Testicular Cancer
A 19-year-old male is being discharged home after surgery for testicular cancer. The patient is scheduled to begin chemotherapy in 2 weeks. The patient tells the nurse that he doesn't think he can take weeks or months of chemotherapy. What is the most appropriate nursing action for this patient at this time?
Encourage the patient to maintain a positive attitude. Response Feedback: Patients may be required to endure a long course of therapy and will need encouragement to maintain a positive attitude. The other options are also nursing actions that can be taken, but they are not the most appropriate nursing actions to take.
The public health nurse has been asked to provide a health promotion session at a wellness center. The topic of the session is to be testicular cancer. What should the nurse inform the participants about testicular cancer?
Is highly responsive to treatment. Response Feedback: Testicular cancer is most common among men 15 to 35 years of age and produces a painless enlargement of the testicle. Testicular cancers metastasize early but are one of the most curable solid tumors, being highly responsive to chemotherapy.
A 29-year-old patient has just been told that he has testicular cancer and needs to have surgery. The surgery is scheduled for the following week. That afternoon the patient calls the nurse and tells her he wants to cancel the surgery because he thinks he might be better off dead. The nurse asks him why he feels that way. The patient states "My wife won't want to have sex with me anymore. He says he feels like he's spoiled a happy, satisfying sex life with his wife and he starts to cry. Based on these statements, which nursing diagnosis would be most appropriate for creating a plan of care for this patient?
Situational low self-esteem Response Feedback: Because the patient may have difficulty coping with his condition, issues related to body image and sexuality should be addressed. The scenario stated in this case is typical of a patient with situational low self-esteem. The diagnosis of inability to function is a distracter for this question. This patient is at risk for social isolation and loneliness, but there's no indication in the scenario that these diagnoses are present.
A male public health nurse is teaching a health class for the male students at the local high school. The nurse is teaching the boys to perform monthly testicular self-examinations. What points would be appropriate to emphasize?
Testicular cancer is a highly curable type of cancer. Response Feedback: Testicular cancer is highly curable, particularly when it's treated in its early stage. Self-examination allows early detection and facilitates the early initiation of treatment. The highest mortality rates from cancer among men are in men with lung cancer. Testicular cancer is found more commonly in younger men.
Survivors of testicular cancer need education in several areas. What should the nurse educate these cancer survivors about? (Mark all that apply.)
The importance of going to follow-up appointments, Cardiotoxicity, Early detection of cancer recurrence Response Feedback: Nurses educate these cancer survivors about the importance of adhering to follow-up appointments for early detection of cancer recurrence (most often occurring within 2 years post treatment), evaluation of late effects of treatment, including secondary cancers, infertility, cardiotoxicity, neurotoxicity, nephrotoxicity, pulmonary toxicity, metabolic syndrome, and alterations in quality of life. Exercise and nutrition are not subjects that would be included in patient education for testicular cancer.