Care of a patient with laryngeal cancer in the home environment

Abstract

Introduction. Laryngeal cancers are the most common malignant tumours of the head, neck, as well as the respiratory tract. They are more likely to affect men, less often women. Morbidity increases after the age of 50 and increases with each decade. The most common histopathological variant is squamous cell carcinoma.

The aim. The aim of the work is to analyse the tasks of the nurse in the care of a patient with laryngeal cancer, located in the home environment.

A patient case presentation. A man of 59 years after surgery for a tracheostomia due to cancer, staying at home, under the care of a primary health care nurse.

Discussion. The operation to completely remove the larynx constitutes a deep mutilation, which affects both the change in physiological functions, as well as deprives the patient of the possibility of verbal communication with the environment, which affects the mental and social state of the patient.

Conclusions. Primary health care nurses face tasks in the area of information, instrumental and emotional support. The overarching goal of nursing care in the oncological patient's home environment is to mobilize his forces and resources to self-care and self-care in relation to his own person, and to assist at different stages of the course of the disease process.