Chemotherapy Case Studies

TN, a 67 year-old male, was diagnosed with esophageal adenocarcinoma in December 2015 after being admitted to Frye Regional Medical Center (FRMC) with a left iliac wing fracture related to metastatic cancer earlier that month. The primary location of the cancer was determined to be the distal esophagus after an esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) and cell biopsy was completed. He then presented to FRMC in January 2016 with post-prandial nausea, vomiting, and anorexia related to chemotherapy treatments. Although his past medical history was negative for other forms of cancer or nutritional-related diseases, his risk of developing the condition was high given his age, gender, and long history of smoking tobacco products. Nutrition Services was consulted to determine the need for nutrition intervention, particularly offering nutritional supplementation, as well as providing education related to appetite stimulation and increasing oral intake during chemotherapy treatments. Although the direction of nutrition intervention changed on a variety of occasions during his …show more content…
Four layers compose the esophagus including the mucosa, submucosa, muscularis propria, and adventitia. The mucosa, the innermost layer, is composed of three sub-layers, the epithelium, lamina propria, and muscularis mucosa. Esophageal cancers typically begin in the epithelium of the mucosa, where squamous cells are located. Blood vessels and nerves of the esophagus are found under the mucosa, in the submucosa. The muscularis propria is composed of muscles and allows the esophagus to propel food from the throat towards the stomach. Lastly, the outer layer of the esophagus, the adventitia, is made of connective tissues and helps to bind structures and organs in the pleural cavity to one another (American Cancer Society,