Case Study: An Elderly Patient With Terminal Liver Cancer

Case Study: An Elderly Patient With Terminal Liver Cancer

HLT 520 Week 1 Ethical Study Review Latest-GCU

Details:

Scenario: A 96-year-old male patient is admitted to the ICU with terminal liver cancer. He is confused and disoriented, very skinny and appears underfed, and is covered with bruises, which are common in patients with liver disorders. His daughter, who is a naturopathic physician, insists that she can cure her father by administering unknown substances, some of which smell like feces and look like tar, down his NG tube. He is clearly in pain after she does this. She insists that these are life-saving interventions on her part, but the nursing and physician staff caring for the patient are very upset and concerned that she is hastening his death. They have come to you for help.

1) Write a paper (1,250-1,500 words) that describes how to use the method of ethical decision making, reviewed in the module, to help resolve this ethical dilemma. Address the following to generate your conclusions about how you would proceed:

1. a) What are the dimensions of the ethical dilemma?
2. b) What are the issues?
3. c) Apply the four core ethical principles and the process of ethical decision making.

2) Prepare this assignment according to the APA guidelines found in the APA Style Guide, located in the Student Success Center. An abstract is not required.

3) This assignment uses a grading rubric. Instructors will be using the rubric to grade the assignment; therefore, students should review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the assignment criteria and expectations for successful completion of the assignment.

HLT 520 Week 1 Discussion 1

A patient is in a coma that appears irreversible. His mother, who is his surrogate, firmly believes that he will recover and that God is taking a hand to work a miracle if everyone will just wait long enough. She wants everything done for the patient, including resuscitation if he arrests. She insists that he stay in the hospital, and is very upset that he was transferred out of the ICU and his care was moved to comfort measures, rather than aggressive treatment. The mother does not speak English and is strong in her religious beliefs. The physicians for the patient are very upset and concerned about continuing to provide care that they believe is futile. The patient is developing a serious pneumonia, and the mother wants it treated aggressively. The physicians are reluctant. Analyze this case from the ethical principles of justice, benevolence, non-malfeasance, and autonomy.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION;

Discuss Terminal Liver Cancer in an elderly patient

Introduction

Liver cancer is a type of cancer that affects the liver. The liver is a large organ that sits on top of your stomach and helps your body break down food, filter waste from the blood, and store vitamins and minerals. In some cases, liver cancer can spread (metastasize) beyond the liver to other parts of the body (such as bones or lungs). Liver cancers are most often diagnosed in older people. This article highlights information about liver cancer in elderly patients and describes their survival rates, treatment options, risk factors for developing it and causes behind this disease.

What is liver cancer?

Liver cancer is a type of cancer that starts in the liver. It can be either primary or secondary.

Primary liver cancer is not caused by any other disease and usually occurs when cells develop in the liver tissue itself, while secondary liver cancers are caused by another condition and may occur after transplantation of new organs (such as a kidney or heart).

How old are most people when they get it?

Terminal liver cancer is more common in people over the age of 50, and the incidence of this type of cancer has been increasing. However, it is still rare for someone under 30 to get terminal liver cancer.

Liver cancer can be either primary or secondary. Primary liver cancer is the most common type of liver cancer and is usually detected in an early stage. Secondary liver cancer occurs when a non-liver organ, such as the stomach, pancreas or colon, spreads to the liver.

What causes liver cancer?

Liver cancer is the most common type of cancer in older adults. It’s caused by a combination of factors, including genetics and lifestyle choices.

• Viruses cause most cases, especially Hepatitis B and C viruses (HBV and HCV). In people with hepatitis B virus infection, this virus can lead to chronic inflammation that leads to cirrhosis—a fatty liver disease that makes it difficult for your liver cells to function normally. This causes tumors called hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The risk for HCC increases as you age because your immune system weakens over time; this allows more viral particles enter your body without being destroyed by white blood cells called cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) which normally fight off infections like HBV.* Alcohol use has been linked with increased risk for developing HCC in men aged 55 years or older who have high levels of alcohol consumption over many years.* Chemicals such as lead exposure may also increase the risk of HCC through genetic mutations that affect how well genes respond when exposed to toxic chemicals

How common is it?

Liver cancer is the second most common type of cancer in the world, and it’s more common in men than women. Liver cancer can occur at any age, but it tends to occur most often between ages 60 and 70. People who have had hepatitis C are at higher risk for liver cancer than others who do not have hepatitis C because this infection causes inflammation in your liver which can lead to tumors developing there.

In general, if you have been diagnosed with terminal stage 4 cirrhosis (a form of advanced liver disease), then you are probably going to die within six months or less even if treatment begins right away.

What are the symptoms of liver cancer?

The symptoms of liver cancer can be similar to those of other conditions, such as gallstones or anemia. They include:

• Abdominal pain

• Loss of appetite

• Weight loss (with or without an increase in appetite)

• Nausea and vomiting

• Fatigue and fatigue-related symptoms such as dizziness, muscle weakness, shortness of breath and fainting spells. These are common side effects that accompany cancer treatment but there may also be associated problems with balance, memory loss and vision problems if you have liver cancer.

What does the liver do?

Your liver is the body’s largest internal organ and plays an important role in your overall health. It produces bile, which helps digest food; blood proteins such as albumin, clotting factors and clot-dissolving enzymes; and many other substances that are important for health. The liver also helps you detoxify substances that could harm your body or cause cancer (like alcohol).

The primary function of the liver is to break down fat into usable energy (known as ketone bodies) through an enzyme called lipase. This process generates a lot of glucose from fat, which can be used by muscles when they need energy quickly during physical activity or after eating carbohydrates like pasta with tomato sauce or breaded chicken tenders.

Is liver cancer hereditary?

In most cases, it is not hereditary. However, if you have a family history of liver cancer or other types of blood cancers and your father or mother has had a family history of these conditions, then it may be worth getting tested for the condition.

What are the treatments for liver cancer?

• Surgery. If you have cancer in your liver, surgery may be an option to remove it. This is called a partial hepatectomy or laparotomy liver resection (removal). The surgeon takes out about 1/3 of the liver and leaves some healthy tissue behind. You’ll have blood tests before and after the operation to check for signs that the cancer has spread or is growing back into healthy parts of your body.

• Radiation therapy (RT). Radiation can damage or kill any cells that have been exposed to radiation; however, RT does not always cure people with liver cancer because there are other types of cancer cells that don’t respond well to radiation treatment

Can you live a long life after treatment?

The prognosis for liver cancer depends on the type of treatment given, as well as the stage of the cancer.

The prognosis for liver cancer can also be affected by patient age and health status, as well as overall general health.

The liver is a large organ located on the right side of your abdomen. It is the largest internal organ and has many important functions, including: -Producing bile to help digest food -Storing certain vitamins, minerals and fat soluble vitamins -Helping with blood clotting by producing proteins called coagulation factors

Does alcohol cause liver cancer?

You may be wondering if alcohol causes liver cancer. As it turns out, the answer is no—but there are a few caveats to this statement.

The first is that alcohol is not the only cause of liver cancer. In fact, studies show that people who drink regularly have an increased risk of developing liver disease and tumors compared with those who do not consume alcohol at all. This increase in risk extends beyond just one or two drinks per day; in fact, moderate consumption (a maximum of 2 drinks per day) can actually reduce your chances of getting liver disease by up to 60%! However, some people do develop cirrhosis after heavy drinking episodes over time due to other factors such as obesity or diabetes mellitus type 2

Older people can get liver cancer but it’s more likely in younger people.

Liver cancer is more common in young people, with men accounting for 50% of all diagnoses. While the cause of liver cancer is unknown, it’s believed to be related to a combination of factors including genetics, alcohol consumption and hepatitis B or C infection.

In addition to being more likely to develop liver cancer at an early age (ages 15-45), middle-aged men are also more likely than women or older adults to undergo surgery after diagnosis. This can help manage symptoms like pain or weight loss but may not prevent death from metastasis (spread).

Conclusion

Cancer can be a difficult disease to diagnose, especially if it’s found late. The earlier it is diagnosed, the more likely it is that treatment will be successful..