COVID-19 Reminds Us That Nurses Are Health Diplomats for Humanity
In early March, I developed fatigue, mild shortness of breath, and a dry cough, so, following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommendations, I called the triage line at my primary care clinic. The nurse with whom I spoke offered me an appointment that same day.
'Lost on the Front Lines'; Physicians Campaign Congress; Policymakers on COVID-19
Healthcare workers in the United States accounted for 20% of all deaths caused by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic to date. The Guardian and Kaiser Health News partnered to document every healthcare worker who’s died from COVID-19 in response to the absence of a reliable nationwide database.
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FDA Approves First Targeted Treatment for Patients With Cancer of Bile Ducts
On April 17, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pemigatinib (Pemazyre™), the first treatment approved for adults with certain types of previously treated advanced cholangiocarcinoma.
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FDA Approves First New Drug Under International Collaboration, a Treatment Option for Patients With HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer
On April 17, 2020, as part of Project Orbis, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved tucatinib (Tukysa™) in combination with chemotherapy (trastuzumab and capecitabine) for the treatment of adult patients with advanced forms of HER2-positive breast cancer that can’t be removed with surgery or have spread to other parts of the body, including the brain, and who have received one or more prior treatments.
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International Position Statement Calls for Advocacy for COVID-19 in Oncology Nurses and Patients With Cancer
Oncology nurses must advocate for prevention and control of the COVID-19 coronavirus to minimize the risk to themselves and the patients with cancer in their care, the International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care (ISNCC) announced in its April 2, 2020, COVID-19 Position Statement. ONS is a full member of ISNCC.
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Fear on the Front Lines of COVID-19 in the United States
As oncology nurses in Chicago, IL, on the front lines of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic in the United States, fear, anxiety, anger, and frustration are just some of the emotions that have been festering in me and my coworkers since the beginning of 2020. It seems like an endless era, and I’m scared: for my patients, coworkers, and family.
FDA Approves Mitomycin for Low-Grade, Upper-Tract Urothelial Cancer
On April 15, 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved mitomycin (Jelmyto®) for the treatment of adult patients with low-grade, upper-tract urothelial cancer (LG-UTUC).
New Treatments Show Promise for Metastatic HER2-Positive Breast Cancer
Two new drugs in clinical trials are extending survival for women with metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer that had progressed with previous treatment. One of the drugs was effective for brain metastasis, which is particularly difficult to treat. Results from both studies were reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Tocilizumab
Tocilizumab was approved in August 2017 for the treatment of chimeric antigen receptor T cell–induced cytokine release syndrome. In March 2020, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, phase III clinical trial to assess the safety and efficacy of tocilizumab plus standard of care in patients hospitalized with severe COVID-19 pneumonia.
The Case of the Cryotherapy Consequences
Janice is 32 years old and was recently diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer. She is receiving neoadjuvant chemotherapy with doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, followed by weekly paclitaxel. Janice is a nationally recognized performer (vocal and piano) and is distraught over the possibility of losing her hair or developing chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and mouth sores. She asks the nurse what can be done to prevent those unwanted side effects.