Increases in early-stage lung cancer diagnoses with low-dose computed tomography screening have led to sustained improvements in survival rates more than 20 years later, researchers said while presenting their study findings at the 2022 Radiological Society of North America annual meeting.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration updated its mammography regulations in March 2023 to require institutions to notify patients about their breast density. The updated regulations strengthen FDA’s oversight and enforcement of institutions and help healthcare providers better categorize and assess mammograms.
From supporting the studies that led to the COVID-19 vaccine to championing diversity in the National Institutes of Health itself, women are making a difference in NIH’s halls, divisions, and programs. The agency is highlighting some of its female leaders throughout Women’s History Month in March in the Record, an NIH publication. The first feature includes a board-certified pediatrician and pediatric hematologist/oncologist who shared their experiences and wisdom and offered insight into their careers in science and medicine.
Alterations in the phosphatase and tensin (PTEN) homologue gene result in PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome, which includes Cowden, Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba, and PTEN-related Proteus and Proteus-like syndromes. Pathogenic variants in the PTEN gene are associated with increased risk for developing multiple benign and malignant tumors, some of which may occur in childhood.
On March 16, 2023, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved dabrafenib (Tafinlar®) with trametinib (Mekinist®) for pediatric patients aged one year and older with low-grade glioma (LGG) that have a BRAF V600E variant who require systemic therapy. FDA also approved new oral formulations of both drugs for patients who cannot swallow pills. It is the first FDA approval of a systemic therapy for first-line treatment of pediatric patients with LGG that have a BRAF V600E variant.
Individuals who identify as transgender and non-binary may no longer use their birth or legal name but rather choose a new name that aligns with their identity. When they ask that you use their new name instead, calling them by their old name is referred to as deadnaming and can be a stressful and traumatic experience for the individual and is even considered an act of verbal violence.
Nearly 60% of RNs say they have limited awareness of the concept of reasonable accommodations for patients with intellectual disabilities, researchers reported in the Journal of Advanced Nursing. They said their findings indicate a dire need for increased nursing education and training.
Disparity. Inequity. Futility. Barriers. Miscommunication. Unacceptance of the inevitable. Ethical and moral challenges perpetuate throughout practice for today’s healthcare workers, particularly oncology nurses in cancer care. As those burdens build up, nurses struggle to sustain their resilience and risk developing burnout or even leaving the profession entirely.
Many patients with cancer confront complex health disparities, but those with disabilities must muddle through more barriers than those without. As nurses, we have a responsibility to help our patients obtain the best possible care and support them during treatments such as a bone marrow transplantation.
Bringing awareness to the importance of mental health care in times of crisis, Admiral Rachel Levine, MD, assistant secretary for health for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, traveled to Colorado Springs, CO, to meet with survivors of the November 2022 nightclub shooting and host a crisis mental health roundtable with healthcare providers in December 2022.