Results of a patients preliminary assessment prompted an examination of the patients carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels, which have come back positive. What is the nurses most appropriate response to this finding?

Question

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CEA is a protein that is normally not detected in the blood of a healthy person; therefore, when detected it indicates that cancer is present, but not what type of cancer is present. The patient would likely be
learning that he or she has cancer, so the nurse must prioritize the patients immediate psychosocial needs, not abdominal assessment. Future screening is not a high priority in the short term.

Results of a Patients Preliminary Assessment Prompted an Examination of the Patients