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    Active Support Group Creates Community for AYAs With Cancer
    Patient Support
    Active Support Group Creates Community for AYAs With Cancer
    August 03, 2018
    You Are What You Read
    Nursing education
    You Are What You Read
    July 25, 2018
    Consider a Role in Clinical Trials Research as an Evolution of Your Nursing Career
    Oncology clinical trials
    Consider a Role in Clinical Trials Research as an Evolution of Your Nursing Career
    July 13, 2018
    Why Pretesting Counseling Is Critical in the Age of Consumer Genetic Tests
    Genetics & genomics
    Why Pretesting Counseling Is Critical in the Age of Consumer Genetic Tests
    July 06, 2018
    Nellie Diez, BSN, RN, OCN® and Kristin Soper, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP®
    Oncology nurse influence
    Focusing On the Little Things Can Make a Big Difference
    June 29, 2018
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    Key Federal Health Policy Legislation Updates for 2018
    Health Policy

    Key Federal Health Policy Legislation Updates for 2018

    ’Tis the season. Well, at least in DC, it’s an exciting time. A political year. A long summer recess. A host of bills that are on the verge of passing. We are all aflutter with anticipation of the possibilities. But legislators need to remember who sent them to Washington and for what reason. Advocacy begins at home, and elected officials are heartened by what their constituents request, especially when that legislation is bipartisan and emotional and can affect people’s lives.

    August 01, 2018
    HHS Releases Blueprint for Affordable Prescription Drugs
    Prescription medication

    HHS Releases Blueprint for Affordable Prescription Drugs

    Health care is arguably the top domestic policy issue and of major concern to most Americans. Coverage, access, and, most importantly, affordability are not abstract political concepts discussed in elite coffeehouse circles but rather are real-world problems that people struggle with daily. Do I need to see a physician for this problem? What impact will a diagnosis have on my life? Can I afford the medication?

    July 17, 2018
    Health Policy Advances Cancer Treatment Options in the Era of Biosimilars
    Health Policy

    Health Policy Advances Cancer Treatment Options in the Era of Biosimilars

    Options and cost are a double-edged sword as biomedical research marches forward and the list of approved drugs expands. More targeted drugs for specific diseases means that more patients have treatment plans that can directly fight their specific disease, possibly resulting in cures.

    June 04, 2018
    ONS Greater Baltimore Chapter Advocates at the State Level
    Health Policy

    ONS Greater Baltimore Chapter Advocates at the State Level

    In today’s increasingly fractured political environment, with heightened partisanship, Washington, DC, has become toxic. New ideas and common-sense solutions are rare and promoting issues without politicization is literally a full-time job. Interest groups are now finding policy opportunities for success in the state capitals. Some advocacy initiatives have found easier, and faster, wins for their organizational efforts at the state legislature level.

    May 11, 2018
    Medicare Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts
    Health Policy

    Medicare Is Greater Than the Sum of Its Parts

    At the center of the President Lyndon B. Johnson’s great society was Medicare, a federal program designed as a partial safety net primarily for America’s older adults. It was signed into law on July 30, 1965. Controversial at the time, it is now sacrosanct and often referred to as the “third rail of politics”: touch it and die.

    April 10, 2018
    CDC Has New Director Designee
    Cancer health policy

    CDC Has New Director Designee

    Presidential appointees come, and presidential appointees go. Recently, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) director resigned for financial conflicts of interest. The new Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) secretary, Alex Azar, sought to fill the important public health role as soon as possible. With opioids, the flu, vaccine shortages, and cancer prevention under the purview of the CDC, finding a new director was crucial to continuing the agency’s work. Since many of the CDC’s top officials are often reported on in the news, replacing the director was also essential for public trust in public health.

    April 03, 2018
    President’s Cancer Panel Reports on Drug Costs and Value
    Health Policy

    President’s Cancer Panel Reports on Drug Costs and Value

    Although it’s one of the less visible commissions, the President’s Cancer Panel monitors the activities of the National Cancer Program and reports on the burden of cancer. The panel reviews a number of topics and keeps current with demographic information and the latest cancer incidence research. After reviewing and recommending based on existing data, the panel releases a formal report to the president. In its most recent report, the panel found serious issues with barriers to access for cancer survivors, and it addressed the costs of drugs and the value therein.

    April 03, 2018
    FDA Authorizes Direct-to-Consumer Test for BRCA Cancer Gene
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

    FDA Authorizes Direct-to-Consumer Test for BRCA Cancer Gene

    Genetic testing is becoming more recognized among the general public, due in part to news reports and celebrity endorsements. Now, people are seeking to understand cancer risks and prevention measures through genetic information. There are many companies that ask for a mere mouth swab and deliver insight into a person’s DNA. As this becomes more commonplace, those with familial predisposition to cancer will look for ways to understand their own genetic results. Recently, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved an at-home test identifying some—but not all—breast cancer genes.

    April 02, 2018
    NIA Promotes Smoking Cessation
    Cancer risk prevention

    NIA Promotes Smoking Cessation

    In a new message, the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute on Aging (NIA) division introduced a public health campaign concentrating on smoking cessation for senior citizens. The program elaborates on a central theme that says, “No matter your age, quitting smoking improves your health.” The agency lists the benefits of cessation, including the critical health impact that diseases have on those who continue to use tobacco.

    April 02, 2018
    CMS Releases Report on Oncology Care Model
    Quality Outcomes

    CMS Releases Report on Oncology Care Model

    The cost of cancer care and the quality of patient services has always been a top priority in health care. However, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center has been working to strengthen both elements of care. CMS, through its Oncology Care Model (OCM) division, works with cancer care providers to develop payment strategies and performance categories in treatment plans for patients with cancer.

    April 01, 2018
    National Agencies Recognize Oncology Nursing’s Role in Coordinated Patient Care
    Health Policy

    National Agencies Recognize Oncology Nursing’s Role in Coordinated Patient Care

    We live in the greatest age of scientific discovery and medical breakthroughs. Advances in the innovation and understanding of diseases are providing more insight into how we treat, and often cure, people with life-threatening illnesses. What was once deemed a death sentence diagnosis is now described as a chronic disorder, that can be handled with the help of the patient and a team of healthcare providers.

    March 15, 2018
    FDA Approves First Metastasis-Free Endpoint Treatment for Prostate Cancer
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

    FDA Approves First Metastasis-Free Endpoint Treatment for Prostate Cancer

    Breakthroughs and new treatments are moving faster than ever. Getting treatments approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is crucial whenever new options are making way to patients with cancer. In February 2018, the FDA approved apalutamide for the treatment of nonmetastatic prostate cancer that continues to grow despite treatment with hormone therapy, the first FDA-approved treatment for nonmetastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer.

    March 08, 2018
    CDC Offers Insight on Common Cancer Questions
    Cancer health policy

    CDC Offers Insight on Common Cancer Questions

    To ensure more Americans understand the public health implications of cancer, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is taking an active role in creating awareness activities. By posting commonly asked questions, the CDC hopes to demystify cancer and its treatment to the uninitiated, while also helping survivors and caregivers better comprehend the cancer journey.

    March 08, 2018
    New HHS Secretary Azar Aims to Tackle Drug Prices, Affordable Care
    Health Policy

    New HHS Secretary Azar Aims to Tackle Drug Prices, Affordable Care

    On January 24, 2018, the Senate officially confirmed the nomination of Alex Azar, the newest secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Azar replaces former HHS secretary Tom Price, a physician who stepped down in late 2017. Although confirmed along party lines, Azar’s long governmental experience had plenty of support despite his past connections to the pharmaceutical industry.

    March 07, 2018
    NCI Updates Cancer Trends Progress Report
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)

    NCI Updates Cancer Trends Progress Report

    The National Cancer Institute (NCI) has proactively shared new information and trends with the general public. Through its Cancer Trends Progress Report, NCI provides descriptions of research and data to help review past experiences and assist the agency in planning for future research funding.

    March 06, 2018
    President’s Budget Proposal Recommends Severe Cuts to HHS
    Cancer health policy

    President’s Budget Proposal Recommends Severe Cuts to HHS

    Putting together the federal budget is an arduous task. Department by department, suggestions for program funding increases and decreases are reviewed, discussed, analyzed, and submitted. Budget officials are trying to match the administration’s priorities and review the fiscal environment, not to mention craft spending items to gain support from congress, who ultimately votes on the budget.

    February 27, 2018
    States Have a Role in Creating Public Health Policies
    Cancer health policy

    States Have a Role in Creating Public Health Policies

    The federal government structure in Washington, DC, is hard to ignore. U.S. children are taught about it in schools, and we hear about it regularly as elections, legislation, appointments, and the like are discussed in the news. Less recognized, though, is that each state has a similar legislative structure.

    February 06, 2018
    NIH: A Look Back at 2017 in Research
    Research

    NIH: A Look Back at 2017 in Research

    To plan for a strong future, one must understand the past. Reviewing the previous year’s accomplishments is always a good policy for reflection and improvement. It can help remind us of the accomplishments achieved in 12 short months. Such was the case at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as director Francis Collins addressed the research achievements for 2017 in his opening blog.

    January 30, 2018
    FDA Clears Genomic Profiling Tests for Cancer Treatment
    U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)

    FDA Clears Genomic Profiling Tests for Cancer Treatment

    Former National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director, Harold Varmus, when asked about cancer treatment, once said, “One of the major advances we’ve had as a result of cancer research is deep recognition of the complexity of cancer. It’s not one disease, it’s lots of different diseases. Every single cancer is different when you look at it on a genetic level.”

    January 29, 2018
    World Cancer Day 2018
    Cancer prevention

    CDC Promotes World Cancer Day 2018

    On February 4, 2018, The Center for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) annual World Cancer Day will aim to raise cancer awareness and support in a unified, global effort. The CDC’s efforts focus on cancer research and prevention, as well as improving services to patients with cancer, understanding and sharing common sentiments related to cancer, and mobilizing the global community against the disease.

    January 28, 2018
    National HPV Vaccination Roundtable
    Cancer prevention

    National Roundtable Will Work to Increase HPV Vaccination

    The American Cancer Society has partnered with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to promote public awareness and adoption for the human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine. The joint initiative, dubbed the National HPV Vaccination Roundtable, brings together public, private, and voluntary experts to raise awareness of the benefits of the vaccine in an effort to decrease incidence and mortality rates associated with HPV cancers.

    January 26, 2018
    Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes
    Cancer risk factors

    National Academies Explain the Public Health Consequences of E-Cigarettes

    The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine recently released its latest report on the consequences of smoking, specifically related to electronic cigarettes. The report discusses the new effects of e-cigarettes as a public health hazard. According to the report, the effects of long-term e-cigarette use are still unknown, especially related to morbidity and mortality.

    January 25, 2018
    First Session of the 115th U.S. Congress Will See Three Oncology-Related Acts
    Cancer health policy

    First Session of the 115th U.S. Congress Will See Three Oncology-Related Acts

    Thousands of pieces of legislation are introduced in each Congress, but only a small percentage make it through the entire process, especially in that first year. Bills that are not voted into law and signed by the president during that two-year period “die” when the second session is completed and Congress adjourns. According to congressional rules, “A bill may be introduced at any point during a two-year Congress. It will remain eligible for consideration throughout the duration of that Congress until the Congress ends or adjourns sine die.”

    January 04, 2018
    white house commission on opioids
    Prescription medication

    White House Commission Reports on Drug Addiction and Opioid Epidemic

    In the past few years, drug abuse and opioid addiction levels have grown to epidemic proportions. In 2016, Congress passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) to decriminalize drug use and reclassify addiction as a disease. After President Obama signed CARA into law, the bill allocated hundreds of millions of dollars to combat the epidemic, alongside funding for Americans in need of addiction treatment and support.

    December 13, 2017
    choosing the right breast cancer treatment
    Cancer health policy

    PCORI Helps Patients Choose the Right Breast Cancer Treatment

    Many women face a lack of information and understanding after their breast cancer diagnoses. Currently, women have more treatment options than ever before, and patients have the ability to review the latest findings to identify the option that fits best for their lives.

    December 12, 2017
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    Alec Stone ONS Public Affairs Director
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