Oncology Nursing News • 15th June 2022

The Future of CAR T-Cell Therapy: Will Off-the-Shelf Options Soon Enter the Playing Field?

Chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy has revolutionized treatment for patients with hematologic malignancies. Many researchers eagerly anticipate the advent of allogeneic CAR T cells, which would help alleviate the long engineering process associated with autologous therapy.

Oncology Nursing News • 28th December 2021

Collaboration, Determination Improves Cancer Screenings in Rural Areas

Improving cancer screening in rural areas poses certain challenges not always seen in more populated settings. However, oncology nurses are adept at way-finding, particularly when the need is great.

Oncology Nursing News • 21st October 2021

Should COVID-19 Vaccinations Be Required for Health Care Professionals?

In a June 12 ruling, a US district judge in Texas rejected a lawsuit filed by 117 Houston Methodist Hospital employees after they were placed on unpaid leave for refusing the hospital-mandated COVID-19 vaccination.1 The judge, in support of the hospital, cited a 1905 US Supreme Court case that ruled a Massachusetts mandate requiring residents be vaccinated against smallpox was justified to protect public health. The Texas case, recent FDA approval of the Pfizer vaccine, and emergence of the Del

Oncology Nursing News • 14th April 2021

Caring for the Geriatric Patient: What Oncology Nurses Need to Know

Older age is a significant risk factor for many types of cancer. It is estimated that by 2030, 70% of patients with new cancer diagnoses will be 65 and older.1 It is imperative that nurses caring for geriatric patients understand the unique challenges their patients face to ensure that the care provided meets those needs.

Oncology Nursing News • 10th February 2021

Adolescent and Young Adult Patients Face Unique Needs, Challenges

The National Cancer Institute estimated that in 2020, 89,500 adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients (aged 15 to 39 years) would be diagnosed with cancer.1 Receiving a cancer diagnosis at any age is troubling, but for the AYA population, the impact of cancer differs from that of pediatric and elderly patients. Oncology nurses can help meet the needs of their AYA patients by learning about their concerns and answering questions that may otherwise go unasked. Donna Bell, MSN, RN, FNP-C, is a n

Oncology Nursing News • 11th August 2020

Mitigating Compassion Fatigue and Nurse Burnout Amid COVID-19

The issue of burnout is now a well-known and well-researched phenomenon. Oncology nurses are at high risk for suffering from its effects, but they are also learning that even amid a pandemic, there is reason to hope, lessons to learn, and strength to be found.

Oncology Nursing News • 1st April 2020

Delivering Person-Centered Cancer Care to Individuals with Developmental Disabilities

In recent interviews with Oncology Nursing News®, Helfrich and Clark discussed some of the healthcare barriers faced by persons with DD and offered practical advice for nurses on how they can help improve the care delivery for this demographic.

Oncology Nursing News • 14th February 2020

Global Oncology Nursing Improves Cancer Care Worldwide

In November 2011, Annette Galassi, MA, BSN, OCN, traveled to Ethiopia with the organization Health Volunteers Overseas to help start a new project. She had long wanted to volunteer and had a growing interest in oncology nursing in low-resource settings. When she ran across an advertisement in an oncology publication looking for nurses and doctors to volunteer, Galassi was in the right place in life and ready to commit. She followed the pull and applied.

Oncology Nursing News • 3rd December 2019

Improving Compassion Satisfaction Amid a Nursing Shortage

A nationwide nursing shortage is not only reducing the amount of time oncology nurses have to spend with their patients, but also increasing the risk for burnout and compassion fatigue.1 With the need for cancer care projected to outpace the supply of practitioners by 2025, nurses should use their time efficiently and take measures to avoid burnout.2 Nurses at Kaiser Permanente in San Francisco, California took on this problem when they tackled staff inefficiencies in the infusion center by

Oncology Nursing News • 7th October 2019

Providing Essential Education and Support for Parents of Pediatric Patients

Parents often become distressed or overwhelmed when their child receives a cancer diagnosis, especially if the prognosis is poor. Nurses must be sensitive to parents’ emotional needs when providing important information about the disease and safely caring for the child at home, and a number of strategies can help guide their interactions with parents.In 2019, more than 11,000 children will be given a cancer diagnosis, and almost 1200 children are expected to die from the disease.Behind accidents

Oncology Nursing News • 29th August 2019

Cancer Survivorship: Right-Sizing Care

Advancements in diagnosis and treatment are improving outcomes for patients with cancer. As a result, more patients are living long after treatment ends, though an efficient algorithm for building the right size and style of care each will need remains elusive.

Oncology Nursing News • 21st June 2019

Vaccinations Are Changing the Landscape of Cancer Prevention and Treatment

What if preventing cancer were as simple as getting a shot in the arm? That is the reality for over 90% of cancers caused by the human papillomavirus (HPV). However, statistics from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveal that less than 50% of the US population within the targeted age range has received all recommended doses of the HPV vaccine.

Oncology Nursing News • 10th April 2019

Novel Technology Helps Patient Manage Symptoms

Technology has revolutionized healthcare, making it safer and more accessible than ever. Smart pumps deliver intravenous medications. Electronic health records influence decision support. Remote pharmacists and video conferencing services connect clinicians with resources and information from professionals across the globe. Researchers partner with artificial intelligence programs for developing new drugs, predicting tumor evolution, and distinguishing types of cancer cells. Technology has become an indispensable component of modern healthcare.

Oncology Nursing News • 8th March 2019

Recruitment and Retention Efforts Address Oncology Nursing Shortage

Although statistics on nurse shortages specific to oncology are difficult to determine, the growing number of new cancer diagnoses (1.7 million in 2018) coupled with the estimated number of survivors by 2026 (20.3 million) signals a looming challenge for healthcare organizations in the recruitment and retention of quality oncology nurses

Oncology Nursing News • 4th February 2019

Improving Palliative Care through Education

The care of patients with cancer has come a long way since Betty Ferrell, PhD, MA, RN, FAAN, FPCN, CHPN, began her career in nursing. Back then, dedicated units for treating patients with cancer were a novel, even controversial, concept.

Oncology Nursing News • 3rd December 2018

Lung Cancer and the Young Adult Nonsmoker

When it comes to lung cancer, recent statistics published by the National Cancer Institute show progress in the right direction.

Oncology Nursing News • 18th October 2017

Improving Adherence to Oral Therapies

Advances in oral chemotherapies provide patients with more convenient treatment options, but these improvements also create challenges for clinicians, particularly in medication adherence.

Oncology Nursing News • 5th September 2018

To Test or Not to Test? Pros, Cons, and the Promise of Genomics in Prostate Cancer

In 2012, when the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) released its blanket recommendations against prostate-specific antigen (PSA) testing for prostate cancer, Steve Hentzen was a healthy 46-year old with no known risk factors.

Oncology Nursing News • 25th May 2017

Delivering Quality: What Nurses Can Learn From the Oncology Care Model

Last summer, nearly 200 oncology practices and 16 health insurance providers embarked on a collaborative new mission to transform the business of cancer care in the United States.

Oncology Nursing News • 25th May 2017

Sticker Shock: How the OCM Hopes to Tackle Financial Toxicity

In 2013, Yousuf Zafar, MD, and a colleague introduced the term "financial toxicity" in a 2-part article addressing the burdensome cost of cancer care. They discovered that for patients, even those with insurance, not only did chemotherapy have a physically toxic effect, but a financial one as well.