早期攝護腺癌的高劑量率後荷式近接治療之護理

Nursing Care of Patients Receiving High Dose-Rated Brachytherapy in the Early Stage of Prostatic Cancer

攝護腺癌高居美國男性死亡原因的第二位 (Iocca & Zinck, 1999)，致病因素和年齡、飲食中的高脂肪、抽煙、化學工業等，都有密切的關係(Whittemore, 1995; Elghany, 1990)，而國內，攝護腺癌因大環境的改變及飲食逐漸西化，已有顯著增加的趨勢。而治療方式也不再侷限於傳統的方法，高劑量率後荷式近接治療近幾年來於美國掀起一股熱潮，好處是無手術後的後遺症（如尿失禁、性能障礙等）、對組織傷害也很低(Rodriguez, Demanes, & Saltieri, 1999)。於1999年五月國內也開始引進此種技術，用於早期攝護腺癌的治療，醫護人員對其術前準備的注意事項、病患及家屬的諮詢、術後病患可能面臨的照護問題等，需先具有專業的概念，才能增進醫療及照護品質。

Prostate cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in American males. The risk factors of prostate cancer include age, high dietary fat intake, cigarette smoking, and exposure to a chemical industrial environment. In Taiwan, the incidence of prostate cancer is increasing because of environmental changes and adoption of western dietary habits. The treatment of prostate cancer is no longer limited to traditional therapies. Currently, high dose-rated brachytherapy has been widely used in the United States for treatment of prostate cancer . The benefits of high dose-rated brachytherapy are fewer side effects, such as urinary incontinence and sexual dysfunction, and minimal tissue damage. In May of 1999, Taiwan started using high dose-rated brachytherapy to treat early stage prostatic cancer treatment. To improve the quality of care, nurses need to understand pre-treatment preparation, patient and family consultation needs, and the post-treatment care problems.