Articles

Even though oncology nurses are charged with improving patients’ cancer-related and treatment-related symptoms, there is much room for improvement, according to Susan C. McMillan, PhD, ARNP, FAAN. McMillan received the Distinguished Nurse Researcher Award at the Oncology Nursing Society 39th Annual Congress and gave a presentation about symptom management in oncology nursing. Read More ›

A few years ago my son talked me into buying him a pair of Reeboks. It’s not that they were all that expensive, but they were purple and orange and, well, sorta ugly. I caved and bought him the shoes after he promised he would “wear them every day.” He wore them for a while, but then they just ended up in the back of his closet. I mean, how long can you wear purple and orange shoes? His feet grew, as boys’ feet do, and I took the shoes (still with plenty of wear left) to Goodwill. Read More ›

The diagnosis of cancer and the following treatment both have a profound impact on all aspects of a patient’s life. Quality of life is impacted in many aspects, including physical functioning, psychological well-being, and social life. Even at diagnosis, up to 50% of cancer patients present with some nutritional deficit that may be impacting physical functioning. Most of the anticancer treatments (ie, surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation) will jeopardize food intake and therefore nutrition status at some point during treatment. This disruption contributes further to declining quality of life throughout care and into survivorship. Read More ›

Ibrutinib represents a major advance in the treatment of previously treated chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL), having achieved dramatic and sometimes durable responses in both diseases. Although ibrutinib is approved by the US Food and Drug Administration for both CLL and MCL, judging by the show of hands at the Oncology Nursing Society 39th Annual Congress, the majority of oncology nurses have not yet had experience with it. Read More ›

Joanne Frankel Kelvin, MSN, RN, AOCN, a fertility clinical nurse specialist who leads MSK’s program, spoke with The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA about the steps needed to develop the program, how she became involved and educated herself about the issue, and her experience with patients, as well as some of the challenges and hopes—now and in the future. Read More ›

Researchers reported that results of a simple blood test measuring VEGF-A and TGF-²1 can be used as predictive markers for response to treatment in patients with squamous cell esophageal cancer undergoing concurrent chemotherapy and radiation therapy (CCRT) followed by esophagectomy, or removal of part of the esophagus. Read More ›

Radiation therapy (RT) does not increase the risk of lymphedema in patients with node-negative breast cancer beyond that of surgery, according to a secondary analysis of the NSABP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project) B-32 trial. “These results should reassure breast cancer patients that radiation therapy to the level 1 axilla when radiating the whole breast does not contribute to lymphedema risk beyond surgery,” stated lead author Susan McCloskey, MD, of the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California Los Angeles. McCloskey added, “This analysis suggests that lymphedema should not be an impediment to women choosing breast-conservation surgery and radiation therapy.” Read More ›

A study based on patient-reported outcomes in a broad sample of cancer patients with bone metastases showed that single fraction radiation therapy (SFRT) was as effective as multiple fraction radiation therapy (MFRT) for alleviating pain and improving function and quality of life (QOL). This study has cost implications as well as implications for patient convenience, noted senior author Robert Olson, MD, a radiation oncologist at the British Columbia (BC) Cancer Agency Centre for the North, Canada. “We see variations in patterns of use of MFRT. No doubt some of the use of MFRT [in the United States] is driven by cost considerations,” he noted. Read More ›

It may be possible to preserve sexual function in men with prostate cancer undergoing curative radiation therapy (RT) by using a vessel-sparing radiation technique, according to a 5-year follow-up of a group of men who underwent vessel-sparing radiation therapy in this setting. The study included 90 men diagnosed with prostate cancer; about 50% underwent external beam RT alone and 50% had the external beam RT plus brachytherapy. No patient received androgen deprivation therapy. Read More ›

This issue of The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA (TON) is our final issue for 2014. We look forward to wrapping up the year on a high note and plan on pertinent and insightful coverage for 2015. Read More ›