A phase I study has shown that a small group of patients with recurrent glioblastoma who received treatment with a modified form of poliovirus showed survival improvement over historical controls. The findings, which were not peer reviewed, were presented at the 2016 American Society of Clinical Oncology annual meeting.
Congress is full of opportunities to learn, explore new advancements in oncology, listen to experts in the field, and meet with numerous like-minded colleagues from across the country. For some oncology nurses, Congress is a place to teach as well. This was the case with ONS member Yvette Rosa, BS, OCN®, of St. Anne’s Regional Cancer Center Fall River, MA, when her group’s abstract submission was selected to become a podium presentation. In the blink of an eye, Rosa found herself and her group members preparing to take the stage.
Precision medicine, which evaluates differences in patient’s genetic makeup, aids in the development of individualized treatments. Personalized medicine is rapidly evolving with the advancement of genetics and genomics. This is especially true of cancer treatments, which have seen a development from generalized traditional chemotherapy to targeted therapies. “The term targeted therapy [has] emerged,” said Cheryl Lynn, BSN, RN, HNB-BC. “This is so exciting because it is only recently that we have been able to so precisely treat our patients.”
Nurses caring for patients undergoing treatment in an inpatient setting can face a number of challenges that include keeping patients safe from infections or other injuries, such as falls, and ensuring patients are supported in the necessary ways to ensure positive outcomes.
By following guidelines for antiemetic regimens, chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting (CINV) can be prevented in most patients. Oncology nurses can be an important member of a multidisciplinary health care team to promote and reinforce those guidelines to achieve optimal patient care.
Chronic inflammation increases the risk for cancer, contributes to adverse events during cancer therapies, and impacts treatment outcomes, and the immune system plays an integral on the cancer microenvironment. Lifestyle factors and the environment contribute to chronic inflammation, and nurses can play an important role in helping patients live a healthier life.
Health care is an issue at the center of the 2016 presidential election, with cancer among some of the top concerns. Alec Stone, MA, MPA, the health policy director at ONS, discussed the latest on the political and policy scene and valuated the candidates based on how they line up with the ONS health policy legislative and regulatory agenda. Though he cautioned that with this election, “No one knows how this will turn out!”
Oral health and dental hygiene are often overlooked before, during, and after cancer treatment. Chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and other drugs used in the treatment of cancer can have compounding effects that result in increased risk of infection, delayed wound healing, dental caries, and chronic periodontal disease.
The interviews that follow give insight into the impact certification can have on the trajectory of an oncology nurse’s career, as well as the first steps to take on that path.
Nurses have a plethora of opportunities available to them beyond clinical practice. At times, these pathways are surprising and far from straight. Here are three career trajectories as told by fellow nurses.
