Quality Cancer Care Includes Recognizing Underrepresented Patients

Quality Cancer Care Includes Recognizing Underrepresented Patients

For oncology nurses, quality cancer care isn’t just about individualizing care for your patients, following local and national guidelines to the letter, or educating patients and family members to get them through their cancer diagnosis. Those are critical components to great cancer care, but tangible and intangible elements impact oncology as well.

FDA Approves Sunitinib Malate for Adjuvant Treatment of Renal Cell Carcinoma

FDA Update

On November 16, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved sunitinib malate (Sutent, Pfizer Inc.) for the adjuvant treatment of adult patients at high risk of recurrent renal cell carcinoma following nephrectomy.

FDA Approves Obinutuzumab for Previously Untreated Follicular Lymphoma

FDA Approves Obinutuzumab for Previously Untreated Follicular Lymphoma

On November 16, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to obinutuzumab (Gazyva®, Genentech, Inc.) in combination with chemotherapy, followed by obinutuzumab monotherapy in patients achieving at least a partial remission, for the treatment of adult patients with previously untreated stage II bulky, III, or IV follicular lymphoma (FL).

FDA Approves Emicizumab-Kxwh for Bleeding in Patients With Hemophilia A With Factor VIII Inhibitors

FDA Update

On November 16, 2017, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved emicizumab-kxwh (Hemlibra®, Genentech, Inc.) for routine prophylaxis to prevent or reduce the frequency of bleeding episodes in adult and pediatric patients with hemophilia A (congenital factor VIII deficiency) with factor VIII inhibitors.

Yes, There’s a Saline Shortage, but Here’s What You Can Do About It

Saline shortages that began late last year are now expected to continue throughout the remainder of 2014.

New Imaging Better Shows Immunotherapy Results in Brain Cancer

New Imaging Shows Immunotherapy Results in Brain Cancer

Researchers have developed a new approach for brain imaging that can better distinguish immune responses from tumor growth in people with glioblastoma. The findings were published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

What Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Cultural Differences During End-of-Life Care

What Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Cultural Differences During End-of-Life Care

Beyond the emotional complexities of end-of-life care, a multitude of cultural nuances and differences can affect the care that oncology nurses need to provide to their patients and family members. As the face of the healthcare team, oncology nurses are often called on to navigate this delicate area within the cancer continuum.

Safety of Medicinal Mushrooms in Patients With Cancer

Medicinal Mushrooms in Patients With Cancer

Mushrooms have been valued for their health-promoting and medicinal effects for thousands of years. Research over the past few decades has focused on maitake (Grifola frondosa), reishi (Ganoderma lucidum), coriolus (Coriolus versicolor), shiitake (Lentinula edodes), and agaricus (Agaricus blazei), which are predominantly used in Asia.

The Case of the Slow-to-Manifest Side Effects

Late side effects of immunotherapy

Mary, age 60, has been diagnosed with stage IIB ovarian cancer. Because she has a strong family history of various cancers, Mary is tested for Lynch syndrome, also known as hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC).

Her test is positive, and she is told she is at increased risk for developing cancers associated with HNPCC: ovarian, breast, prostate, kidney, endometrial, pancreatic, prostate, and liver.

FDA Approves Dasatinib for Pediatric Patients With CML

FDA Approves Dasatinib for Pediatric Patients With CML

On November 9, 2017, U.S. the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted regular approval to dasatinib (Sprycel®, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) for the treatment of pediatric patients with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph+) chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) in the chronic phase.