Eureka! Institutional Repository

Cancer is a multifactorial and unpredictable disease. It is the development of cell masses (tumors) at various points of the body, due to under-operation or dysfunction of the cell cycle mechanisms (Osborn et al., 2016). The tumor, depending on whether it has migratory or non-migratory properties, is classified as malignant or benign, respectively (National Cancer Institute, 2014). Cancer is a disease that afflicts the patient on a chronic basis, is ranked as the second leading cause of death worldwide, and it has been estimated by the scientific community that 1/3 of the Western population is going to be affected by some malignant form of cancer (Osborn et al., 2016, Kumar & Clark, 2015). In particular, blood neoplasms are distinguished in many malignant forms, but all of the other malignant neoplasms are small and rare. It is estimated that at one year 5 people per 100,000 are affected by hematologic neoplasia (Kumar & Clark, 2016). However, according to bibliographic data, haematological malignancies and their therapeutic complications are, for the majority of patients, fatal (Kumar & Clark, 2016). The need therefore arises for the scientific community of health services, the investigation of methods of disease prevention and methods of care and support for patients receiving cancer medication. In this bibliographic review it was chosen as a subject to study the care of patients with blood cancer receiving chemotherapy, because it is a treatment that affects neoplasms with severe effects on the rest of the body (cytotoxicity). It is therefore of the utmost importance for the oncology nurses to be familiar with the mechanisms and principles of chemotherapy and the nursing interventions that help optimize patient care and care. Nurse vigilance includes supervising the patient during drug administration and training the patient to detect early signs of complications when returning home. It also includes information about a healthy population's disease to prevent and promote health.