Oncology Nursing

News of note from the current literature.

Vismodegib is for the treatment of adults with metastatic basal cell carcinoma, or locally advanced basal cell carcinoma that has recurred following surgery or who are not candidates for surgery, and who are not candidates for radiation.

Clinical hypnosis has been defined as a mind-body therapy that involves a deeply relaxed state, individualized mental imagery, and therapeutic suggestion.

The prevention of patient falls is a major healthcare imperative. Falls are associated with avoidable morbidity and mortality, compromised quality of life, and considerable economic burden.

Tumor lysis syndrome (TLS) is a potentially life-threatening metabolic disorder characterized by an elevated uric acid level, elevated serum potassium and phosphorus levels, and a decreased calcium level.

Chemotherapy is now employed in earlier-stage disease in neoadjuvant, adjuvant, and combined-modality treatments. The aim of this article is to review the current systemic treatments for NSCLC.
• Contemporary Issues in NSCLC
• Evolving and Expanding Treatment Options in NSCLC

Cancer statistics do not overwhelm me as much as other calculations do. I think this is because I can imagine a human being connected to the rising incidences and changing trends within my chosen specialty.

Research report from May 2012 ONS Congress interview and poster discussion with Roxann Scheerens, from the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, Columbus, Ohio.

Research report from May 2012 ONS Congress interview and poster discussion with Deborah Allen, from Duke University.

With National HIV Testing Day recently behind us and the 19th International AIDS conference happening later in July in Washington, DC, I would like to share some recent HIV/AIDS statistical, research, and policy highlights.

We’re now entering the fourth decade of HIV/AIDS awareness. Last year marked the 30th anniversary of the earliest report (on June 5, 1981) of what is now known as AIDS (acquired immune deficiency syndrome).

The FDA has approved a new strategy to evaluate the risk and safety of both extended-release and long-acting opioid analgesic, called a Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS). The drug class are synthetic versions of opium, that have had a long history of regulated control to mitigate their abuse and illegal distribution.

An intervention aimed at improving diet and exercise among elderly cancer survivors worked well and had durable effects in a new study of more than 600 people.

High levels of certain immunogenomic and inflammatory markers are associated with cancer-related fatigue in some survivors, according to a review of existing literature.

Learn how to help cancer patients and survivors ease into an exercise routine to promote overall wellness and combat fatigue.

Two of every three families in the US will at some time have at least one family member diagnosed with cancer, and family caregivers provide more than 75% of cancer care. Demands on family caregivers are increasing in complexity and duration.

News of note from the current literature.

Cancer-related fatigue (CRF) in older adults is amenable to resolution by nursing oversight that includes early assessment and the selection of appropriate management approaches. Oncology nurses working with older patient populations at high-risk for CRF should partner with rehabilitation colleagues to create and test exercise interventions that reduce the burden of this common symptom.

As we ponder our future, it may also be timely not only to look at our personal lives but also to address our professional growth and maturation in a purposeful way.