Articles

Breastlink is a network of comprehensive breast centers that specifically focuses on providing treatment and care to women with breast cancer. The Breastlink Medical Group was founded in 1995 by John Link, MD, and now operates 5 breast cancer centers in California (4 in Southern California). Today, Breastlink offers a team-based, patient-centered approach to care, as well as a focus on research into the causes of and the cure for breast cancer. Read More ›

You may or may not have heard the name Kathleen Maxian, but it is likely you have encountered women like her in your practice without knowing it. Kathleen has been featured in several news stories lately, including in the New York Times and on CNN. Her sister, Eileen Kelly, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 40 and underwent testing for BRCA1 and BRCA2 (BRCA1/2) gene mutations. She was found to be negative. Two years later, Kathleen was diagnosed with ovarian cancer. Read More ›

Roasted Beet and Grilled Asparagus Salad With Orange Tarragon Sour Cream

Ingredients

1 bunch asparagus
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1 bunch beets
2 oranges, juice and zest
2 oranges, halved and sliced
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped tarragon
4 tablespoons low-fat sour cream
1 bunch leeks, cut into strips and blanched

1.Roast beets in a 350-degree oven for 45 minutes. Peel while still warm and let cool. Cut into slices.

Due to the tremendous physical, psychological, and economic burdens of end-stage diseases, there now is an increasing need for palliative care as an integral part of the treatment plan in the management of radiation oncology patients, according to Marilyn Haas, PhD, nurse practitioner at CarePartners Supportive and Palliative Services, Asheville, North Carolina. In addition, she said that integrating palliative care earlier rather than later may be especially important in those patients with metastatic disease.

There is a lack of guidelines when it comes to standard of care for adult cancer survivors, and it is time to start thinking about establishing such guidelines, according to nurse practitioner Richard Boyajian, who is the clinical director of adult survivorship at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Massachusetts. He said establishing appropriate guidelines could potentially reduce morbidity and mortality.

Cancer and its treatments can cause sexual side effects, and oncology nurses are often in the best position to bring up the topic and provide useful information as well as emotional support. The most important thing a nurse can do to help patients is to initiate the discussion.

Globally, there are 20 million cancer survivors, and the number of survivors is expected to grow because people are living longer as a result of newer and better therapies. Many survivors have little or no understanding of the physical, psychosocial, and economic issues that face them for the rest of their lives. Nurses can play a major role in planning survivorship care to help survivors negotiate the next stages of their lives and enjoy a good quality of life.

There has been increasing recognition of the importance of cultural competence in caring for patients and in improving patient outcomes. This subject was explored by Wael Al Zayyer, PhD, Executive Consultant at the King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Damman, Saudi Arabia, during the 12th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Institute of Learning.

Incorporating nurse practitioners and physician assistants into oncology practices appears to be an effective strategy for dealing with an impending shortage of oncologists and at the same time improving productivity and achieving both patient satisfaction and provider satisfaction, according to a recent study.¹

Patients with rectal cancer who use a combination of chemotherapy (capecitabine) with 5 weeks of radiation (50 Gy) prior to surgery may have an 88% chance of surviving the cancer 3 years after treatment, according to results presented at the 53rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Radiation Oncology held October 2-6, 2011, in Miami Beach, Florida.