On July 26, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda^®) for high-risk, early-stage, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) in combination with chemotherapy as neoadjuvant treatment and continued as a single agent as adjuvant treatment after surgery. 

Pertuzumab, trastuzumab, and hyaluronidase-zzxf subcutaneous injection (Phesgo^TM) was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in June 2020 for patients with advanced HER2-positive breast cancer. The drug components are the same as those in FDA-approved IV version, and study results showed comparable safety and efficacy to the IV counterparts. The new administration route allows eligible patients to bypass infusion centers or even receive the therapy at home.

Clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) is a commonly seen term for readers of science news and literature across a variety of industries. But reading the word often doesn’t automatically translate to understanding it and its implications. Here’s what oncology nurses need to know about CRISPR.

As of July 2021, more than 159 million individuals in the United States have been fully vaccinated against the COVID-19 coronavirus, totaling about 48.1% of the U.S. population. However, approximately 173 million others have not, or suggested they will not, receive the vaccination. President Biden’s goal of having 70% of Americans receive at least one vaccine dose and 160 million adults to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by July 4, 2021, fell short.

On July 21, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved pembrolizumab (Keytruda^®) in combination with lenvatinib (Lenvima^®) for patients with advanced endometrial carcinoma that is not microsatellite instability-high (MSI-H) or mismatch repair deficient (dMMR), who have disease progression following prior systemic therapy in any setting, and are not candidates for curative surgery or radiation. 

Fifty years ago, President Richard Nixon delivered his third State of the Union address to the U.S. Congress, boldly outlining audacious goals with major federal funding attached. Seeking $100 million for what he deemed “the war on cancer,” Nixon pledged his commitment to invest federal resources in the fight against cancer.

On July 19, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Pfizer’s voluntary recall of two lots of varenicline 0.5 mg tablets, two lots of varenicline 1 mg tablets, and eight lots of a varenicline kit of 9.5 mg/1 mg tablets to the patient level because of the presence of N-nitroso-varenicline, a nitrosamine, above the Pfizer-established acceptable daily intake level. Varenicline is a treatment to help patients quit smoking and is intended for short-term use. To date, Pfizer has not received any reports of adverse events that have been related to the recall.

On July 1, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported Teva Pharmaceuticals’ June 30, 2021, voluntary recall of lot 31328962B of topotecan injection 4 mg/4 ml. The recall was based on a report that a single vial contained a glass particle, a grey silicone particle, and a translucent, colorless cotton fiber.

Prescription overdoses and addiction rates have dramatically increased in the United States since 2012, with more than 70,000 deaths attributed to the abuse of fentanyl, opioids, cocaine, and methamphetamine in 2019, a 35% increase since 2015. Addressing drug misuse is a top priority for the Biden-Harris administration, as well as researching systematic inequities in the country’s approach to criminal justice and prevention, treatment, and recovery.

This September, the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) will host the second annual ONS Bridge™, the premier virtual conference that connects oncology nurses to resources and education covering two themes: care coordination and updates in therapy.