Internal Medicine Nursing for Endometrial Cancer

Endometrial cancer is a malignant tumor originating from the endometrial glands, also known as uterine body cancer, and is one of the three major malignant tumors of the female genitalia. It is more common in menopause and postmenopause, and is more common in unmarried, underfertile, obese women with hypertension and diabetes. In addition to using surgery to fight endometrial cancer, nursing care is also needed!

Endometrial cancer care 1. To ease the fear of patients, try to use non-technical language so that patients can understand, help patients reduce anxiety and fear about the disease and surgery, build confidence, and actively cooperate with treatment and care.

Endometrial cancer care 2. General care Strengthen nutrition and provide a high-calorie, high-protein, and high-vitamin diet.

Endometrial cancer nursing 3. Nursing of surgical patients

(1) Preoperative care should include routine preparation, including visceral function examination and skin preparation.

(2) Patients should be advised that surgery is the treatment of choice and that laparotomy should be performed as long as the patient's general condition can tolerate it and there are no contraindications to surgery.

Endometrial cancer care: Early stage patients generally undergo total hysterectomy and bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy. Stage II patients should undergo extensive total hysterectomy and bilateral pelvic lymph node dissection. For stage Ia patients, if cancer cells are found in the ascites or deep muscle layer is infiltrated, and lymph node metastasis is suspected or positive, external irradiation should be added after surgery, using 60CO or linear accelerator external irradiation.

Endometrial cancer care: For patients with stage Ib uterus larger than 2 months of pregnancy, stage III and some stage IV patients can be irradiated before surgery or intracavitary irradiation with 137Cs, 192Ir, etc. Surgery should be performed within 1 to 2 weeks after the end of radiotherapy.

Endometrial cancer nursing care 4. Nursing care during hormone and other drug treatments

(1) Progestin therapy can be considered for patients with advanced cancer, recurrent cancer, those who cannot undergo surgery, or young patients with early stage cancer who wish to preserve their fertility. Generally, the dosage is high, such as 200-400 mg/day of medroxyprogesterone acetate and 500 mg/day of progesterone acetate. It takes at least 10-12 weeks to initially evaluate the effect. During treatment, it is necessary to pay attention to observe side effects. Generally, side effects are mild and can cause water and sodium retention, edema, and drug-induced hepatitis. Patients should be told that they will gradually improve after stopping the medication.