WHO Reports First Global HPV Vaccine Data

WHO Reports First Global HPV Vaccine Data

New cancer prevention strategies like the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine are making waves throughout the United States and around the world. Evidence has shown that the vaccine can help protect against certain cancers such as cervical, anal, oropharyngeal, penile, vulvar, and vaginal in people who receive the vaccine. For the first time ever, the World Health Organization (WHO) has global data outlining HPV coverage in countries across the globe.  

Do Antibiotics Affect Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?

Do Antibiotics Affect Response to Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors?

Receiving antibiotics in the 30 days prior to starting immune checkpoint inhibitor treatment was associated with significantly reduced median overall survival, according to findings from a study published in JAMA Oncology. However, antibiotic use during treatment had no effect on survival.

AHRQ Releases Free Resources to Engage Patients, Families in Care

AHRQ Releases Free Resources to Engage Patients, Families in Care

One constant in nursing practice is time and how nurses never have enough of it. Between a full schedule of patient visits, consulting with coworkers, administering treatments, and the myriad other responsibilities filling a nurse’s day, nurses can struggle to address all of a patient's concerns in the time leftover. Nurses must be adept at balancing their time and multitasking in their duties.

Russia Fosters Oncology Nursing Professional Development With ONS, EONS Presentations at Cancer Conference

Russia Fosters Oncology Nursing Professional Development With ONS, EONS Presentations at Cancer Conference

U.S. and European oncology nurses might feel out of their element in a Russian model of nursing practice, which is considerably different than what they’re used to in their own countries. For example, Russian nurses mix all chemotherapy infusions for patients and have no access to pharmacists. Russian blood and marrow transplant (BMT) units have a much higher ratio of physicians to nurses than what’s traditionally seen in other parts of the west. But, like nurses around the world, Russian nursing professionals are keenly interested in improving their oncology practice—although they typically receive education in an academic rather than technical setting.   

The Case of the Efficacy Explanation

The Case of the Efficacy Explanation

Jenni is an oncology nurse practitioner in an outpatient medical oncology clinic. She is meeting with 70-year-old Don after his first cycle of cabozantinib for treatment of metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma when he asks why the oncologist put him on a pill instead of using IV chemotherapy. “Is it because I don’t have long to live?” Don wonders.

CMS Expands Project to Fight Opioid Abuse

CMS Expands Project to Fight Opioid Abuse

Throughout the country, Americans have seen the effects of opioid abuse. Rising numbers of overdoses have sent shockwaves through communities from Miami to Seattle and everywhere in between. As such, addressing the national opioid epidemic is still a major priority for the Trump administration.

Nurses Lead From Every Bedside or Chairside

Nurses Lead From Every Bedside or Chairside

A few weeks ago, a former student who was returning to the Pittsburgh area six years after graduation invited me to lunch. She had completed a master’s degree in the interim and had worked successfully as a nurse practitioner.

ONS Member Ferrell Elected to National Academy of Medicine

ONS Member Ferrell Elected to National Academies of Medicine

As a trailblazer and pioneer in palliative care and end-of-life research, ONS member Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, FAAN, FPCN, director of the division of nursing research and education at City of Hope in Duarte, CA, has improved the quality of life for countless patients with cancer throughout the world. In recognition of her vast contributions to oncology nursing science and patient-centered care, Ferrell was elected to the National Academy of Medicine, one of the highest medical honors in the United States, on October 21, 2019. She joins the ranks of only 2,200 other medical professionals to be appointed to the Academy.

FDA Grants Authorization to Eight Smokeless Tobacco Products

FDA Grants Authorization to Eight Smokeless Tobacco Products

Tobacco products are under more scrutiny than ever before. With the rise in youth vaping, the advent of flavored e-cigarettes, and the production of other nicotine delivery systems, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has tightened its review process for new products. The agency is looking to the smoking cessation community, taking insight from the Trump administration, and weighing feedback from other elected officials in the Senate and House of Representatives for ways to protect public health. That said, companies are using technology to create new tobacco-based products, and FDA must find ways to assess harm while balancing free market interests.

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Zanubrutinib for Mantle Cell Lymphoma

FDA Grants Accelerated Approval to Zanubrutinib for Mantle Cell Lymphoma

On November 14, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to zanubrutinib (Brukinsa™) for adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.