Question

A 53-year-old man with pancreatic cancer is exploring all of the nonsurgical methods for managing his disease drug therapy, radiation therapy, and biliary stent insertion. What nursing roles are important during each of these types of interventions?

Answer 1

Pancreatic cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death in men in the United States and fifth leading cause of cancer in women.The incidence of pancreatic cancer increases with age and other factors such as cigarette smoking, exposure to industrial chemicals or toxins in the environment and a diet high in fat, meat, diabetes mellitus, chronic pancreatitis and metastasis of other tumours.

Drug therapy and radiation therapy

• 5-fluorouracil, leucovorin and gemcitabine.

Irinotecan (Camptosar)

• Leucovorin (Wellcovorin)
• Nab-paclitaxel (Abraxane)
• Nanoliposomal irinotecan (Onivyde)
• Oxaliplatin (Eloxatin)

currently, gemcitabine is the standard of care for patients with metastatic cancer.

• interstitial implantation of radioactive sources has used, although the rate of complications is high.
• biliary stent insertion percutaneously or by endoscope used to relieve jaundice.

nursing management

• during chemotherapy, side effects include poor appetite, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea will occur, so malnutrition is a major problem maintaining nutritional status is mandatory.
• chemotherapy decreases the production of white blood cells, red blood cells, and platelets. nurse should do a routine blood test.
• inform about the peripheral neuropathy due to chemotherapy.

radiation therapy

• nurse should educate the patient and relative to not rub the area of the radioactive implant.
• educate the area become dark.
• nurse should act as an advocate, educator and liaison
• should teach relaxation technique or arrange a counseller
• inform the relatives, the chance of recurrence

stent insertion

• educate family and patient about the advantages of stenting
• daily care to stent and insertion site and stent flushing