Nursing
Tobacco-Control Efforts Prevented Nearly 800,000 Lung Cancer Deaths in the US Between 1975 and 2000
March 28th 2012Using detailed patient data and mathematical modeling programs, a US–international team of investigators has concluded that in the US, public health efforts beginning in the 1950s prevented nearly 800,000 deaths from lung cancer between 1975 and 2000.
Large Study of Female Cancer Survivors Highlights Poor Health Behaviors
February 29th 2012Following a large survey of more than 22,000 US women, researchers from H. Lee Moffitt Cancer Center, in Tampa, Florida, have concluded that a significant proportion of female cancer survivors have poor health behaviors, compared with women who have not had cancer.
Colonoscopy Beats Fecal Screening for Adenoma Detection in 50,000-Plus Patient COLONPREV Study
February 29th 2012Reporting interim findings from a multi-institutional assessment of more than 50,000 people 50 to 69 years of age, COLONPREV Study Group investigators from Spain have concluded colonoscopy is better than fecal immunochemical testing (FIT) at detecting adenomas.
Colonoscopic Polypectomy: Long-Term Benefit in Preventing Colon Cancer Deaths
February 28th 2012A multi-institutional, NCI-funded retrospective study in the New England Journal of Medicine highlights the significant long-term benefit of colonoscopic polypectomy in preventing death from colon cancer, with polypectomy cutting the incidence of colon cancer–related mortality in half compared with the general population.
Racially Diverse Older Adults Continue to Be Screened for Cancer
December 19th 2011A team of researchers from the University of Connecticut at Storrs and the National Cancer Institute, analyzing US national health data on more than 4,000 racially diverse adults aged 75 years and older, has concluded that despite “ambiguity of recommendations for this group,” cancer screening rates are high in this population.
Breast Density Reductions ID Preventive Benefit of Tamoxifen
December 19th 2011Epidemiologist Jack Cuzick, PhD, and colleagues, writing in the Journal of the National Cancer Institute in April, concluded that “tamoxifen-induced reductions in breast density can be used to identify women who will benefit the most from prophylactic treatment with this drug.”
1-Day Canadian Program Impacts Oncology Nurse Burnout
December 19th 2011Researchers from Wellspring, a Canadian nonprofit organization that supports and educates people with cancer, together with a team of patient-support consultants, have developed a 1-day program that appears to have reduced emotional exhaustion and burnout in oncology nurses.
CDC Program Offers Tools and Guidelines to Prevent Infections in Cancer Patients
November 22nd 2011The often-weakened immune systems of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy put them at greater risk of acquiring life-threatening infections in community and hospital settings, including during appointments for outpatient treatment.
Persistence of PTSD Highlighted in Large NHL Survivor Study
November 22nd 2011A survey of more than 500 long-term survivors of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) has revealed that more than one-third experience persistent or worsening symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with nearly 4 of 10 cancer survivors stating they still experience symptoms of PTSD more than a decade after their cancer diagnosis.
Small Increase in Diabetes Risk Seen in Older Breast Cancer Patients Taking Tamoxifen
November 22nd 2011In a Canadian study of more than 14,000 breast cancer survivors over 65 years of age, current use of tamoxifen appears to be associated with a small increased risk of diabetes. The findings do not mean tamoxifen is a direct cause of diabetes in this patient population, the study authors emphasized, but they said its use may increase diabetes risk in older women who already have known risk factors for diabetes, such as obesity or a family history of the disease.
HE4 Biomarker Test Is Approved for Use in Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm (ROMA)
October 19th 2011In September 2011, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved marketing of the HE4 Test (Fujirebio Diagnostics, Malvern, Pennsylvania) along with the CA-125 test in the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm, called ROMA, to determine the likelihood of finding malignancy at surgery in premenopausal or postmenopausal women presenting with an ovarian adnexal mass.
The Complexity of Hereditary Cancer Syndromes
October 19th 2011Counseling women at high risk for ovarian and uterine cancer is a complex process, from genetic diagnosisto the management of at-risk women. Rimes andcolleagues have presented these challenging issues, andsuggested ways to manage them, very well.
October Is National Breast Cancer Awareness Month
October 19th 2011The National Breast Cancer Awareness Month (NBCAM) organization, which began its campaign in 1984, is a partnership of more than a dozen national professional medical associations, public service organizations, and government agencies that work together year-round to promote awareness of breast cancer, share up-to-date information about the disease, and provide greater access to screening services.
Nurse Practitioners and Physicians' Assistants May Play Critical Roles in Future of Oncology Care
September 23rd 2011A new study of collaborative oncology practice models showed that the greater use of nonphysician practitioners (NPPs) led to an increase in productivity for the practice and was satisfying for both physicians and the NPPs. This provides one potential solution for the predicted shortage of oncologists in the next decade.
