Nearly 65% of oncology advanced practice providers (APPs) say they want to have a larger role in clinical research. Although research has often been a part of the APP role in academic institutions, providers now have the potential to engage in its expansion into community practice settings. Here are some of the key contributions APPs can bring to community-based clinical research.
On December 13, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved eflornithine (Iwilfin™) to reduce the risk of relapse in adult and pediatric patients with high-risk neuroblastoma (HRNB) who demonstrated at least a partial response to prior multiagent, multimodality therapy, including anti-GD2 immunotherapy. This represents the first FDA approval of a therapy intended to reduce the risk of relapse in pediatric patients with HRNB.
Use of specialty palliative care in adolescents and young adults (AYA) with cancer is associated with reductions in pain, researchers reported in JAMA Network Open. The findings underpin the importance of palliative care in younger patients with cancer.
Returning to work after a cancer diagnosis is difficult for any survivor, but oncology nurses who have cancer may face nuanced challenges. Although nurses with cancer say that they can apply their firsthand experience as a patient to their clinical practice, nurses with cancer need role adjustments and organizational support to remain in the profession, researchers reported in a scoping review published in the Oncology Nursing Forum.
More than 2 out of 5 people in the United States live in a concentrated poverty area with limited access to health-promoting resources and services, National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) Director Shannon N. Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, said in a 2023 blog post with National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities Director Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, MD. “Research shows people living in concentrated poverty areas have poorer health outcomes across a wide range of diseases and conditions and are also more likely to die than those living in other areas.”
Access to care and health equity are critical factors that affect diagnosis, treatment, and outcomes for patients with multiple myeloma, particularly among Blacks and African Americans. Although multiple myeloma is relatively rare, accounting for about 3% of all cancers, it is the second most common blood cancer in Black and African American individuals, with a statistical tie in prevalence with lymphoma and leukemia. About 24% of those cases are in Blacks and African Americans.
Artificial intelligence (AI) can detect smaller colon polyps that may be missed by the human eye during a colonoscopy, according to recent research. In studies evaluating how computer-aided detection (CAD), a form of AI, can assist in colon cancer screening, CAD increased detection rates for small adenomas (polyps) compared to a standard colonoscopy, but it did not surpass the skilled eyes of experienced gastroenterologists in finding larger adenomas.
An oncology nurse’s expertly provided patient education has the potential to revolutionize a patient’s cancer experience. It empowers them with the knowledge and tools to best tolerate and adhere to treatment, manage side effects, and report adverse events immediately.
Amid the busyness of the season’s festivities and various holiday celebrations, year-end is often a time for us to reflect on the past year and consider goals for the new year. As 2023 ends, I would like to celebrate ONS members and staff, the Oncology Nursing Foundation’s (ONF’s) donors and staff, and the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation’s (ONCC’s) certified nurses and staff. In particular, I would like to acknowledge the three corporations’ volunteer boards for their work on behalf of their stakeholders.
On December 1, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca™) for adults with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL) who have received at least two prior lines of therapy, including a BTK inhibitor and a BCL-2 inhibitor.