Health care and outcome disparities are of key concern as providers seek to improve the health of all patients regardless of demographics. Megan H. Jagosky, MD, Department of Internal Medicine, Carolinas Medical Center/Carolinas HealthCare System in Charlotte, NC, discussed the outcomes of transplant eligible multiple myeloma (MM) African American patients compared to Caucasian patients at the 58th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, CA.
Older patients and those with poorer overall health are not as likely to receive treatment for multiple myeloma, despite the fact that MM is most commonly a disease of older individuals, with a median age of diagnosis of 66 years.
Although clinicians take great effort to treat patients with hematologic malignancies, they often do not give enough weight to symptoms related to the disease, according to Tatyana Ionova, PhD, Multinational Center for Quality of Life Research in St. Petersburg, Russia, who presented her research on behalf of her colleagues on Saturday, December 3, at the 58th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition in San Diego, CA.
Healthcare providers and patients use shared decision-making (SDM) to consider available clinical evidence and patients’ values or preferences to achieve optimal care and outcomes. However, despite the fact that multiple myeloma (MM) is a particularly complex disease to manage, treatment guidelines do not offer patient-specific treatment recommendations for individual patients.
Clinical research has immense value, leading to the discovery of new treatment pathways and improved patient outcomes. However, such gains may have less positive impact on patients who are ineligible for clinical trials, because the data do not represent how the clinical outcomes affect unincluded populations.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released a study in October 2016 that found breast cancer rates among women have decreased in recent years. However, disparities among races and between age groups still exist.
The election cycle of November 2016 saw many statewide ballot issues pass with overwhelming support. Included in many state elections were laws related to the decriminalization and medical use of marijuana. Recent studies have found the Tetrahydrocannabinol, commonly known as THC, can affect the mood or consciousness of the brain and alter pain sensors in some recipients. Such shifts are conducive to pain management, especially in some cancer patients who respond to the drug.
More than 3 million American women have a history of breast cancer. The survival rate for these women is 90 percent for the first five years after diagnosis. However, there is always concern about future recurrence of breast cancer. Depending on several factors, oncologists often seek follow-up mammograms and MRI’s for high-risk patients.
Most nurses already know and have abundant experience with patients in palliative care. Recently, a National Cancer Institute (NCI) study confirmed that patients who receive early palliative care and standard treatment for advanced cancer have a better quality of life than those patients who do not receive the same interventions. Palliative care has been defined through symptom management, setting goals of care, and providing a variety of support from diagnosis throughout the survivor’s treatment.
