Every year, oncology research marches toward new, innovative treatments for patients with cancer. Cancer research is a cumulative process—building upon itself year after year—but, with time, major changes begin to make their way into practices across the country. Some of these advancements stand to change the face of cancer treatment for years to come. In a field of constant evolution, oncology nurses and their colleagues need to stay abreast of developments in science and technology as new knowledge is uncovered in the treatment of cancer.

After more than 40 years as an oncology educator, researcher, and nurse, ONS member Karen Meneses, PhD, RN, FAAN, has been named the University of Alabama at Birmingham’s (UAB’s) 2016 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer. This is the highest honor given at the university, and Meneses is only the second nurse from UAB’s school of nursing to ever receive the honor.

Researchers have found that activity in two particular genes, F12 and STC2, can predict 10-year survival from HER2-positive breast cancer. The findings were reported in Oncotarget.

Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a technique to predict whether ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may become aggressive. The new method, called biomarker ratio imaging microscopy (BRIM), may prevent women whose cancers would never become aggressive from receiving unnecessary treatment.

In just seven years, the rates of women who received prophylactic bilateral mastectomies after a diagnosis of unilateral breast cancer skyrocketed—though many don't require bilateral mastectomy. So what’s causing the increase in unnecessary surgery?

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released new information on the disparities in smoking rates among racial and ethnic groups in the United States. According to the report, despite a decline in cigarette smoking rates in adults since 1964, there are disparities in Native American, Alaska Natives, Korean, and Puerto Rican Americans.

The study of genetics for cancer research has become a priority in the oncology community. With the introduction of the Genomic Data Commons, the importance of understanding genetic markers in cancer populations may lead to new ways of treating the numerous forms of the disease.

Annual cancer deaths have decreased, according to the latest report from the National Cancer Institute on the United States’ cancer status. From 2003—2012, overall rates for men, women, and children from infancy to age 19 have fallen by as much as 2%.

Although the approach may be different, academic institutions and community-based centers have the same goal: improving the lives of people with cancer. So what happens when academia meets community in a joint effort to promote this important purpose? ONS member and researcher Frances Lee-Lin, PhD, RN, OCN®, CNS, has first-hand experience.

The news is peppered with stories of the latest studies of new ways to treat or prevent cancer. What do most of those studies have in common? The majority were conducted in large, academic medical centers, leading many to believe that those institutions are where most patients with cancer are receiving their care.

Women who have periodontal disease are at greater risk for breast cancer, especially if they smoke or recently quit smoking, according to a new study published in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention.

Researchers at Cancer Research UK have reported that in one month, “citizen scientists” have used a new smartphone game, Play to Cure: Genes in Space, to analyze DNA data that would have taken a scientist six months to analyze manually.

A new international study reported in Nutrients has found that certain lifestyle factors—specifically, eating diets high in animal products and smoking—have the strongest association with cancer rates compared to other risk-modifying factors.