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    Clinical and Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators Collaborate to Bring Training to Nurses and Improve Patient Care
    Oncology nurse education
    Clinical and Pharmaceutical Nurse Educators Collaborate to Bring Training to Nurses and Improve Patient Care
    January 13, 2023
    Oncology Nurse Uses Retirement to Help Patients and Healthcare Professionals Understand Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Testing Results
    Pancreatic cancer
    Oncology Nurse Uses Retirement to Help Patients and Healthcare Professionals Understand Pancreatic Cancer Biomarker Testing Results
    November 11, 2022
    The Life of Marie Curie and Her Contributions to Oncology
    Cancer treatments
    The Life of Marie Curie and Her Contributions to Oncology
    November 07, 2022
    Post-Flooding Natural Disaster Cancer Considerations and Patient Education Points
    Patient safety
    Post-Flooding Natural Disaster Cancer Considerations and Patient Education Points
    September 28, 2022
    Can Patients Use Continuous Glucose Monitors During Radiation Therapy for Cancer?
    Radiation therapy
    Can Patients Use Continuous Glucose Monitors During Radiation Therapy for Cancer?
    August 19, 2022
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    Patient resources

    NCI Awards $23 Million to Establish Centers to Study Telehealth for Cancer Care
    Access to Cancer Care

    NCI Awards $23 Million to Establish Centers to Study Telehealth for Cancer Care

    Four academic institutions will create centers of excellence dedicated to telehealth in cancer care to help healthcare providers increase its use in oncology practice, thanks to $23 million in National Cancer Institute (NCI) funding. The awards are part of NCI’s Telehealth Research Centers of Excellence initiative, which is supported by President Joe Biden’s Cancer Moonshot initiative.

    November 03, 2022
    Funding to Advance Equity in Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Care Allocated by the HHS
    Cancer screening

    Community Health Centers Get Funding to Advance Equity in Cancer Screening and Follow-Up Care

    With the relaunch of the Biden-Harris administration’s Cancer Moonshot initiative, the fight against cancer is back in the government spotlight. To support the Moonshot’s goals, in May 2022 the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) allocated $5 million to the Health Resources and Services Administration-funded community health centers.

    June 30, 2022
    Teleoncology Addresses Health Disparities With High Satisfaction for Patients and Providers, NCI Shares
    Access to Cancer Care

    Teleoncology Addresses Health Disparities With High Satisfaction for Patients and Providers, NCI Shares

    Virtual appointments and other telehealth care allow patients and families to have ready access to cancer care from the comfort of their own home, Kevin M. Curtis, MD, medical director of the Center for Telehealth at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Health, said in a March 2022 National Cancer Institute (NCI) blog post praising the service. Curtis also highlighted telehealth’s role in addressing health disparities, its high satisfaction rate with both patients and clinicians, and the service’s future in cancer care research.

    May 02, 2022
    CDC Emphasizes Importance of Cancer Screenings During COVID-19
    Cancer screening

    CDC Emphasizes Importance of Cancer Screenings During COVID-19

    “Cancer doesn’t wait, and neither should you,” the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) urged patients in its new cancer screening adherence campaign. The COVID-19 pandemic has created barriers to regular health visits, screenings, and treatment for individuals everywhere, and providers and organizations alike are seeking solutions.

    April 18, 2022
    What Patients and Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Vaccination and Cancer
    Patient resources

    What Patients and Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Vaccination and Cancer

    People with cancer have a particular risk for infection, and vaccines can be a powerful preventive tool. According to the World Health Organization, immunization prevents 2–3 million deaths every year worldwide from diseases, including diphtheria, influenza, and measles. Here’s what patients and nurses need to know about vaccines and guidelines for people with cancer.

    April 07, 2022
    CMS Expands Eligibility Criteria for Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography
    Lung Cancer

    CMS Expands Eligibility Criteria for Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography

    More Medicare beneficiaries now meet age, smoking history, and other criteria for lung cancer screening and are now eligible to receive low-dose computed tomography (LDCT), according to a February 2022 memo from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

    April 06, 2022
    Genetic Disorder Reference Sheet: PALB2
    Genetics & genomics

    Genetic Disorder Reference Sheet: PALB2

    PALB2 refers to partner and localizer of BRCA2. The gene was isolated in 2007 and is the third most common gene associated with breast cancer risk. Both men and women are at increased risk for developing multiple cancers if they have a pathogenic PALB2 variant (see sidebar).

    March 15, 2022
    Families See Increase in Healthcare Premiums, Increase in Covered Services
    Patient resources

    Families See Increase in Healthcare Premiums, Increase in Covered Services

    Employer-sponsored health insurance premiums increased by 4% for families in 2021, bringing the average annual cost to $22,221 per family, according to the results of a benchmark Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) Employer Health Benefits survey released in November 2021. KFF also assessed the COVID-19 pandemic’s impact on workplace health benefits, including telemedicine and mental health services.

    January 13, 2022
    Oncology Nurses Share Successes and Challenges Adapting to Telehealth During COVID-19
    COVID-19

    Oncology Nurses Share Successes and Challenges Adapting to Telehealth During COVID-19

    The COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has forced healthcare providers to make unprecedented adjustments to patient care, including the pivot to telehealth. At a series of virtual events from October 2020–March 2021, ONS members shared their challenges, successes, and future needs to permanently adopt virtual cancer care visits.

    December 24, 2021
    Telehealth Has Value During Radiotherapy, Patients Say
    Patient resources

    Telehealth Has Value During Radiotherapy, Patients Say

    More than 90% of patients report that telehealth consultations during radiotherapy treatment are high quality and may be even better for understanding information from their healthcare team than in-person visits, researchers reported in the Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network.

    December 22, 2021
    The Case of the Clinical Trials Consultation
    Oncology clinical trials

    The Case of the Clinical Trials Consultation

    Don, age 72, was diagnosed with borderline resectable pancreatic adenocarcinoma more than a year ago. Genetic testing indicated a BRCA2 variant. He completed 12 cycles of FOLFIRINOX followed by a pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure). He had no evidence of disease for six months until a liver lesion seen on surveillance imaging tested positive for metastatic pancreatic cancer. His medical oncologist suggests a clinical trial targeting the BRCA2 variant.

    December 21, 2021
    HHS Secretary Becerra Announces New Overdose Prevention Strategy
    Health Policy

    HHS Secretary Becerra Announces New Overdose Prevention Strategy

    Preventing overdoses—from any substance, but particularly opioids—is an urgent need during the U.S. opioid epidemic that involves a four-step process: prevention, harm reduction, treatment, and recovery, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced. HHS released a new overdose prevention strategy in October 2021 to increase access to services for patients and their families who use substances that can put them at risk for overdose.

    December 16, 2021
    Use ClinicalTrials.gov to Find the Right Cancer Research Studies for Your Patients
    Oncology clinical trials

    Use ClinicalTrials.gov to Find the Right Cancer Research Studies for Your Patients

    Among the many online resources for identifying cancer clinical trials, including the National Cancer Institute (NCI), NCI-designated cancer centers or academic cancer centers, and drug and biotechnology companies, ClinicalTrials.gov may be the most comprehensive as a one-stop shop for patients and providers to find publicly and privately supported trials for patients.

    December 09, 2021
    Not Eligible for Trials? Expanded Access May Give Patients Options for Investigational Products
    Oncology clinical trials

    Not Eligible for Trials? Expanded Access May Give Patients Options for Investigational Products

    The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) expanded access program is a pathway for providers to request using an investigational medical product to treat a patient with an immediately life-threatening or serious disease or condition outside of clinical trials when no comparable or satisfactory alternative therapy options are available. FDA’s Project Facilitate, a comprehensive program within FDA’s Oncology Center of Excellence, makes the pathway more accessible by assisting oncology healthcare professionals in submitting single-patient oncology expanded access applications.

    December 07, 2021
    Nursing Roles in Clinical Trials
    Oncology nursing roles

    Nursing Roles in Clinical Trials

    Clinical trials provide evidence to support what you do in your work as a nurse every day. They are tools to discover new therapies and identify side effects while considering patient-specific factors like age, comorbidities, race, and sex. They build support for best practices in treatment and patient care.

    December 07, 2021
    CDC Releases Video Series About Gynecologic Cancers as Part of Gynecologic Cancer Campaign
    Patient resources

    CDC Releases Video Series About Gynecologic Cancers

    Multimedia tools and resources can help patients learn more about a cancer diagnosis, treatment regimens, procedures, and follow-up care, among other important topics, and many institutions and organizations have jumped onto the bandwagon to create those resources for their patients. A new video series on gynecologic cancers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) adds another patient education resource to oncology nurses’ toolbox.

    October 28, 2021
    The Case of the End-of-Life Evaluation
    End of life (EOL)

    The Case of the End-of-Life Evaluation

    Ron, your 73-year-old patient, decides to transition to hospice care after receiving lung cancer treatment for three years. His partner finds Ron’s decision to move to hospice difficult to accept and encourages him to look for a clinical trial or try alternative treatments. You suggest that the couple speaks with a hospital chaplain, and Ron agrees. His surprised partner says, “Why do you want to talk with a chaplain? We’ve never been religious!”

    October 19, 2021
    ONS Bridge

    Engagement Projects Help Patients Manage Stress and Anxiety

    Patients reported lower levels of pain and stress after participating in virtual reality and art therapy programs, according to presenters sharing findings from two different pilot projects during the ONS BridgeTM virtual conference on September 14, 2021.

    September 14, 2021
    Rare Cancer Advocacy Programs Help Patients Discover Resources and Make Connections
    Cancer research

    Rare Cancer Advocacy Programs Help Patients Discover Resources and Make Connections

    A cancer diagnosis can be difficult for any patient to receive, but a rare cancer diagnosis can put additional stress on a patient and their family. They may feel isolated and struggle to find accurate information on their diagnosis, which may be minimal because of limited funding and research. Rare cancer advocacy groups and programs offer critical patient support and empowerment, raise awareness, and initiate research for treatments.

    September 07, 2021
    U.S. Surgeon General Issues Report on Dangers of Health Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic
    COVID-19

    U.S. Surgeon General Issues Report on Dangers of Health Misinformation During the COVID-19 Pandemic

    In today’s digital age of news, the public often struggles to decipher real science from misleading or incorrect information—and the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic has only magnified the situation. Seeing a detrimental impact to the health of the nation, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy, MD, MBA, issued his first advisory report of the Biden administration on the topic of misinformation in public health.

    August 04, 2021
    Cancer Support Groups Help Patients Develop Critical Connections
    Patient Support

    Cancer Support Groups Help Patients Develop Critical Connections

    Many patients with cancer have supportive friends and family. However, loved ones might be uncomfortable discussing the difficult feelings that arise from a cancer diagnosis and may be afraid or unsure of what to say or do. In a support group, members are open to talking about these difficult topics and patients can feel reassured that they are in a safe space to process the array of thoughts and feelings that come with a cancer diagnosis. 

    February 02, 2021
    Resource Helps Explain the Potential Dangers of E-Cigarettes to Providers and Patients
    Lung Cancer

    Resource Helps Explain the Potential Dangers of E-Cigarettes to Providers and Patients

    E-cigarettes are dangerous and their risks outweigh any potential smoking-cessation benefits, the U.S. Government Accountability Office explained in a new two-page resource that analyzes the science and technology behind the devices.

    November 06, 2020
    NCI Appoints New Director for Office of Cancer Survivorship
    Survivorship

    NCI Appoints New Director for Office of Cancer Survivorship

    Until recently, past ONS President Deborah Mayer, PhD, RN, AOCN®, FAAN, served as interim director of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI’s) Office of Cancer Survivorship, a part of the Division of Cancer Control and Population Sciences. As an oncology nurse, Mayer brought a special perspective to the office’s mission to better understand and meet the unique needs of the growing number of U.S. cancer survivors.

    October 29, 2020
    CDC’s Virtual Simulation Guides Patients With Prostate Cancer From Screening to Treatment
    Prostate cancer

    CDC’s Virtual Simulation Guides Patients With Prostate Cancer From Screening to Treatment

    Nurses can now navigate patients with prostate cancer to a virtual simulation for guidance on all aspects of the disease, from screening to treatment. Plus, providers can interact with Nathan, the simulation avatar, in a clinical encounter to help improve their consultation skills when discussing screening and treatment decisions with men. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released this resource after launching its popular simulation for patients with breast cancer.

    September 23, 2020
    Global Cancer Cases Could Increase 60% in Next 20 Years
    Cancer prevention

    Global Cancer Cases Could Increase 60% in Next 20 Years

    If current trends continue, the world will see a 60% increase in cancer diagnoses through 2040, the World Health Organization said in its February 2020 Report on Cancer: Setting Priorities, Investing Wisely, and Providing Care for All.  

    April 08, 2020
    Smoking Rates Are Low, But Here’s How They Can Be Lower
    Lung Cancer

    Smoking Rates Are Low, But Here’s How They Can Be Lower

    Although U.S. smoking rates have hit an all-time low of 14%, 34 million American adults are still considered active smokers, according to the U.S. surgeon general’s January 2020 report on smoking cessation. It’s the first new report focused directly on smoking cessation from the surgeon general’s office in 30 years. 

    March 04, 2020
    AHRQ Releases Free Resources to Engage Patients, Families in Care
    Patient resources

    AHRQ Releases Free Resources to Engage Patients, Families in Care

    One constant in nursing practice is time and how nurses never have enough of it. Between a full schedule of patient visits, consulting with coworkers, administering treatments, and the myriad other responsibilities filling a nurse’s day, nurses can struggle to address all of a patient's concerns in the time leftover. Nurses must be adept at balancing their time and multitasking in their duties.

    November 19, 2019
    Patient Education Is Critical to Managing irAEs for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors
    Immunotherapy

    Patient Education Is Critical to Managing irAEs for Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors

    By rebalancing the immune system and re-engaging mechanisms that tumor cells have shut off, immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors enable patients’ own bodies to fight their cancers for them. But those same mechanisms can also result in immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

    October 08, 2019
    Uplift Young Adult Patients by Sharing YA Resources
    Patient Support

    Uplift Young Adult Patients by Sharing Resources

    Dylan sat on the plastic chair with his elbows rested on his knees, staring blankly at the white tile floor in the clinic exam room. He was listening to me talk about the side effects of chemotherapy, but I could tell he had more on his mind. He lifted his head and touched his red baseball cap with his left hand.

    “This is a lot to take in,” he said in a befuddled tone.

    September 20, 2019
    How Can Oncology Nurses Support Surgical Patients With Esophageal Cancer?
    Cancer surgery

    How Can Oncology Nurses Support Surgical Patients With Esophageal Cancer?

    In 2000, I was diagnosed with stage III esophageal cancer—adenocarcinoma—and was put on a treatment regimen of chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and ultimately surgery to my esophagus. After talking with my doctors and nurses, heartburn was determined to be the cause of cancer. I didn’t realize at the time that survival rates for my disease were extremely low. 

    December 04, 2018
    CDC Offers Insights and Resources for Cancer Survivorship
    Survivorship

    CDC Offers Insights and Resources for Cancer Survivorship

    Cancer prevention is a full-time job, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) works around the clock to raise awareness and promote necessary early detection and screening methods. Cancer survivors are a unique subset of patients and require information that’s been individualized to the survivorship experience.

    September 11, 2018
    Active Support Group Creates Community for AYAs With Cancer
    Patient Support

    Active Support Group Creates Community for AYAs With Cancer

    Cancer doesn’t discriminate. It can strike anyone at any time. Being told that you have cancer can be a frightening experience, and feelings of loneliness and isolation are not uncommon, especially for young adults with cancer.

    August 03, 2018
    How Aromatherapy With Essential Oils May Help Patients With Cancer
    Complementary therapy

    How Aromatherapy With Essential Oils May Help Patients With Cancer

    Aromatherapy has grown in popularity over the past few decades for improving sleep and mood and for reducing anxiety, but its first use dates back more than 5,000 years. The practice involves using essential (aromatic) oils, derived typically from steam distillation of plants, through application to the skin as a component of therapeutic massage or inhalation with vaporizers, inhalers, or hot water baths.

    May 14, 2018
    Prevent Colorectal Cancer Through Screening
    Cancer prevention

    Prevent Colorectal Cancer Through Screening

    Of cancers affecting both men and women, colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second leading killer in the United States. In 2014, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 139,992 people in the United States were diagnosed with CRC and 51,651 people died from it. Oncology nurses know that screening tests allow for healthcare providers to remove polyps before they become cancer or identify CRC in its earliest, most treatable stages. Clearly, screening is key to preventing CRC, most insurance plans cover screening, and patients now have more screening test options than ever. So why is CRC still so common? Why do people we know and care about still get this disease?

    March 27, 2018
    Meditation Has Many Benefits for Patients With Cancer
    Symptom management

    Meditation Has Many Benefits for Patients With Cancer

    Meditation is a healing practice that involves focusing attention, regulating breathing, and developing a nonjudgmental awareness of one’s thoughts and feelings. It aims to improve emotional regulation and overall well-being. Data from the 2012 National Health Interview Survey indicate that 18 million adults and 927,000 children practice meditation. Meditation encompasses repeating words with phonetic significance as in mantram meditation; paying attention or continually returning to the present moment as in mindfulness meditation; or practicing specific movements as in tai chi and qigong.   

    October 20, 2017
    nurses quitting smoking
    Oncology nurse scientist

    Oncology Nurses Champion Tobacco Cessation Programs

    Twenty-five years ago, you could be flying at 39,000 feet and still be inhaling cigarette smoke. Smoking’s pervasiveness in U.S. culture was far and wide, and it wasn’t until cancer research findings—coupled with public policy and healthcare education—that the dangers of smoking caught on with the general public. Since then, smoking rates have declined.

    September 29, 2017
    Patient resources

    Leading Oncology Professional Societies Launch CancerLinQ® Ambassadors Program

    March 08, 2017
    New Web Tool Seeks to Advise Cancer Survivors on Managing Health
    Survivorship

    New Web Tool Seeks to Advise Cancer Survivors on Managing Health

    In a joint venture between the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the American Cancer Society (ACS), a new web tool aims to provide better understanding for cancer survivors’ treatment options and what happens to them when treatment is over. The initiative, Springboard Beyond Cancer, is meant to empower survivors by providing them when education and resources about living beyond their cancer diagnosis. Springboard Beyond Cancer aims to address the following survivorship issues for patients.

    March 02, 2017
    Patient Financial Resources
    Coordinated care

    Help Your Patients Find Financial Resources

    The financial burden associated with cancer treatment is reaching new heights. In the heat of making decisions, patients and their families may drastically deplete their finances to reap the advantage a new drug may offer.

    January 03, 2017
    Patient resources

    Patient Assistance Programs

    Introductory text here explaining how this page is used… May contain product-related assistance information. Assistance offered by  pharmaceutical companies. May contain assistance for specific cancer drugs

    May 26, 2016
    Patient resources

    Cancer Care Resources

    Provided by pharmaceutical companies and reviewed by the ONS Seal of Approval progam.

    May 26, 2016
    Chemotherapy

    10 Things Every Patient With Cancer Should Know About Chemotherapy

    January 05, 2015
    Oncology nurse monitoring oral oncolytics
    Clinical practice

    Reference Tool Helps Nurses Monitor Patients Receiving Oral Oncolytics

    As the use of oral oncolytics has increased in cancer care, so has the amount of time oncology nurses spend educating and counseling patients and caregivers on their use. Studies have shown that although it’s challenging for nurses to carve out, the time is well spent.
    November 11, 2014
    Patient empowerment

    Dying, Tea, and Pastries: Death Cafes Invite Often-Shunned Discussions

    It's not a support group. It's not grief counseling. It is, however, a safe place to talk about death and dying. Oh, and there's tea and cookies (or cake!).
    June 10, 2013
    Leukemia

    National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship Offers New Resources for Patients With Chronic Leukemia

    The National Coali­tion for Can­cer Survivorship’s (NCCS’s) Can­cer Sur­vival Tool­box® is a free audio pro­gram that teaches skills that can help peo­ple with can­cer meet the chal­lenges of their ill­ness. In addi­tion to basic skills such as find­ing infor­ma­tion, mak­ing deci­sions, solv­ing prob­lems, nego­ti­at­ing, and stand­ing up for your rights, the toolkit also includes spe­cial top­ics like end of life and car­ing for the caregiver.
    January 23, 2012
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