After a decade and three legal challenges that culminated in another U.S. Supreme Court decision to uphold the law, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act ([ACA], commonly known as Obamacare) is currently established canon. On June 17, 2021, the Supreme Court of the United States (SCOTUS) ruled in favor of the defendants in the case of California et al. v. Texas et al., maintaining ACA’s constitutionality. It was a firm 7-2 decision.
On September 22, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ruxolitinib (Jakafi®) for chronic graft-versus-host disease after failure of one or two lines of systemic therapy in adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older.
On September 17, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved cabozantinib (Cabometyx®) for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 years and older with locally advanced or metastatic differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) that has progressed following prior vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFR)-targeted therapy and who are ineligible for or refractory to radioactive iodine treatment.
Using antibiotics during treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors may limit the therapy’s effect, according to study results published in the American Journal of Clinical Oncology.
On September 20, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to tisotumab vedotin-tftv (Tivdak™), a tissue factor-directed antibody and microtubule inhibitor conjugate, for adult patients with recurrent or metastatic cervical cancer whose disease has progressed on or after chemotherapy.
Ophelia is a 42-year-old patient who has been diagnosed with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). She completed neoadjuvant chemotherapy with dose-dense doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide, followed by paclitaxel and carboplatin. Her postsurgical pathology shows residual disease in the tumor (3.5 cm down from 4 cm) and 12 out of 18 lymph nodes that are positive for cancer. Ophelia tells you that she is very discouraged and expected a better treatment outcome.
On September 17, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Pfizer’s voluntary recall of all lots of varenicline 0.5 mg/1 mg tablets to the patient level because of the presence of N-nitroso-varenicline, a nitrosamine, at or above the FDA interim acceptable intake limit. FDA said that while Pfizer is undertaking the precautionary measure, alternative suppliers have been approved in the United States.
Innovative, affordable, and accountable care are the key to transforming the healthcare system to achieve health equity, according to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) Innovation Center’s 10-year plan, which the center announced on August 12, 2021.
When ONS reached out and asked me to participate in the inaugural ONS Hackathon, I wasted no time in confirming my interest. I had heard of hackathons before but never a nursing-specific one. It was an exciting experience full of growth for me and the other oncology nurses who participated.
A basic understanding of the endocrine system is helpful in assessing and monitoring patients for common side effects of cancer and its treatments, Marianne Davies, DNP, ACNP, FAAN, from Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center, said during a session held at the ONS BridgeTM virtual conference on September 16, 2021. She provided attendees with a complete overview and associated disorders, emphasizing the need for nurses to be vigilant in watching for signs and symptoms in their patients.