Zanubrutinib (Brukinsa^TM) received U.S. Food and Drug Administration accelerated approval on November 14, 2019, for the treatment of adult patients with mantle cell lymphoma who have received at least one prior therapy.

Over the past three years, Sharon, age 38, has been intermittently receiving treatment for ovarian cancer. She was initially treated with carboplatin and paclitaxel and remained in remission for 20 months. She responded well to second-line therapy (carboplatin, gemcitabine, and bevacizumab), remaining on bevacizumab maintenance until she experienced a relapse eight months later.

In February 2019, my colleagues and I published a retrospective analysis of patient-reported satisfaction comparing those who had contact with an oncology nurse navigator (ONN) and those who did not. We analyzed surveys from patients with outpatient oncology infusion or radiation oncology visits in a 24-month period. First, we sorted the surveys into two groups—self-reported ONN contact (n = 315) and self-reported no contact with an ONN (n = 172)—and compared satisfaction.

In the 30 years since its inception in 1990, oncology nurse navigation has continually evolved and grown in response to patient and healthcare needs.

Rucaparib (Rubraca^®) has U.S. Food and Drug Administration approval for both maintenance and treatment indications in gynecologic cancers. It originally received accelerated approval in 2016 for the treatment of deleterious, BRCA variant–associated advanced ovarian cancer that has failed two or more chemotherapies. In 2018, it was approved for maintenance therapy of various gynecologic malignancies. Most recently, rucaparib received approval for BRCA-positive metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer treatment after androgen-directed and chemotherapy.