Assessing a patient’s risk for cancer is an exciting area for collaboration between oncology nurses and genetic counselors. Oncology nurses have a very specialized skill set, and genetic counselors can complement it.
Although it’s impossible to predict what can lead to cancer in any individual, researchers look at data compiled over many years to make confident decisions that certain behaviors, characteristics, and factors increase the risk of developing cancer. By discussing these factors with patients, oncology nurses can potentially reduce or identify their chances of developing future cancers.
On October 24, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda®, Merck & Co., Inc.) for the treatment of patients with metastatic non-small cell lung cancer whose tumors express PD-L1 as determined by an FDA-approved test.
Researchers at the University of Michigan have developed a technique to predict whether ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) may become aggressive. The new method, called biomarker ratio imaging microscopy (BRIM), may prevent women whose cancers would never become aggressive from receiving unnecessary treatment.
Researchers have found no significant difference in five-year locoregional recurrence or survival in women with T1/2N0M0 breast cancer who received sentinel node dissection and axillary lymph node dissection compared to sentinel node dissection only.
As a research associate for ONS, I participated on a panel of oncology experts advising a group of undergraduate and graduate students regarding the lived experience of cancer treatment for older adults. The students, attending Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, PA, were aspiring computer scientists taking a course called Rapid Prototyping of Computer Systems; they developed the following research question based on input from the expert panel.
Within a culture of safety, accountability for safe and ethical care is a priority. Nurses must advocate for their patients and actively prevent patient harm when faced with safety concerns. With the increasing complexity of cancer care, safety risks are always present. Errors can be life threatening, and oncology nurses must feel comfortable in their ability to recognize and report these events.
On October 19, 2016, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted accelerated approval to olaratumab (Lartruvo™, Eli Lilly and Company) for the treatment of patients with soft tissue sarcoma not amenable to curative treatment with radiotherapy or surgery and with a histologic subtype for which an anthracycline-containing regimen is appropriate.
