In the November issue of The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA (TON), we feature a profile of the Center for Integrative Oncology and Survivorship at the Greenville Health System Cancer Institute, SC, which is a unique program geared toward patients who are survivors of cancer. The center provides a survivorship care plan to cancer survivors, and offers an array of survivorship-related services and programs to help the transition of patients from the acute treatment phase to living well beyond a cancer diagnosis.
“In all my years in oncology, I have watched patients fight the battles of cancer with chemotherapy and radiation, and experience the toxicities, but now I’ve learned that is not the end of their struggle,” said Trish Leighton, MSN, Ed OCN, a Survivorship Nurse Navigator at the center, in an interview with TON.
This issue also features a wealth of articles on symptom management that address a variety of cancer treatment–related side effects and their management, as well as different patient populations; topics include the use of “magic mouthwash” to improve quality of life among patients with mTOR inhibitor–associated stomatitis, and the management of immune-related toxicities, among many others.
In addition, the role of nurses in addressing sexual dysfunction in their patients with cancer is addressed by Don Dizon, MD, Medical Gynecologic Oncologist and Director of the Oncology Sexual Health Clinic, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston.
“Nurses and nurse practitioners can be the ones who make a difference in their patients’ lives. Nurses can be proactive. Oncologists are often disease focused and treatment focused, and sexual issues get pushed to the side,” Dr Dizon told TON.
In addition, this issue provides valuable insights on the enduring issue of hazardous drugs handling among oncology nurses. At his presentation at the 2016 Oncology Nursing Society Annual Congress, Seth Eisenberg, RN, ASN, OCN, BMTCN, Professional Practice Coordinator for Infusion Services, Seattle Cancer Care Alliance Ambulatory Clinic, WA, told attendees that although oncology nurses believe personal exposure to hazardous drugs to be a thing of the past, they are mistaken.
“Some nurses think we don’t have problems anymore, that those occurred only in the ’80s and ’90s, but that’s not the case,” suggests Mr Eisenberg.
Finally, several key presentations and studies from the 2016 Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology are also featured in this issue, including a summation of recent updates to the National Comprehensive Cancer Network’s Genetic/Familial High-Risk Assessment: Colorectal guidelines, and an article underscoring the need for palliative caregiver support programs.
As always, we hope you will enjoy this issue of TON and look forward to receiving your feedback. You can contact us via e-mail at info@TheOncologyNurse.com.
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