FDA Approves Carfilzomib in Combination With Lenalidomide and Dexamethasone for Treatment of Relapsed Multiple Myeloma

On July 24, 2015, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved carfilzomib (Kyprolis, Onyx Pharmaceuticals, Inc., an Amgen subsidiary) in combination with lenalidomide and dexamethasone for the treatment of patients with relapsed multiple myeloma who have received one to three prior lines of therapy.

Antiemetics for Nausea and Vomiting Simplified

As oncology nurses, we must have a solid understanding of and a certain comfort level with the use of antiemetics. It seems easy to get stuck in a routine that revolves around one or two drugs for all of our patients. However, antiemetic regimens need to be just as individualized for patients as their chemotherapy regimens.

Vegetarian Diets May Decrease Risk of Colorectal Cancer

Colorectal cancer is the second most common cancer in the United States and is expected to cause close to 50,000 deaths in 2015. However, a new observational study has found that a vegetarian diet could significantly reduce the risk of developing the disease.

What Do Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Blood Transfusions for Anemia?

Approximately 90% of patients with cancer experience anemia because of disease process, treatment side effects, or coexisting conditions.

Nurse Practitioners Are Oncology's Best Kept Secret

“She is super smart, highly qualified, and handpicked by your physician.” Our patient care coordinator often says this when she's on the phone talking face-to-face with patients to set up their next office visit. She encourages patients to accept their upcoming appointment with our nurse practitioner.

Screen for Distress in Patients With Cancer

Living with cancer is much like a maze, Watson said. Even though cancer care is rooted in generalizable knowledge, including specific types of cancer, the stage and pattern of progression, evidence-based guidelines, and side effects and risk factors, a balance must be struck between the general and the specific by focusing on how each applies to the individual patient.

Reduce Complications in High-Risk Patients With Cancer

Emergencies in high-risk patients with cancer can lead to complications, and nurses are often the first line of defense to recognize signs and symptoms and initiate a therapeutic response.

Understand Medication Adherence to Oral Oncology Agents

More than half of new cancer treatment regimens involve an oral route of administration because oral drugs are more manageable and convenient for patients. However, oral medications pose challenges with regard to patient adherence.

Heal Through a Remember Tree

We had a problem—we knew it, and we just couldn’t find the right solution. The problem was that we had no time or way to grieve patients' deaths in our outpatient clinic. When a patient would die, some of the staff members would not find out for days or sometimes weeks. This left staff members feeling angry, sad, frustrated, and embarrassed if a family member would call and that staff member did not know about the patient's passing.

Outpatient Oncology Drug Series: Doxorubicin Is the Infamous Red Devil

Doxorubicin is a cytotoxic chemotherapy drug and an antitumor antibiotic in the anthracycline group. You’ll see this drug quite a lot In the outpatient setting, and most commonly, you’ll use it to treat patients with breast cancer.
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