Treatment of MSCC should take into consideration the person’s pre-treatment health status, including their ability to ambulate and comorbidities. Palliative radiotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for most people with MSCC. Urgent surgical opinion should also be sought for the person with actual or impending MSCC, as evidence has suggested that outcomes are improved with decompressive surgery to radiotherapy. People with MSCC are also often treated with corticosteroids, although there is currently limited evidence to support this practice. More than 50% of individuals with MSCC go on to develop urinary retention and faecal incontinence. Incontinence can have a major impact on QoL. Faecal incontinence is also a leading cause of admittance to a residential aged care facility. Learning activities Completed Activities Discuss the nursing implications of people receiving the following treatments for MSCC: corticosteroids radiation to the spinal cord decompressive surgery Discuss the evidence-based supportive care you could offer a person with MSCC who is suffering with bowel and bladder dysfunction. Superior vena cava syndrome Aetiology and contributing factors Superior vena cava syndrome (SCVS) is a complication that can arise in people with cancer, especially those with lung cancer or lymphoma. Approximately two to four percent of all people with lung cancer will go on to develop SVCS at some time. The superior vena cava (SVC) is responsible for the venous drainage of the head, neck, arms, and upper thorax. The SVC has thin walls, and is vulnerable to external compression by tumours arising in the lung or mediastinal area. Tumour invasion, thrombosis, or interference with the venous return can also cause obstruction of the SVC, leading to SVCS. This syndrome is defined by the constellation of symptoms that result from the obstruction of the SCV., and symptoms commonly associated with SVCS include: facial or neck swelling (in 82% of presentations) arm swelling (68%) dyspnoea (66%) cough (50%) dilated chest veins (38%).
Treatment of MSCC should take into consideration the person’s pre-treatment health status, including their ability to ambulate and comorbidities. Palliative radiotherapy remains the cornerstone of treatment for most people with MSCC. Urgent surgical opinion should also be sought for the person with actual or impending MSCC, as evidence has suggested that outcomes are improved with decompressive surgery to radiotherapy. People with MSCC are also often treated with corticosteroids, although there is currently limited evidence to support this practice. More than 50% of individuals with MSCC go on to develop urinary retention and faecal incontinence. Incontinence can have a major impact on QoL. Faecal incontinence is also a leading cause of admittance to a residential aged care facility. Learning activities Completed Activities Discuss the nursing implications of people receiving the following treatments for MSCC: corticosteroids radiation to the spinal cord decompressive surgery Discuss the evidence-based supportive care you could offer a person with MSCC who is suffering with bowel and bladder dysfunction. Superior vena cava syndrome Aetiology and contributing factors Superior vena cava syndrome (SCVS) is a complication that can arise in people with cancer, especially those with lung cancer or lymphoma. Approximately two to four percent of all people with lung cancer will go on to develop SVCS at some time. The superior vena cava (SVC) is responsible for the venous drainage of the head, neck, arms, and upper thorax. The SVC has thin walls, and is vulnerable to external compression by tumours arising in the lung or mediastinal area. Tumour invasion, thrombosis, or interference with the venous return can also cause obstruction of the SVC, leading to SVCS. This syndrome is defined by the constellation of symptoms that result from the obstruction of the SCV., and symptoms commonly associated with SVCS include: facial or neck swelling (in 82% of presentations) arm swelling (68%) dyspnoea (66%) cough (50%) dilated chest veins (38%).
EdCaN-Specialty-Module-Three-Core-skills-in-Cancer-care.docx