The multicenter, phase II SAR028 clinical trial was the first to study pembrolizumab monotherapy in patients with soft tissue sarcoma or bone sarcoma to assess the clinical efficacy signals in multiple histologies. The researchers presented extended follow-up data at the ASCO Annual Meeting.
Immunotherapy is one of the fastest-evolving areas of oncology to date. Previously, it could take years for some cancers to see new treatment options; today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is approving new immuno-oncology agents or new indications for those agents every few weeks. It’s a boon and a challenge to medical professionals. On the one hand, potentially life-changing treatments are making way to patients who need them—patients who have exhausted first-line treatments and now have limited options.
With an increasing number of baby boomers—both leaving the nursing profession and finding themselves in need of care—a workforce shortage is continuing to challenge the nursing industry. Recent reports have also indicated that educators in nursing programs have dropped off, leading to fewer nursing graduates. Some educational institutions are seeking accelerated programs to meet the demands of the growing healthcare market.
Candida auris is a multi-drug resistant yeast that is known to cause invasive infection and death. It first emerged in June 2016 and continues to present itself as a serious global threat. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), throughout 2017, healthcare facilities in multiple countries report serious illnesses caused by C.auris in hospitalized patients.
On May 26, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted regular approval to ceritinib (Zykadia®, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.) for patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) whose tumors are anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive as detected by an FDA-approved test.
In mouse experiments, researchers have found that immune T cells that have been genetically engineered to express chimeric antigen receptors (CARs) using a new tool called CRISPR were more effective than CAR T cells that were engineered with conventional methods. The findings were reported in Nature.
On May 23, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pembrolizumab (Keytruda®, Merck & Co.) for adult and pediatric patients with unresectable or metastatic, microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR) solid tumors that have progressed following prior treatment and who have no satisfactory alternative treatment options or with MSI-H or dMMR colorectal cancer that has progressed following treatment with a fluoropyrimidine, oxaliplatin, and irinotecan.
Oncology nurses face abundant physical and emotional stressors, which, over time, can result in maladaptive muscle tension. Some degree of muscular tension is necessary to keep the body toned and mobile. However, unnecessary tension can lead to chronic pain and other health problems.
No solid research exists regarding IV chemotherapy administration setups, because they can vary greatly based on the regimen, equipment availability, and patient status. Of the utmost importance is that the administration setup ensures chemotherapy is given safely and allows for prompt nursing intervention in the event of an adverse reaction or infiltration.
As legislation to repeal the Affordable Care Act works its way into the Senate, a new working group is attempting tackle the issue through tax breaks that would potentially ease healthcare costs. However, when the working group was formed, some Republican Senators were left out of the discussion—namely women senators in the GOP. After receiving flack for the decision, the working group officially opened its doors to anyone in the Republican convention.