Increasing weight during treatment may indicate early clinical benefit in patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to the results of a study published in the Annals of Oncology.
Oncology nurse scientists are driving new advancements in patient-centered cancer care through their research. But getting your research off the ground can be difficult. Seeking the advice and expertise of experienced nurse scientists can be a key component in successfully moving your research to the next level.
Because chemotherapy-induced alopecia is one of the most distressing side effect of chemotherapy, nurses are integral to preparing patients to confront it. In the past, patients didn’t have many options for hair-loss prevention. With new advances in scalp cooling technology for patients with breast cancer, hair loss prevention may be a possibility.
Clinical trials can be a great source of valuable information to drive oncology forward. Unfortunately, only 5% of eligible patients enroll in clinical trials. The National Cancer Moonshot Initiative and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have both set in motion plans to increase clinical trial participation with the hopes that oncology advancements make it to patients faster and more efficiently.
The American Association of Colleges of Nursing (AACN) has announced an upcoming free webinar, “Understanding the CDC Guidelines for Prescribing Opioids for Chronic Pain and Other National Strategies,” for September 22, 2016. This free educational session will outline the changes to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) opioid prescription guidelines. This webinar comes at a time when healthcare professionals are looking to address the burgeoning opioid epidemic in the United States.
Jessica is preparing discharge teaching for Marty, a 63-year-old woman with stage IIIB high-grade serous ovarian cancer. During the discussion, Marty asks Jessica why such harsh treatment is being recommended when targeted therapies can kill cancer without destroying the immune system and causing any severe side effects.
Researchers have found that a monoclonal antibody called inotuzumab ozogamicin may help more patients with refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) proceed to stem cell transplantation. The findings were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
On September 13, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration modified the dosage regimen for nivolumab (Opdivo®, Bristol-Myers Squibb Co.) for the currently approved indications for renal cell carcinoma, metastatic melanoma, and non-small cell lung cancer. The currently approved recommended dosage regimens were modified to 240 mg intravenously (IV) every two weeks.
Immunotherapy has led to many new cancer treatments over the past several years and continues to offer increased options and better survival for patients. Oncology nurses need to have an understanding of how these therapies work and how to best manage patients’ side effects.
A new immunotherapy drug, MABp1, is the first to target interleukin-1 alpha and may be effective in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer. The study results were presented at the World Congress of Gastrointestinal Cancer in Barcelona, Spain.
