Patients with cancer, especially those from underrepresented groups or who are experiencing racism, inequalities, social determinants of health factors, and other barriers to care, need oncology nurse navigation now more than ever before. Developed as a “strategy to improve outcomes in marginalized populations by eliminating barriers to timely diagnosis and treatment of cancer and other chronic diseases,” navigation has made a difference for patients since its introduction in 1990.

Debuting in human clinical trials just a decade ago, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy was quickly hailed as a breakthrough cancer treatment for certain hematologic cancers. Today, patients and providers have access to 22 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved cellular and gene therapy products, and CAR T-cell therapy is available beyond large academic research centers.

First approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 2020 for treatment of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST), avapritinib’s (AyvakitTM) approval was extended in 2021 for treatment of advanced systemic mastocytosis (AdvSM). Both approvals are for patients with PDGFR-alpha genetic variants.

Some people may be overjoyed at the prospect of completing their cancer treatment and returning to normal life, but for many others, fear and anxiety can overshadow feelings of elation. The survivorship phase of a cancer journey can be confusing and uncertain. Comments like, “I don’t know what is next” and “The responsibility for care is now up to me” can alert oncology nurses that patients need additional communication and strategies to transition into healthy survivorship.

Climate change affects more than weather patterns or the environment; it also has a substantial impact on human health. Its contribution to the cancer burden includes increased levels of carcinogens, comorbidity factors, cancer incidence, and cancer mortality and reduced access to care.