Question

. The Health Promotion nurse at a state university plans a series of educational programs focusing on female reproductive health issues for incoming first-year female students. Because cervical cancer is the third most common female reproductive cancer and affects over 10,000 women annually in the United States, the nurse has planned the first session to focus on cervical cancer screening and prevention. (Learning Objective 6)

1. What information should the nurse include about Pap smears?

2. What clinical manifestations should the nurse include about cervical cancer?

3. The nurse discusses other diagnostic tests used to diagnose/stage cervical cancer. What information should she include in this portion of the educational program?

Answer 1

a Pap test otherwise called Papanicolaou test is a microscopic study of exfoliated cells via special staining and fixation technique detects abnormal cells.The nurse should instruct women who are sexually active and who are over age 18 to have Pap smears according to American cancer society guidelines.According to American Cancer society Paptest must be done atleast once in every 3 years.,beginning 3years after sexual intercourse ,but not later than age 21.Instruct patient not to douche for atleast 24 hour before examination.Collect careful menstrual and gynaecologic history.

b Precancerous stages are asymptomatic,but leukorrhea and intermenstrual bleeding eventually occur.The dischargeis usually thin and and watery but becomes dark and foulsmelling as the disease advances ,suggesting the presence of an infection .The vaginal bleeding is only initial spotting.As the tumor enlarges,it becomes heavier and more frequent..Pain is a late symptom and is followed by weight loss,anaemia and cachexia.

bWomen with more prominent changes will recieve additional procedures such as colposcopy and biopsy ,before a definitive diagnosis is made.Colposcopy helps in the identification of possible epithelial abnormalities and suggest areas for biopsy.The LUMA Cervical Imaging system maybe used with colposcopy to identify these sites.Biopsies are sent to pathology for Evaluation .Laser cone excision and loop electrosurgery excision procedure (LEEP)remove the identified tissue and allow for histologic examination to ensure that all microinvasive tissue has been removed.