FDA Announces New Safety Measures for Opioid Medications
July 17th 2012The 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.
Caring for the Family Caregiver: Tools and Training for Healthcare Professionals
June 21st 2012Two 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.
The Debility of Fatigue in Older Cancer Patients
May 10th 2012Cancer-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.
Precision Medicine in the Care of Patients With Leukemia/Lymphoma
May 9th 2012The 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]
Integrative Medicine: Not Just Garnish
May 9th 2012We still have much to do to fully understand the potential of complementary therapies as important elements in cancer treatment and health. Mind-body and body-based interventions may be able to improve health and prevent disease as effectively as pharmacologic agents-without the toxicities associated with pharmacologics, and as adjuncts to pharmacologic therapies they may help to maximize health and diminish disease with less toxicity.
Targeted Therapies in the Management of Leukemia and Lymphoma
May 9th 2012The management of leukemias and lymphomas now includes the use of many targeted therapies. Nurses need to have an understanding of the targeted therapies and their side effects so they can appropriately manage the side effects that their patients with leukemias and lymphomas may experience.
The Patient With Cancer Cachexia
May 9th 2012Many cancer patients experience cachexia. In collaboration with an interdisciplinary team including dietitians, oncology nurses are well positioned to implement proactive, multimodality interventions that improve clinical outcomes and quality of life for these patients.
Online Support Tool Reduces Depression, Ups QOL in Cancer Patients
April 30th 2012A web-based interactive support system tailored for cancer patients reduced patients’ feelings of depression and improved their sense of well being, compared with being given access to resources that are publically available on the internet, results of a large 1-year randomized controlled trial have shown.
Study Highlights Communication "Breakdowns" in Cancer Care
April 30th 2012A multicenter telephone-interview study has found that cancer patients often perceive that communication problems with healthcare providers have contributed to a breakdown in their care, but very few formally report their concerns.
Locoregional Control of Bladder Cancer: Chemoradiation Tops Radiotherapy in UK Study
April 30th 2012In a multicenter phase III trial of 360 patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer, synchronous chemoradiotherapy provided better locoregional control without significant added toxicity, investigators for the Bladder Cancer 2001 trial have found.