Patients who engage in physical activity during or after cancer treatment are less fatigued and return to their usual daily activities faster than those who don’t exercise, researchers reported in JACC: CardioOncology. The benefit is highest among patients who are active during treatment but still pronounced for those who resume physical activity after completing treatment.

In the years following their initial licensure, nurses will often pursue certification. Obtaining certification shows a nurse’s commitment to their profession, specialty, and patients. Along with showing their commitment, certifications validate a nurse’s qualification and knowledge of a specific area.

Your nursing career might take many paths, but they all share a primary entry into professional practice: licensure. Licensure verifies that an RN understands and adheres to the laws and statutes that govern their profession as outlined in their state’s nurse practice act. In addition to defining your full scope of practice, your RN license also enables you to fully use your voice and advocate for your patients, as well as report medical errors in practice—both essential responsibilities when providing high-quality cancer care.

Happy New Year, oncology nursing colleagues! When I enter a new year, I like to ponder all of the positivity that it can bring.

Essential biomarker testing technologies like next-generation sequencing are increasing our comprehension of cancer genetics and genomics. Biomarker testing results provide prognostic and predictive information about a tumor’s biology and growth to guide treatment decisions. Patients with cancer are turning to their oncology nurses to help them understand their complex test results and corresponding recommended treatment plans, yet many oncology nurses have minimal, if any, formal training in the area.

Regardless of residence, nearly 25% of patients with cancer overall miss at least 10% of the doses in their radiation treatment plans—but the implications on outcomes are far greater for patients living in rural areas than their urban counterparts, according to new research findings published in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology, Biology, Physics.

Whether by cigarette, pipe, cigar, or vaping device, tobacco use is a major risk factor for the development of many cancers; increases cancer mortality, risk of recurrence, and second primary cancers; adversely affects treatment outcomes for surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy; and affects other chronic health conditions. Initiating smoking cessation at the time of a lung cancer diagnosis improves overall survival by 30%–40%, yet 40%–50% of smokers continue to use tobacco after diagnosis.

Patients often report mixed feelings about “ringing the bell” to signify completion of their cancer treatment: It’s a joyous moment, but they may have underlying apprehension, too. And other patients may never have a chance to ring the bell if their cancer progresses despite receiving the best possible care.

On December 16, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved nadofaragene firadenovec-vncg (Adstiladrin®) for adult patients with high-risk, Bacillus Calmette-Guérin unresponsive, carcinoma in situ, non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer with or without papillary tumors.

Midterm elections occurring halfway through a U.S. president’s first cycle are a referendum on that administration’s policies. Unable to take out their frustrations directly with the country’s chief executive, voters historically punish the president’s party at the ballot box. Still, politics is about people, and political scientists discourage attempts to quantify reactions and unexpected results. November 2022’s realignment of the federal power structure was an expected outcome.