TON - April 2019, Vol 12, No 2

From the Editor - TON April 2019
The April issue of The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA (TON) is filled with important news and insights for today’s oncology nurse. We begin our coverage with a profile of the Cedars-Sinai Medical Center, Los Angeles, CA, as we speak with Sandra Rome, RN, MN, AOCN, Hematology/Oncology/BMT Clinical Nurse Specialist, who discusses her commitment to caring for patients with cancer, her roles and responsibilities as part of the Blood & Marrow Transplant team, some of the challenges she and her colleagues face in their day-to-day jobs, and why she finds her work so rewarding (learn more). Read More ›

San Diego, CA—Analysis of healthcare utilization among Medicare beneficiaries with multiple myeloma suggests that the setting of autologous hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation (HSCT) has a significant impact on provider reimbursement and out-of-pocket expenses for patients, according to data presented at ASH 2018. Read More ›

Checkpoint Inhibition Consolidation Therapy Promising in High-Risk Hematologic Malignancies
San Diego, CA—Patients with relapsed, refractory, or high-risk hematologic malignancies obtained durable benefits with the combined checkpoint inhibition with nivolumab (Opdivo) and ipilimumab (Yervoy) as consolidation therapy after stem-cell transplant, according to results of a small prospective study presented at ASH 2018. Read More ›

San Diego, CA—A phase 2 expansion-cohort clinical trial has shown encouraging results with the combination of oral rigosertib, a novel styryl benzyl sulfone, and azacitidine (Vidaza) in patients with heavily pretreated myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) compared with azacitidine monotherapy, according to data presented at ASH 2018. Read More ›

Between 2014 and 2060, the population of Americans aged ≥65 years is projected to more than double, ushering in a transformation of our workforce, healthcare system, and understanding of aging.1 This generation, and those following, are expected to live longer and remain more active. Every day, the average life span increases by >5 hours, and a growing number of Americans at retirement age choose to continue working full-time.2,3 Unfortunately, with age comes higher rates of chronic illness, including cancer.4 In 2016, individuals aged ≥65 years represented 62% of all 15.5 million cancer survivors in the United States, and by 2040, they are expected to represent 73% of a projected 26.1 million cancer survivors.5 Read More ›

Elotuzumab, Lenalidomide, and Dexamethasone Combination Demonstrates High Response Rate in  High-Risk Smoldering Multiple Myeloma
San Diego, CA—The results of a phase 2 clinical trial presented at ASH 2018 suggest that early therapeutic intervention is beneficial in patients with high-risk smoldering multiple myeloma. Read More ›

MURANO: Venetoclax-Rituximab at Fixed Duration Beats Chemo­immunotherapy in Relapsed/Refractory CLL
San Diego, CA—A 2-year duration of combination immunotherapy with venetoclax (Venclexta) and rituximab (Rituxan) improved survival compared with standard-of-care chemoimmunotherapy combination with bendamustine (Bendeka) plus rituximab in patients with relapsed or refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to follow-up data from the MURANO clinical trial presented at ASH 2018. Early results were first presented at ASH 2017. Read More ›

DNA Repair Targeted Therapy: Expanding Options for Patients with Cancer
The past year has been an exciting time for medical applications of genetic testing. We are entering an era when germline genetic status is no longer focused solely on risk stratification to guide surveillance and risk-reducing options, but is increasingly influencing treatment selection. Read More ›

Targeted Intervention Reduces Opioid Use by Nearly 50% After Urologic Oncology Surgery
Patients can be successfully managed with minimal opioid medication after urologic oncology surgery, said Kerri Stevenson, MN, NP-C, RNFA, CWOCN, Lead Advanced Practice Provider – Interventional Radiology, Stanford Health Care, CA, at the 2018 ASCO Quality Care Sym­posium. She presented results from a 4-month study conducted at Stanford Health Care. Over the course of the study, patients were able to decrease their opioid use after surgery by 46%, without compromising pain control. Read More ›

Luspatercept, First-in-Class Erythroid Maturation Agent, Reduces Transfusions in Patients with Low-Risk MDS
San Diego, CA—Luspatercept, a first-in-class erythroid maturation agent, significantly reduced the need for blood transfusions in more than 50% of patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) who were anemic, required regular red blood cell (RBC) transfusions, and/or had abnormal iron overload. Read More ›

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