Early Detection and Advocacy in Cancer Care

Ashley Tyler

Hello, beautiful souls, and welcome to another episode of Poetic Nursing: the Nurse’s HEART—a place where we celebrate the art of healing through compassion, innovation, and education. I’m Ashley Tyler, and I’m so honored to have you here today.

Ashley Tyler

Thank you for choosing to invest in your growth as future or current healthcare professionals. I’m so proud of your commitment to making an impactful difference in the lives of those we serve. You know, it’s that dedication to compassionate care that truly transforms care into healing.

Ashley Tyler

Today, we’ll explore something so close to my heart—early cancer detection and advocacy in care. This is not just about catching illnesses early but really about preserving lives, empowering our patients, and creating a legacy of health and wholeness in our communities. So, let’s dive into this journey together.

Ashley Tyler

There’s something so powerful about early cancer detection—catching it before it really takes hold. As nurses, we’re often the bridge between our patients and these life-saving interventions. A simple, timely screening can change everything.

Ashley Tyler

Take breast cancer screenings, for example. Women are recommended to have annual mammograms starting at age forty-five. It’s such a critical window—one where early detection could mean much simpler and more effective treatment options. And by fifty-five, if the patient wishes, transitioning to every other year can work just as well if their healthcare providers agree that their overall health outlook looks long and steady.

Ashley Tyler

Now, let’s talk about the nurse’s role here. First and foremost, it’s about guiding our patients through their options with compassion, patience and clarity. Imagine sitting with a patient, maybe a fifty-year-old man, considering colorectal cancer screening. Will he choose a stool DNA test every three years? Or maybe a colonoscopy every ten? That choice depends on so much—family history, personal preferences, and life expectancy. And we’re here to support him, step by step, encouraging and empowering him in his informed decision making process.

Ashley Tyler

But beyond educating clients on the timing or types of screenings, our job is to ensure their decisions are informed. Cancer screenings do come with risks—false positives, stress from undue testing, and sometimes even overdiagnosis. We must have open, honest discussions with our clients, giving them the confidence to ask their providers tough questions. It’s about balancing the hope of early detection with thoughtful consideration of risks.

Ashley Tyler

And look, I know this process can feel overwhelming, even for some of us as educators or advocates. There’s so much to consider—from lung cancer screenings with low-dose CT for high-risk populations to prostate exams starting at forty if the risks are higher. But you know what? Understanding these layers doesn’t happen all at once. Whether it’s us encouraging a client or clients navigating their choices, it’s okay to take it moment by moment.

Ashley Tyler

Now, let’s turn our attention to something critical—recognizing those early warning signs of cancer. It’s one thing to teach clients about prevention, but it’s another to ensure they’re aware of symptoms that shouldn’t be ignored. Signs like unexpected weight loss, for instance. When someone suddenly loses weight without trying, it’s often not, you know, just nothing. We have to educate our patients to see this as a potential red flag and notify the healthcare provider.

Ashley Tyler

And then there’s abnormal bleeding. Whether it’s spotting after menopause, blood in the stool or urine, or coughing up blood, these changes can be scary. But honestly, early detection starts with noticing these signs and ensuring patients feel comfortable enough to share them with us. It’s about creating an environment where they know they’ll be heard.

Ashley Tyler

Non-healing lesions? That sore or wound that refuses to heal—it might seem small, but it can lead to something much bigger if left unchecked. Patients don’t always realize that even skin changes can be significant. And let’s talk about persistent coughing. I mean, we’ve all heard of a lingering cough or voice changes being associated with smoking or allergies, but persistent symptoms like that could be linked to lung cancer. It is crucial for us to educate our clients on these signs and to notify the provider.

Ashley Tyler

Here’s where our role shines—as front-line educators and advocates. It’s on us to explain, in plain terms, why these symptoms matter. It’s not just about reading a list of warning signs. It’s about connecting those signs to real-life implications. When a patient hears, ‘Yes, persistent coughs or non-healing sores might be potential signs of a serious condition that needs to be evaluated by the provider,’ how we deliver that information can be the difference between action and inaction.

Ashley Tyler

And what about when the diagnostics are underway? This is where clear communication is absolutely key. It’s not just about getting back the biopsy results—our patients need to feel cared for; it's about gently holding their hand as they process the results given by their provider. They need compassion and, honestly, gentle repetition at times. When a family member doesn’t quite grasp what those pathology results mean or a patient doesn’t know why specific tissues were sampled, we stand in that gap. We provide comfort and reinforce the education the provider shares, advocate for our client, share, the client's concerns with the provider to request clarification, and guide them through what’s next.

Ashley Tyler

Advocacy doesn’t stop there though. Nurses play such an integral role in early detection—whether we’re encouraging a patient to schedule that overdue mammogram or explaining how and when to follow up after a screening. It’s about helping them see these exams not as invasive disruptions but as crucial steps toward health. That shift can feel subtle, but for patients, it changes everything. When you remind someone they have the power to take control of their health, it’s transformative. And it starts with education, empathy, and trust.

Ashley Tyler

Let’s take a moment to reflect on everything we’ve covered so far ,it’s a lot, but it’s all so impactful. First, we spoke about the power of early detection. Catching cancer in those early, most treatable stages? It’s life-saving. Truly. And as nurses, we’re often at the forefront, empowering patients to take that first step.

Ashley Tyler

Now, advocacy is key here. We talked about supporting patients through complex decisions, comforting them while they are weighing risks and benefits, and being that voice of clarity when things get overwhelming. Through education, we offer patients choices—not pressures—and we build trust that lasts beyond a single visit or procedure.

Ashley Tyler

And then, there’s awareness. Knowing the warning signs—like unexpected weight loss, abnormal bleeding, or non-healing lesions—and teaching patients to recognize them? That’s where prevention becomes their power, guided by our care and compassion.

Ashley Tyler

Finally, it’s about what we represent as nurses. We’re not just care providers. We’re advocates. We’re educators. We’re guides on a deeply personal journey. And when we approach our roles with both knowledge and empathy, the effect is, well, transformative. For patients, for families, for whole communities.

Ashley Tyler

As we wrap up today’s episode, I just want to take a moment to thank you—from the bottom of my heart—for joining me on this journey. Your dedication to learning, to bettering yourself for the sake of others, speaks volumes about the kind of compassionate leader you already are and continue to grow into.

Ashley Tyler

Remember, every step you take—every conversation you have, every lesson you learn—brings you closer to excellence in nursing. Those small, consistent acts of care change lives, heal communities and create legacies of health and wholeness.

Ashley Tyler

So, as you move forward, I hope you carry with you the courage to advocate, the wisdom to educate, and the heart to empower those under your care. Together, we are the bridge to a better, healthier world.

Ashley Tyler

On that note, we’ll see you next time. You are loved, you are valued, and you are capable of extraordinary things. Until we meet again, keep shining, my friends.