CONFERENCE REPORT Deborah A. Boyle, RN, MSN, AOCNS, FAAN Nurses’ vulnerability to the effects of antineoplastic agents is of concern as they may be exposed to low doses of many different types of drugs over a period of years. Potential routes of exposure include dermal absorption (ie, direct drug contact, contact with contaminated surfaces), injection (ie, sharps, breakages), ingestion (ie, via contaminated food, hand-to-mouth transfer), and inhalation (ie, aerosols, vapors).
CONFERENCE REPORT Deborah A. Boyle, RN, MSN, AOCNS, FAAN Genotyping, sometimes referred to as molecular fingerprinting, must be distinguished from genetic testing. Genotyping is done to tumor samples and tests genes in the malignancy only. There are no implications for children or siblings of patients, whereas genetic testing focuses on inherited conditions and targets people with a worrisome family history.
ANNOUNCEMENT Deborah A. Boyle, RN, MSN, AOCNS, FAAN Culture is a tool that its members use to assure their survival and well-being, as well as provide meaning to life. Conflict related to cultural beliefs within healthcare commonly arises during times of significant life change.
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.
Lung cancer remains the number one cancer killer in both men and women, with more deaths attributable to lung cancer than breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers combined.[1]
What's in a Number? Deborah A. Boyle, RN, MSN, AOCNS®, FAAN, August 27, 2012
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.
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.
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.
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.
Crizotinib is indicated for the treatment of patients with locally advanced or metastatic non–small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) that is anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive as detected by an FDA-approved test.
The leukemias and lymphomas represent a group of heterogeneous myeloid or lymphoid clonal stem cell disorders with variable clinical presentation, pathological characteristics, prognosis and recommendations for treatment.[1]
Key Differences between FQHCs and RHCs Chastity Werner, RHIT, June 13, 2013 FQHCs and RHCs take up a unique niche among physician practices. And that affects compensation and billing.
Improving Care Coordination in Your Practice Susanne Madden, June 12, 2013 Practices are feverishly working to control the rising costs of healthcare - effective care coordination can help.
Refunding Overpayments: Two Options for Medical Practices Ericka L. Adler, June 12, 2013 Medicare and Medicaid providers must return overpayments once identified. Here are two different refund approaches for practices to consider when necessary.
iPad Alternatives for Mobile Physicians Marisa Torrieri, June 11, 2013 As more physicians are seeing the merits of media tablets, the market is expanding, too.