the leading cause of cancer-related death in females (Afifi et al., 2019). Most women diagnosed with the disease are over 55, but also young women can get breast cancer quickly. According to research by World Health Organization, in 2019, there was an estimated 268600 women with breast cancer and 41760 deaths associated with the health concern. Fortunately, breast cancer survival and mortality rates have improved in the last few decades. Due to the decreased mortality and survival rates worldwide, patients with the condition may live long enough after diagnosis of the disease. However, billions are spent to care for patients with breast cancer, and thus the issue needs to be addressed in good time.
Different physical, psychosocial and cultural considerations affect breast cancer disease. Facing breast cancer represents enormous stress for patients dealing with novel and challenging choices and issues. Undergoing treatment, accepting the diagnosis, handling the potential side effects and experiencing an indefinite future are all the process stages that can lead to depression. Several breast cancer people undergo multiple symptoms during their cancer care, such as depression, anxiety, cognitive impairment and distress. Anxiety is one of the most psychosocial aspects of breast cancer, with rates of about ten to thirty percent (Dinapoli et al., 2021). The patient has anxious symptoms because they are expecting bad things to happen. Distress also refers to a broad spectrum of feelings connected to symptoms of anxiety, depression, and adjustment disorder. For instance, patients report increased anguish throughout the active periods of therapy compared to individuals with prostate cancer, despite experiencing difficulty at diagnosis. Depression is another psychosocial aspect that adversely affects most women’s quality of life, treatment regime, self-care, and survival chances (Dinapoli et al., 2021).
Cultural aspects can impact self-care factors and behaviors that influence self-care, such as motivation, habits, confidence, support, and patient-caregiver relationships. Cultural beliefs and values, social norms, sexual roles, religion and customs impact the self-care of cancer patients (Yeom et al., 2022). For instance, it is not easy in some cultures to alter their eating behaviors in favor of vegetables and fruits, which contribute to healthy lifestyles. The physical aspect is that some women cannot walk after undergoing chemotherapy (Iddrisu et al., 2020).
Evidence-Based Practices for Health Improvement
In order to address the breast cancer issue, it is necessary to have some strategies in place. The three key strategies include; self-management, medication and clinical practice guidelines. Self-management entails patients’ capability, without or with the support of their community, family and physicians, to handle their health conditions’ physical and psychosocial phases. According to Tan et al. (2022), self-management has been projected as a strategy for addressing breast cancer survivors’ long-term necessities, psychologically and physically. Examples of self-management approaches include; weight management, nutrition, physical activity, smoke cessation and alcohol limitation. These approaches are a significant part of cancer care as they improve survivors’ efficiency and enable them to cope with the disease. Evidence has also shown that self-management can boost various psychosocial and physical outcomes and minimize healthcare use among people with chronic diseases such as breast cancer.
Clinical practice guidelines are the other strategy to improve healthcare among breast cancer patients. These suggestions for the diagnosis, treatment, and care of individuals with certain types of diseases are included in these guidelines, which are evidence-based papers. They can as well help end users improve clinical practices. The utilization of oncological clinical practice guidelines has been proven to boost the management and cancer survival (Tan et al., 2022). Although struggles to incorporate the evidence have influenced the development of various guidelines concerning self-management interventions for breast cancer patients, the practice guidelines use their specific approaches for evidence grading and development.
The third approach is the use of medications. Medications form a better way to reduce the risks of contracting breast cancer. Chemotherapy utilizes anti-cancer medications that may be given by mouth or injected into the vein. The medications travel through the bloodstream to arrive at the cancer cells in various body parts. Chemotherapy had the most significant impact when more than one medication was used. Physicians utilize many diverse combinations. Some of the chemotherapy drugs include anthracyclines, taxanes, and carboplatin. Although drug combinations are utilized to treat breast cancer at its early stages, advanced breast cancer is treated with single medications.
Specific Goals Applicable for Breast Cancer
The goals for the patients should focus on the three strategies to help reduce the risks of developing breast cancer among women. One of the goals is that the patient should adhere to strict medications provided by the physicians. The medications also involve regular visits to the hospital for check-ups. The second goal is that the patient should engage in a healthy lifestyle and habits. Healthy lifestyles include regular exercise and a proper diet having vegetables and fruits to boost the immune system. The third goal is to attend surgery sessions as addressed by the physician. Surgery at the early stages of breast cancer helps in the complete removal of the primary tumor with negative margins to minimize risks of pathological stages of the tumor ( Chalasani, 2023). The last patient goal is to attend support care programs. These programs are essential as they educate breast cancer survivors on the better ways to prolong their lives and strategies to improve coordination care and thus promote positive healthcare outcomes.
Community Resources
Various community-based resources are available for breast cancer patients. One of the resources is the free educational guides. These guides deliver educational, comprehensive information on breast health and healthy living among breast cancer patients. By understanding the significance of early detection, these resources aim to empower men and women with valuable information. The second resource is the patient navigator program that helps breast cancer patients stun the constraints of fear, charge and misinformation about the condition and its prevention (“National Breast Cancer Foundation,” 2023). The third one is the National Cancer Institute, which offers information concerning low-cost or free mammogram screening programs. The fourth resource is the American Cancer Society, which offers resource lists for financial assistance and free mammogram programs to help minimize the risks of breast cancer among women.
Conclusion
Breast cancer is one of the main issues and a significant contributor to cancer-related death among women in the US. According to research by World Health Organization, in 2019, there was an estimated 268600 women with breast cancer and 41760 deaths associated with the condition. Based on the adverse impacts of the disease, there is a need for evidence-based practices to help in healthcare plan improvement. Such practices include self-management, medications and clinical practice guidelines. In addition, based on these strategies, the patients need to have goals that enhance the recovery process. These goals are critical components in minimizing breast cancer risks and increasing survival chances. Consequently, community-based resources are also essential in the care coordination plan.
References
Afifi, A. M., Saad, A. M., Al‐Husseini, M. J., Elmehrath, A. O., Northfelt, D. W., & Sonbol, M. B. (2019). Causes of death after breast cancer diagnosis: A US population‐based analysis. Cancer, 126(7), 1559–1567. https://doi.org/10.1002/cncr.32648
Breast Cancer Resources. National Breast Cancer Foundation. (2023). Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/about-breast-cancer/early-detection/breast-cancer-resources/
Chalasani, P. (2023). Breast cancer treatment & management. Approach Considerations, Treatment of Invasive Breast Cancer, Systemic Adjuvant Therapy for Breast Cancer. Retrieved April 10, 2023, from https://emedicine.medscape.com/article/1947145-treatment#:~:text=The%20goals%20of%20breast%20cancer,to%20provide%20necessary%20prognostic%20information
Dinapoli, L., Colloca, G., Di Capua, B., & Valentini, V. (2021). Psychological aspects to consider in breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Current Oncology Reports, 23(3). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11912-021-01049-3
Iddrisu, M., Aziato, L., & Dedey, F. (2020). Psychological and physical effects of breast cancer diagnosis and treatment on young Ghanaian women: A qualitative study. BMC Psychiatry, 20(1). https://doi.org/10.1186/s12888-020-02760-4
Tan, J.-Y. (B., Zhai, J., Wang, T., Zhou, H.-J., Zhao, I., & Liu, X.-L. (2022). Self-managed non-pharmacological interventions for breast cancer survivors: Systematic quality appraisal and content analysis of Clinical Practice Guidelines. Frontiers in Oncology, p. 12. https://doi.org/10.3389/fonc.2022.866284
Yeom, J.-W., Yeom, I.-S., Park, H.-Y., & Lim, S.-H. (2022). Cultural factors affecting the self-care of cancer survivors: An integrative review. European Journal of Oncology Nursing, 59, 102165. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejon.2022.102165
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