Most patients who die from cancer do not use hospice at the time of their death, ONS member and oncology nurse researcher Dena D. Shore, PhD, RN, OCN^®, CNE, reported in an article published in the December 2023 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing (CJON). According to her literature review, cancer-related, ethnic and racial, and geographic disparities are frequently involved in delayed or nonuse of hospice care.

Although death rates have been falling 0.9% each year, cancer is the fourth leading cause of death in adolescents and young adults (AYAs), following accidents, suicide, and homicide. It is the leading cause of death from disease among AYAs assigned female at birth and second leading cause of death from disease for AYAs assigned male at birth. Approaching an AYA patient’s end of life can be difficult for patients, family, and the cancer care team, but oncology nurses can provide support for all involved.   

Menthol in cigarettes can make them more addictive. Public health experts say banning the sale of menthol cigarettes could save hundreds of thousands of lives, particularly among Black smokers. An estimated 85% of Black smokers use menthol cigarettes, according to federal statistics.

Infection with Clostridioides difficile (commonly referred to as C. diff; formerly Clostridium difficile) is an extreme example of a type of gut microbiome dysbiosis that can occur in patients with cancer. C. diff is a gram-positive, anaerobic, spore-forming, toxigenic bacterium, and infection is acquired via fecal-oral transmission and can cause symptoms ranging from uncomplicated diarrhea to pseudomembranous colitis and toxic megacolon.

Nivolumab with chemotherapy and pembrolizumab with enfortumab vedotin-ejfv, an antibody-drug conjugate, are superior to standard chemotherapy as initial treatment for patients with advanced bladder cancer, researchers reported in study results from the Checkmate-901 and EV-302 clinical trials. The studies represent major strides in treatment for advanced bladder cancer, which has not seen changes in standard initial therapy for many years.

Our gut microbiome—the diverse community of microorganisms, including bacteria, archaea, viruses, and eukaryotes such as fungi, that inhabit the gastrointestinal (GI) tract—can affect our entire body’s health. Most people’s microbiomes have a healthy balance of organisms that stay contained in the GI tract because of the lining’s tight epithelial cell junctions. But from the gut, bacteria are capable of generating a range of vitamins, synthesizing amino acids, and breaking down and metabolizing indigestible carbohydrates.

Fifty years holds volumes of history.

Marginalized groups are exposed to higher burdens of chronic conditions and have historically experienced more health disparities compared to their White counterparts because of structural racism, Those vulnerabilities put them at higher risk for severe COVID-19; however, marginalized groups are less likely to receive the COVID-19 vaccine, nurse scientist Ijeoma Julie Eche-Ugwu, PhD, MPH, FNP-BC, AOCNP^®, CPHON^®, BMTCN^®, and nurse educator Nadia Alcindor, RN, MSN, reported in the February 2024 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing.

One to two out of every 10,000 individuals who received computed tomography (CT) scans as a young patient will develop a hematologic cancer later in life, researchers reported in study findings published in Nature Medicine. The findings demonstrate the need for continued use of radiation protection for younger patients and careful consideration of risks and benefits of diagnostic testing.

Individuals with a larger family network and relatives with a cancer diagnosis are more likely to seek cancer screening or genetic testing, according to study findings researchers published in the Oncology Nursing Forum. The findings linked family size, cohesiveness, and history of cancer are important factors in determining an individual’s use of screening and genetic testing.