Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is an autosomal dominant condition that stems from a pathogenic variant in the NF1 gene, which regulates the production of the tumor-suppressing neurofibromin protein. NF1 disorder is characterized by pigmentation changes (e.g., café au lait spots; see image), cutaneous neurofibromas, malignant nerve sheath tumors, gastrointestinal stromal tumors, and intellectual disorders. Signs and symptoms vary widely, but NF1 disorders occur in 1 in about 3,000–4,000 people. Almost half of the cases are de novo.

To provide education about the challenges family caregivers face and advocate for policies that support them, U.S. Representatives Jen Kiggans (R-VA), a geriatric nurse practitioner and veteran, and Debbie Dingell (D-MI), along with U.S. Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), relaunched the bipartisan Assisting Caregivers Today Caucus in June 2023.

As oncology nurses, our personal biases can affect not only our own brains and cognitive functioning but also the mental health of those we interact with. We all have biases, or preconceived notions or ideas about particular people, groups, or circumstances. They frequently result from prior experiences, cultural and societal influences, and societal conditioning.

U.S. Representatives Diana DeGette (D-CO) and Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL), along with more than 50 members of the U.S. Congress, wrote a letter in June 2023 calling on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to abide by a court-ordered deadline to review outstanding Premarket Tobacco Product Applications for e-cigarette products that remain on the market without approval. The call comes after FDA failed to meet the initial deadline of September 9, 2021, to complete its review of all pending e-cigarette applications.

More than twice as many of today’s cancer survivors say they’re experiencing functional limitations after their disease than those in 1999, according to study findings published in JAMA Oncology. The prevalence was also nearly twice as high as that reported in the general population, but it varied by diagnosis and was disproportionately higher among Black and Hispanic survivors.

In its annual report to the U.S. Congress on drug shortages, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration cited the COVID-19 pandemic, supply chain problems, and approval processes as reasons for the shortages during the 2022 calendar year.

In clinical trials, pirtobrutinib (Jaypirca™) was effective in restoring BTK inhibition in patients that experienced progression after previously receiving a covalent BTK inhibitor. Pirobrutinib became the first-available noncovalent (reversible) BTK inhibitor in January 2023 when the U.S. Food and Drug Administration granted it accelerated approval.

In a record number of outreaches, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued warning letters in June 2023 to 189 retailers for selling unauthorized tobacco products. Two notable brands included in the warning, Elf Bar and Esco Bars, sell disposable e-cigarettes that come in flavors that appeal to youth, such as bubblegum and cotton candy.

Join ONS member Ashley Barill, BSN, OCN®, nurse supervisor at WVU Medicine in Morgantown, WV, as she explains how she and her team train using mock code simulations in an outpatient infusion center in this video. Mock code simulations can help oncology nurses and other healthcare professionals prepare for emergencies, and Barill’s tips and resources are helpful tools when conducting those simulations. 

In 2019, the mood was hopeful. As we looked ahead to the next decade, Republicans and Democrats in both the U.S. House of Representatives and Senate appeared to be at a consensus point on a major policy issue: access to affordable prescription medications for the American public.