Why Your Patients Need to Get Up, Get Moving

What’s one of the most common symptoms reported by patients with cancer? Fatigue. Regardless of diagnosis, it seems that nurses are constantly looking for ways to help their patients fight against the symptoms brought on by their disease and its treatment.

FDA Approves New Ofatumumab Indication

On January 19, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved ofatumumab (Arzerra® Injection, Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corporation) for extended treatment of patients who are in complete or partial response after at least two lines of therapy for recurrent or progressive chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Ofatumumab was previously approved for the treatment of previously untreated patients with CLL for whom fludarabine-based therapy was considered inappropriate and also for patients with CLL refractory to fludarabine and alemtuzumab.

The Case of the Looming Medical Bankruptcy

Marcie, age 34, comes to the outpatient infusion center to receive her final cycle of chemotherapy for ovarian cancer. Jared, one of the infusion nurses, notices that Marcie appears unusually withdrawn. When questioned, she tearfully explains that she and her husband are considering bankruptcy.

Online Tool Helps Women With Mammogram Decisions

The advice women get from expert panels differs on when and how often they should have mammograms. Many groups now advise a woman in her 40s to make an individual decision by talking with her healthcare provider about the pros and cons of mammography as well as her individual risk.

What It Takes to Be an Infusion Room Nurse: Part Two

In part one of this blog, I attempted to clarify the clinical role of an oncology infusion room nurse. Excellent clinical skills paired with diverse social skills make this nursing job so unique. Nursing school and clinicals do not fully prepare us for the job, because these skills are developed through on-the-job training. Outpatient nursing requires different skills than inpatient.

What It Takes to Be an Infusion Room Nurse: Part One

What do a rituximab reaction, ice fishing, chest pain, knitted chicken sweaters, hospice, and transportation all have in common? These are examples of the diverse issues, topics, and situations outpatient infusion RNs may encounter on any given day.

Breast Cancer Screening Guidelines Make the News Again

There are numerous activities to promote breast cancer awareness.  My youngest daughter, Elaine, is a nursing student who also swims for the Saint Louis University Billikens.  During October, the entire team, men and women donned pink caps and shirts instead of their typical bright blue to promote awareness about breast cancer.  The team was unified on this one, and I have no doubt it made people stop and think.  Anything that makes people think about the early detection of breast cancer is a good thing.

President Obama Challenges Nation With Moonshot Cancer Cure

“For the loved ones we’ve all lost, for the family we can still save, let’s make America the country that cures cancer once and for all,” President Obama said in his State of the Union Address on January 12. With this, the president challenged researchers, oncology specialists, and healthcare professionals across the nation to develop a cure for cancer.

African American Women’s Breast Cancer Rates Are Now Equivalent to Caucasian Women

For the first time, the incidence of breast cancer among African American women in the United States is equal to that of Caucasian women, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.

How to Manage the Side Effects of New Targeted Agents for Metastatic Colorectal Cancer

Although about 50% of patients can be cured after surgical resection when colorectal cancer (CRC) is detected early, the remaining patients aren’t as fortunate. CRC that metastasizes before detection or recurs following surgery remains a major treatment challenge.
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