March 2016

Recognizing Smart Catches All Day, Every Day

Great catch, near miss, smart catch—they all mean the same thing: someone protected a patient from harm during care. These healthcare gems happen 24 hours a day, 365 days a year by every discipline in every healthcare setting, yet we rarely celebrate them. Why? Because health care is supposed to be safe. We're supposed to be highly reliable. We are supposed to heal and not harm. It's a must.

FDA Approves New Indication for Everolimus

On February 26, 2016, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved everolimus (Afinitor® , Novartis) for the treatment of adult patients with progressive, well-differentiated non-functional, neuroendocrine tumors (NET) of gastrointestinal (GI) or lung origin with unresectable, locally advanced or metastatic disease.

FDA Approves New Indication for Obinutuzumab

On February 26, 2016, the U. S. Food and Drug Administration approved obinutuzumab (Gazyva® Injection, Genentech, Inc.) for use in combination with bendamustine followed by obinutuzumab monotherapy for the treatment of patients with follicular lymphoma (FL) who relapsed after, or are refractory to, a rituximab-containing regimen. Obinutuzumab was previously approved for use in combination with chlorambucil for the treatment of patients with previously untreated chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Brenda Nevidjon Attends Cancer Moonshot Roundtable With Vice President Biden

Vice President Joe Biden is currently touring the country to meet with healthcare experts and research scientists to understand the challenges facing the National Cancer Moonshot Initiative announced by President Obama during his State of the Union Address. ONS Chief Executive Officer Brenda Nevidjon, RN, MSN, FAAN, sat on the panel to address the important role of oncology nurses in the vice president’s Moonshot Initiative.

ONS Member Travels to South Africa for Pediatric Oncology Conference

When young people are diagnosed with cancer, regardless of the type, it feels particularly heartbreaking. When they’re forced to face such a deadly disease, they deserve treatment that gives them the best chance at survival. Unfortunately, not all parts of the world are equal. On average, survival rates in low- and middle-income countries can be as low as 5%, compared to 80% in high-income countries.

Evaluating Security in the Outpatient Setting

It has been a little over a year since cardiologist Dr. Michael J. Davidson, 44, was shot and killed at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston. He was murdered during the day by the son of a patient he treated who had died a few months prior to the shooting. I remember that day well. I was working in my clinic and all of us wondered, “How could this happen? And could it happen in our clinic?” I like to think that all of our patients and families are thankful and appreciative for all we do for them, but unfortunately that isn't always the case.

Lidocaine Reduces Pain During Sexual Intercourse for Breast Cancer Survivors

As a greater number of patients are living beyond a cancer diagnosis, the management of health issues related to the persistent and late effects of cancer treatment is important and essential to long-term improvements in health.

Colleen Peyerl

Subscribe to