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.
A higher dose of radiation (74 Gy) does not improve overall survival for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that has spread to the lymph nodes, compared to the standard radiation dose (60 Gy), according to a new study, 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.
Although cancer patients who undergo radiation therapy frequently have acute and chronic skin reactions, there are no hard and fast guidelines on management of radiation-induced skin reactions or the best products to use. Each center or practice should develop its own clinical guide about how patients should manage skin reactions and which products are recommended for patient use, said Maureen McQuestion, RN, Princess Margaret Hospital, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Read More ›
Dr Hansen provided a comprehensive review of the challenges patients face when diagnosed with cancer. She illustrated that while improved survival is a welcome benefit to many of today’s cancer patients, psychological, social, and emotional struggles exist. Several considerations come to mind, such as where does one obtain information regarding care? Does the patient- provider relationship affect treatment, and what is the role of the oncology nurse (ON) in the care of cancer patients? Read More ›
The article by Dr Hansen provides a great overview of the challenges facing patients from initial diagnosis of cancer through survivorship. Patients typically are diagnosed with cancer suddenly in the midst of living their lives. The various stressors in life that exist prior to diagnosis can be further exacerbated after diagnosis. As oncology providers, in addition to having knowledge of the options to treat a patient’s cancer, we need to make sure we understand the patient as a whole— both the patient and the person. Read More ›
The diagnosis of cancer is arguably one of the most emotionally exhausting and potentially psychologically debilitating medical conditions we may experience during our lifetime. However, the impact of this diagnosis is not limited to the patient and frequently resonates among family members, friends, and caregivers as well. When the impact of cancer on the human condition is combined with the knowledge that healthcare practitioners are frequently unable to detect psychological distress in this patient population, the effects can be profound.1 Read More ›
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