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Nursing Care of a Cancer Patient
Rasmussen University
NUR2392: Multidimensional Care II
, 2
Nursing Care of a Cancer Patient
Anna is a 45-year-old female patient who has a history of diabetes, obesity, and
noncompliance with diet and medications to control her diet. She is a single mother of three
teenagers and smokes regularly. While examining her history review, the patient felt a lump on
her right breast during a self-breast exam. Anna also states that she has a positive family history
of breast cancer; her mother and grandmother have been treated for breast cancer. The patient
also states that she has never done a mammogram. The patient’s practitioner palpated her right
breast and discovered a lump.
Risk Factors for Development of Cancer
The patient has many risk factors that can lead her to have the possibility of developing
breast cancer. The risk factors include age, diabetes, genetics, obesity, smoking, and
noncompliance with diet and medications. Anna has also mentioned how she has been fatigued
and not feeling like herself for the past six months. Due to her busy schedule, she said of not
have the time to get herself checked out. The patient is also experiencing right nipple pain. Anna
must undergo a diagnostic mammogram to help detect for early signs of breast cancer due to the
physical findings. In recent studies, breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in women ages 40
and up, so women need to get their annual mammogram (Boraas, 2019). A mammogram is an x-
ray picture of the breast that makes it possible to detect lumps or abnormal growths that may not
be felt during self-examination (Boraas, 2019). Although the patient did not describe the type of
lump, she sensed in her right breast, it is still abnormal, which usually indicates cancerous.
However, because the patient never performed an annual checkup it is difficult to determine
whether the lump is cancerous or which stage it has developed to. Nipple pain triggered by
Nursing Care of a Cancer Patient
Rasmussen University
NUR2392: Multidimensional Care II
, 2
Nursing Care of a Cancer Patient
Anna is a 45-year-old female patient who has a history of diabetes, obesity, and
noncompliance with diet and medications to control her diet. She is a single mother of three
teenagers and smokes regularly. While examining her history review, the patient felt a lump on
her right breast during a self-breast exam. Anna also states that she has a positive family history
of breast cancer; her mother and grandmother have been treated for breast cancer. The patient
also states that she has never done a mammogram. The patient’s practitioner palpated her right
breast and discovered a lump.
Risk Factors for Development of Cancer
The patient has many risk factors that can lead her to have the possibility of developing
breast cancer. The risk factors include age, diabetes, genetics, obesity, smoking, and
noncompliance with diet and medications. Anna has also mentioned how she has been fatigued
and not feeling like herself for the past six months. Due to her busy schedule, she said of not
have the time to get herself checked out. The patient is also experiencing right nipple pain. Anna
must undergo a diagnostic mammogram to help detect for early signs of breast cancer due to the
physical findings. In recent studies, breast cancer tends to be more aggressive in women ages 40
and up, so women need to get their annual mammogram (Boraas, 2019). A mammogram is an x-
ray picture of the breast that makes it possible to detect lumps or abnormal growths that may not
be felt during self-examination (Boraas, 2019). Although the patient did not describe the type of
lump, she sensed in her right breast, it is still abnormal, which usually indicates cancerous.
However, because the patient never performed an annual checkup it is difficult to determine
whether the lump is cancerous or which stage it has developed to. Nipple pain triggered by
