On April 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to loncastuximab tesirine-lpyl (Zynlonta™), a CD19-directed antibody and alkylating agent conjugate, for adult patients with relapsed or refractory large B-cell lymphoma, including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified, DLBCL arising from low grade lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma, after two or more lines of systemic therapy.

Oncology nurses make diverse contributions to cancer care from direct care of patients to building the evidence for practice, educating the next generation of oncology nurses, and advocating for quality care. The past year has amplified the dedication that oncology nurses have to their profession. Each year, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) recognizes the recipients, from the previous year, at ONS Congress. 

On April 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to dostarlimab-gxly (Jemperli), an anti-PD-1 antibody, for adult patients with mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) recurrent or advanced endometrial cancer, as determined by an FDA-approved test, that has progressed on or following treatment with a prior platinum-containing regimen.

Immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICPIs) enhance treatment response while minimizing toxicities for patients with cancer. However, education is key to managing the therapies’ unique adverse events (AEs). During a session for the ONS 46th Annual Congress™, Marianne Davies, DNP, ACNP, FAAN, of the Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, Smilow Cancer Hospital at Yale New Haven Hospital, and the Yale University School of Nursing, and Laura S.

“Ethical issues and dilemmas are inherent in the care we provide to our patients and their families across the life span,” Joyce Neumann, PhD, APRN, AOCN^®, BMTCN^®, FAAN, from the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, said during a session on April 22, 2021, for the 46th Annual ONS Congress™. “We have a responsibility to speak up and speak out individually, through our professional organizations like ONS and the American Nurses Association (ANA), and internationally, when possible, to advocate to resolve ethical issues.”

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy is a promising new treatment option for patients with certain types of cancer. As the field expands, institutions are exploring specialized service lines to provide the treatment, speakers said during a presentation on April 22, 2021, for the 46th Annual ONS Congress™ as they shared the lessons learned as their institutions established CAR T-cell therapy programs.

Oncology nursing research has a powerful impact on quality care and positive patient outcomes, but the science must be grounded in clinical context because researchers’ ultimate goal is to disseminate their findings to clinicians to facilitate practice change, ONS’s 2021 Distinguished Researcher Christopher Friese, PhD, RN, AOCN^®, FAAN, of the University of Michigan and Rogel Cancer Center, said during his session for the 46th Annual ONS Congress™ on April 22, 2021.

Oncology nursing has always been a challenging career with many stressors, but the moral distress brought on by a global pandemic has increased rates of depression, anxiety, and professional burnout among nurses, Patricia Jakel, RN, MSN, AOCN^®, and Devin Ballentine, RN, BSN, both of UCLA Santa Monica Medical Center, said during a session for the 46th Annual ONS Congress™ on April 22, 2021.

Breast cancer is classified by several factors, including the presence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), a type of growth-promoting protein found on the surface of cells. All breast cells have HER2 receptors, but some breast cancers have more HER2 receptors than normal, which may promote tumor growth. About 60% of breast cancers have some level of HER2 expression, and approximately one in five patients has high levels of the HER2 protein, which is considered HER2-positive.

Although not expressly written as part of the U.S. Constitution, from the earliest days of the republic, strong presidents have issued proclamations, instructions, and statements that eventually evolved into executive orders carrying the weight of the federal government on new directives meant to change policy. George Washington issued his first presidential edicts to have his Cabinet report on departmental activities.