“You will never know it all, but you can know where to look.” 

This is a phrase, or some iteration of it, that I find myself saying often to novice oncology nurses as I meet with them during orientation, especially during that week 4 one-on-one when the scope of information oncology has to offer feels like a daunting hurdle for them to conquer in 12 weeks. 

“The current body of research inadequately addresses the intersection of aging, health disparities, and cancer outcomes among older adults, highlighting the imperative for heightened attention, enhanced infrastructure, and collaborative efforts to fill this critical gap,” a team of expert investigators from across the United States reported in a scoping review published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

One potential positive from the COVID-19 pandemic was heightened awareness and use of personal protective equipment (PPE). However, protecting people from virus transmission does not automatically equate to protecting surfaces from hazardous drugs, researchers reported in the August 2024 issue of the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing. Although surface contamination varied by agent and setting, overall, they found no significant change from pre- to post-pandemic.

On August 8, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that B. Braun Medical Inc. is voluntarily recalling two lots of 0.9% sodium chloride for injection USP 1,000 ml in E3 containers within the United States to the consumer level. The voluntary recall has been initiated due to the potential for particulate matter and fluid leakage of the respective containers.

On August 6, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) announced that Smiths Medical is issuing a correction recall for its CADD-Solis Ambulatory Infusion Pump because of multiple issues related to outdated software. The FDA said that the recall involves correcting certain devices, not removing them from where they are used or sold. 

Lawmakers in Congress haven’t left themselves much choice if they want to fund the government and prevent a government shutdown in a few months: They’ll need to kick the can down the road. The House left Washington last week, and the Senate will soon follow, with scant progress made toward passing the 12 annual spending bills, or appropriations, that keep vital agencies and government programs running. Current federal financing expires September 30, the end of the 2024 fiscal year.

Precision symptom science helps clinicians identify specific individuals at risk for symptoms and develop targeted strategies to prevent or mitigate the severity of the symptoms. In March 2024, I was one of eight PhD-prepared nurse scientists selected to participate in a workshop hosted by ONS and supported by the Oncology Nursing Foundation to develop the next generation of precision symptom scientists. 

On August 6, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) reported that Baxter International Inc. is voluntarily recalling one lot of heparin sodium in 0.9% sodium chloride injection to the consumer level because of the potential for elevated endotoxin levels. 

On August 6, 2024, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved vorasidenib (Voranigo®), an isocitrate dehydrogenase-1 (IDH1) and isocitrate dehydrogenase-2 (IDH2) inhibitor, for adult and pediatric patients aged 12 and older with grade 2 astrocytoma or oligodendroglioma with a susceptible IDH1 or IDH2 variant, following surgery including biopsy, subtotal resection, or gross total resection.

More than 7% of patients participate in cancer clinical research trials, a new study shows—higher than the 5% historically reported. The findings, which were published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, are the first to use national accreditation information from the Commission on Cancer to more accurately estimate participation rates.