On January 19, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that it is adding a boxed warning to the denosumab (Prolia^®) prescribing information about the significant risk of developing severe hypocalcemia in patients with advanced chronic kidney disease. The warning and new labeling contain information to help reduce that risk, including appropriately selecting patients for denosumab treatment, increased monitoring of blood calcium levels, and other strategies.

Type 2 diabetes has been linked to an elevated risk for liver, endometrial, pancreatic, and other cancers. Furthermore, patients with diabetes and cancer have higher disease-related mortality and are at a greater risk of infections. Evidence also supports an inverse association between serum HDL cholesterol and cancer risk. To lower their blood sugar and cholesterol levels, some patients use dietary supplements such as berberine. 

The authority to adopt product standards is one of the most powerful tobacco regulatory tools that the U.S. Congress gives the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In April 2021, FDA took full advantage of that authority, announcing two new standards to add menthol to the banned flavor list and ban all flavored cigars. 

In March 2021, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Ending the HIV Epidemic initiative awarded $99 million to the Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA’s) Ryan White HIV/AIDS Program. The funding will support efforts to link people who are either newly diagnosed with HIV or diagnosed but currently not in care to essential treatment and support services, helping them reach viral suppression and reduce HIV transmission.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Tobacco Products has aggressively fought to obtain tighter tobacco product regulations to protect adolescent lungs. One of those ways is through premarket review, where e-cigarettes and other new tobacco products that were available as of August 8, 2016, were required to submitted applications to FDA for approval by Sept. 9, 2020.

The Biden-Harris administration  to strengthen public perception of COVID-19 coronavirus vaccines and ensure all Americans, including communities of color, those in rural areas, low-income populations, and other underserved communities in the pandemic response, receive their vaccinations.

Steven Pergam, MD, MPH, associate professor of the vaccine and infectious disease division at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in Seattle, WA, and infection prevention director at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance, co-led a National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) committee that issued recommendations on COVID-19 vaccination for patients with cancer. He received his first Moderna dose on December 29, 2020, and has been dispelling fear and spreading education about the vaccine.

Immunocompromised patients with cancer are three times more likely to die from complications of the COVID-19 coronavirus. New resources from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provide ideas for preventing infections like COVID-19 in patients with cancer.

Where a person lives has the biggest impact on their healthcare accessibility and affordability. In a new study, researchers from the National Cancer Institute (NCI) found strong correlation between persistent poverty and cancer mortality in the United States, NCI’s Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences (DCCPS) reported in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers, and Prevention. 

The Baby Boomer generation—born between the years 1946 and 1964—currently accounts for more than 76 million Americans, all of whom will be older than 65 in the next decade. With an aging population comes health complications and growing comorbidities. Cancer is often referred to as a disease of the aging, and healthcare providers will need to be equipped to treat the impending wave of older adults with cancer. Oncology nurses are at the frontlines of that care and play a key role in the successful treatment of older patients with cancer using evidence-based interventions and age-specific care. 
 

About 30% of all cancer survivors and their caregivers have reported psychological distress, which encompasses diagnoses of depression, anxiety, and overwhelming stress. For both survivors and caregivers, psychological distress can negatively impact different aspects of treatment, care, and well-being. In fact, patients with lower levels of psychological distress have been shown to recover quicker, exhibit fewer symptoms, and even have lower mortality rates after treatment. 

When patients with cancer also suffer from psychiatric diagnoses, it can present unique challenges to healthcare professionals. Because oncology nurses build relationships with patients while addressing issues, understanding the obstacles to practice is key to providing the best possible care. By having a keen understanding of symptoms, assessment procedures, and necessary response skills, oncology nurses can work together with the mental health team to provide holistic care throughout the cancer journey. 

Nearly 20% of Americans experience mental illness in a given year, according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. With diagnoses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major depression, about one in every 25 Americans suffers from a serious mental illness that directly affects major life activities. The prevalence of mental illness in the United States can have a downstream effect on cancer care and patient outcomes, and with these statistics, oncology nurses may encounter patients with cancer who have pre-existing psychiatric disorders. Healthcare providers in fields outside of psychology need to be prepared to address the unique needs and individualized care required to support this patient population during and beyond cancer treatment. 

As the leading cause of death for adult Americans, cardiovascular disease is a complication found in many patients with cancer. Many cancer treatments have the potential to impact existing cardiac comorbidities or develop new cardiovascular conditions in patients undergoing treatment. Understanding and recognizing this issue is paramount for oncology nurses and is the focus of current research efforts impacting clinical practice. 

Polypharmacy is the use of several medications simultaneously for different medical conditions. Data confirm that polypharmacy is prevalent in older adults with cancer, with one study reporting a minimum of four prescriptions to define polypharmacy. Many medications prescribed during cancer care are intended to treat other comorbid conditions that occur prior to a patient’s cancer diagnosis (e.g., heart disease, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, reflux disease). Reportedly, one third of individuals older than 65 years use more than one pharmacy to fill prescription medications. This can lead to further confusion for patients regarding medication management.

Research has shown that women aged 65 and older who have breast cancer experience higher rates of heart failure compared to their age-matched counterparts, ranging from 29% of women with breast cancer who received no chemotherapy to 38% of women who received treatment with anthracyclines. However, little is known about the association between heart failure and long-term survival in older women with breast cancer, and it is unclear how the relative contribution of heart failure to mortality risk varies by breast cancer stage.

Taller men and those with a higher body mass index (BMI) may be at increased risk for high-grade prostate cancer and disease-related mortality, according to the results of a study published in BMC Medicine.

According to the results of a study published in the International Journal of Cancer, periodontal disease is associated with an increased risk of developing non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

More than ever before, oncology nurses are required to provide multifaceted care when it comes to managing patients with cancer. As the population of patients with cancer continues to age and cancer becomes more of a chronic condition, oncology nurses are seeing more patients who exhibit comorbidities during their cancer journey.