Longtime ONS member Scarlott Mueller, RN, MPH, has been appointed as the new chair of the American Cancer Society (ACS) Board of Directors for 2016. In the past, she served as president-elect for the ONS Foundation and is a current and active ONS member.
In the past, the only option nurses had to obtain their ONS Provider Card for chemotherapy administration was by taking the ONS/ONCC Chemotherapy Biotherapy Certificate Course exclusively. With the addition of the Chemotherapy Biotherapy: Fundamentals of Administration course, that's about to change.
The 41st annual ONS Congress will be held in San Antonio, TX, for 2016, bringing together oncology nurses from all over the world. From April 28–May 1, oncology professionals will congregate to share their experiences, attend up-to-date research presentations, network with like-minded oncology professionals, and more.
Disparities in colorectal death rates take a large toll on the national economy, with the greatest burden on poorer, less well-educated communities, according to a study presented at the Eighth American Association for Cancer Research Conference on the Science of Cancer Health Disparities.
Webster’s online dictionary defines change as “making something different,” but Webster’s online thesaurus presents a different perspective, which fits with the changes that are currently happening within the ONS governance structure. The thesaurus synonym for change is “to make radically different,” or to transform.
Welcome to 2016! I don’t know about you, but 2015 just flew by. I can always hope 2016 moves at a more measured pace, but in our ever-evolving, high-tech society, it will probably move along even faster.
Investigational drug approval usually takes a long time under the rigorous testing process established by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. The process is meant to protect patients from possibly useless drugs or drugs that might worsen their condition while providing access for seriously ill patients, such as those with cancer, seeking investigational treatment that may be their only survival option.
Administration of chemotherapy drugs has shifted dramatically in the past 15 years from parenteral to oral administration. This change requires patients to self-manage their chemotherapy. Patients need to understand important medication administration tasks: right dose, right time, right route, and right drug.
Oral chemotherapy, like IV chemotherapy, effectively helps patients fight cancer and may have similar side effects to its IV counterparts. Self-administration of oral chemotherapy may be convenient, but it is still chemotherapy and requires extra caution.
Adherence to oral agents for cancer (OACs) is an important issue in the oncology setting. Unlike IV agents, which are typically administered in a controlled environment by oncology nurses, OACs are self-administered at home with little professional oversight. The potential for medication error or nonadherence cannot be underestimated, but oncology nurses are in a key position to spearhead initiatives aimed at improving patient education and adherence for OACs.
