Onc Nurse on Call

Welcome to Onc Nurse On Call, the new podcast from Oncology Nursing News, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time.

This week delivers the second part of an interview with ethics expert Katherine Brown-Saltzman, MA, RN, president of Ethics of Caring, the organization behind the National Nursing Ethics Conference (NNEC).

Ethical concerns can grow into pressing issues, said Brown-Saltzman, when nurses don’t confront the concern early on, comparing these situations to the rapid spread of a forest fi...

Welcome to Onc Nurse On Call, the new podcast from Oncology Nursing News, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time.

This episode’s guest, Melinda Mayorga, RN, MSN, CNS, AGCNS-BC, OCN, a clinical nurse specialist at Norris Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Southern California in Los Angeles, discussed end of life care and those she calls “last responders.”

Mayorga described an experience in which she accompanied a patient through the last 32 minutes of her life, which, if not for the nu...

Onc Nurse On Call is the new podcast by Oncology Nursing News, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time. 

This week, our hosts sit down with Lillian Rodich, PA-C, MPH, an integrative oncology physician assistant at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center Bendheim Integrative Medicine Center in New York, New York.

She also touches on how to talk to patients about outside herbs and other supplements, emphasizing that being open to discussing these with patients—and finding out for patients whe...

Welcome to Onc Nurse On Call!

Are you seeking practical insights to maximize your impact while staying at the forefront of cancer care? You’ve found the right place. Onc Nurse On Call is the new podcast by Oncology Nursing News, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time. 

This week’s episode brings more insights from Kristin Daly, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, on caring for patients receiving immunotherapy who require medical attention for adverse effects (AEs) of immunotherapies, including outside of ty...

Welcome to Onc Nurse On Call!

Are you looking for practical insights for maximizing your impact while staying on the cutting edge of cancer care? You’ve found the right place. Onc Nurse On Call is the new podcast by Oncology Nursing News’, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time.

Today’s episode features Katherine Brown Saltzman, MA, RN, president of Ethics of Caring, the organization behind the National Nursing Ethics Conference (NNEC), who discusses ethics in nursing.

Welcome to Onc Nurse On Call!

Are you looking for practical insights for maximizing your impact while staying on the cutting edge of cancer care? You’ve found the right place. Onc Nurse On Call is the new podcast by Oncology Nursing News’, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time.

In this week’s episode, Korie Bigbee, DNP, a nurse practitioner at City of Hope and Kaiser Permanente in Los Angeles, California, discusses survivorship planning within the scope of hemato...

Welcome to Onc Nurse On Call!

Are you looking for practical insights for maximizing your impact while staying on the cutting edge of cancer care? You’ve found the right place. Onc Nurse On Call is Oncology Nursing News’s new podcast, hosted by editors-in-chief Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, and Stephanie Desrosiers (formerly Jackson), DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, delivering maximum impact in minimum time.

This week, Kristin Daly, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, a nurse practitioner in medical oncology at WashU Medicine in St Louis, Missouri, spoke with Oncology Nursing News about cancer care in the age...

In this special episode of The Vitals, we ring in the New Year 2024 by combing through 2023 FDA approvals. Listen as editor, Lindsay Fischer, recounts key approvals on a month-by-month basis. To read the full information surrounding the approvals, be sure to check out our news coverage below. 

As always, thank you for listening to The Vitals, and for all the engagement in 2023. We look forward to bringing you more oncology news in 2024.

We want to hear from you! Which drugs approved in 2023 have been practice changing? Have you had any difficulty or success in incorporating these n...

In this episode of The Vitals, Beth Finley-Oliver, MSN, ARNP, AGNP-BC, a nurse practitioner who works in the outpatient hematology clinic at Moffitt Cancer Center, revisits her presentation from the 2023 JADPRO Live Annual Meeting and discusses the growing number of therapies for patients with relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma.

Episode Highlights
“A clinical trial upfront would be my first option. After that, I have to try and find something their myeloma hasn't seen yet.”

“With CAR T, the CRS incidence is higher, and I think we're doing better [at managing it] because we have multiple interv...

In May 2023, the FDA granted accelerated approval to epcoritamab-bysp (Epkinly) for the treatment of adult patients with relapsed/refractory (R/R) DLBCL, including DLBCL arising from indolent lymphoma, and high-grade B-cell lymphoma (HGBL), following 2 or more lines of systemic therapies. Shortly thereafter, in June 2023, the FDA granted accelerated approval to glofitamab-gxbm (Columvi) as a fixed duration treatment for patients with relapsed or refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) not otherwise specified or large B-cell lymphoma (LBCL) arising from follicular lymphoma, after 2 or more lines of systemic therapy. 

In this episode of The Vitals, Laura Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, A...

In honor of lung cancer awareness month, for this episode of The Vitals, Nicole Gay, APRN-C, joins Oncology Nursing News to share how she counsels patients about lung cancer screening. 

Gay is a nurse practitioner at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Clinic, and a nurse navigator for the clinic’s lung cancer screening program. In the conversation, she shares how she addresses patient fears and concerns around screening, helping them feel comfortable and confident in navigating their health.

Episode Highlights

“Lung cancer screening, unfortunately, has a bit of a stigma around it. Part...

In this episode of The Vitals, Holly Chitwood, DNP, FNP-C, AGACNP-BC, walks through a patient case with a 70-year-old male with metastatic colorectal cancer.1 His providers used circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) testing to monitor his minimal residual disease (MRD) levels throughout active treatment. This approach, although not currently addressed in National Comprehensive Cancer Center Guidelines, allows patients and providers to have an idea of how the treatment is working earlier compared with what imaging can usually demonstrate, she explains.

Chitwood is an assistant professor in the College of Nursing at the University of Kentucky, as well as a...

In this episode of The Vitals, Patricia Jakel, RN, MN, AOCN, co–editor-in-chief with Oncology Nursing News, sits down with Quanna Batiste-Brown, DNP, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, to discuss the reality of racism in nursing. Batiste-Brown is an adjunct associate professor and Chief Nursing Officer at UCLA health.

The pair discuss the implications of the National Commission to Address Racism in Nursing, which, in 2021, published survey findings from 5,623 nurses. The findings showed that 50% of nurses feel that there is “a lot” of racism in nursing; that 63% of nurses have personally experienced racism in the workplace; and that 56% of nurses say th...

In this episode of The Vitals, Ryan Tamargo, NP, AONCP, a nurse practitioner with the inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) program at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, talks about IBC and why it is often misdiagnosed. She discusses the launch of an online IBC Scoring System tool, which was developed through Susan G Komen, the Milburn Foundation, and the Inflammatory Breast Cancer Research Foundation. According to Tamargo, this tool may prove helpful in raising awareness about this rare form of breast cancer and make it easier for primary care providers to recognize the symptoms and make the correct diagnosis. 

Resource Duration: 00:10:09

In this episode of The Vitals, Heather Santone, an oncology nurse navigator with Allegheny Health Network, shares which unique challenges nurse navigators face when caring for geriatric patients. She points out that many of these patients have difficulty securing transportation to and from their appointments, or struggle to navigate online applications or internet services. Luckily, nurse navigators can play a large role in helping patients overcome these obstacles and ensuring that patients do not fall through the system’s cracks.

Episode Highlights

I live in Erie; we are a smaller city. A lot of our testing ha...

In this episode of The Vitals, Shawna Douglas, BSN, RN, a head and neck oncology nurse navigator with Allegheny Health Network, highlights the unique challenges that this population faces, including access to proper dental care, nutrition specialists, and postsurgery speech and swallow therapy. She draws from personal experience to share a story of how she used the resources available at her institution to help a patient find transportation to and from her appointment—highlighting the value that nurse navigators can provide their patients. 

 Episode Highlights

 “My role as their oncology navigator is to help be that one poi...

In this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Linda Bloom, MPA, RN, OCN, about strategies to improve communication among patients with limited English proficiency who are admitted to surgical oncology. Bloom, who is a clinical nurse IV at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, presented on this topic during the 48th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Meeting, and the findings have been published in the Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing.

 As Bloom explains in the discussion, perianesthesia nurses and language assistance staff joined forces to improve communication for patients with limited English proficiency, including those with hearing, sp...

In this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Leana Cabrera Chien, MSN, RN, GCNS-BC, GNP-BC, and William Dale, MD, PhD. The pair discuss the value of geriatric assessments in optimizing cancer care for older adults, especially considering the recent update to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) guidelines, stating that all patients with cancer who are older than 65 years should receive a geriatric assessment.

The update emphasizes the overarching recommendations from the previous guidelines, except that the new guidelines are based on data which suggest that geriatric assessments can improve patient outcomes and are t...

In this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Jacki Garcia, RN, BSN, CNRN; and Kristin Hendrickson, BA, RN, to discuss phase 0 trials, also known as window-of-opportunity trials, in neuro-oncology. 

 Phase 0 trials are designed to identify new drugs capable of slowing tumor progression in patients who face poor prognoses. Patients who enroll in a phase 0 trial receive a subtherapeutic dose of an agent prior to undergoing surgery. When the tissue is resected, investigators determine whether the agent penetrated the blood-brain barrier and whether the agent had the anticipated effect. If the agent demonstrates therapeutic effect, patients may...

In this episode of The Vitals, Clint Koerkenmeier, MHS, BSN, RN, joins Oncology Nursing News® to discuss retention strategies at his institution. 

 Koerkenmeier is associate nursing officer at the Vanderbilt-Ingram Cancer Center, which is a National Cancer Institute–designated cancer center which recently received its 4th Magnet Recognition. It was also named as a best place to work by the American Association for Men in Nursing.

As Koerkenmeier points out in the discussion, Vanderbilt is home to multiple initiatives intended to improve nurse satisfaction and support lateral career development. Some of these programs include a tuition reimb...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® talks with Lauren Mahon, MSN, FNP-BC, about the role of PARP inhibitors in the treatment of ovarian cancers. Mahon, a family nurse practitioner specializing in gynecologic oncology at the University of Rochester, recently presented on this class of therapeutics during the 48th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress. 

Onsite at the Congress, Mahon discussed the potential benefit of oral maintenance therapy with PARP inhibitors, the importance of genetic testing in this setting, and the different toxicity profiles associated with these treatments. 

Niraparib (Zejula), olaparib (Lynparza), and rucaparib (Rubraca), are...

In this episode of The Vitals, Seth Eisenberg, ASN, RN, OCN, BMTCN, discusses ongoing research efforts to quantify the value of toilet seat covers in oncology care settings. 

As Eisenberg explains, health care professionals who care for patients with cancer are at an increased risk of developing health issues because of their chronic exposure to the hazardous drugs. Specifically, the bathroom represents a repeated source of exposure, as this is where residue from these harmful substances is often found. To that end, Eisenberg, and a co-investigator, sought to test the efficacy of 2 interventions designed to reduce the spread o...

On this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® talks with Amber Pierce RN, BSN, OCN, regional nurse manager at Oncology Hematology Associates, an American Oncology Network partner practice, about the importance of 2-step verification with nivolumab and relatlimab-rmbw (Opdualag), which was approved for patients with unresectable or metastatic melanoma in March 2022.

The FDA approval was supported by data from the phase 2/3 RELATIVITY-046 trial (NCT03470922), which demonstrated that patients who received nivolumab/relatlimab as a frontline treatment experienced a median progression-free survival (PFS) that was double that of patients who received nivolumab alone. 

As Pierce highlights in...

In this episode of The Vitals, Krista M. Rubin, RN, MS, FNP-BC, joins Oncology Nursing News® to discuss best nursing practices with tebentafusp-tebn (Kimmtrak) for patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma. Rubin is a nurse practitioner with the Center for Melanoma at Massachusetts General Hospital, with over 20 years of experience caring for patients with melanoma. She is also the chair of the Melanoma Nursing Initiative.

Tebentafusp was approved in January 2022 for the treatment of patients with unresectable or metastatic uveal melanoma in adult patients whose disease harbors HLA-A*02:01. Findings from the phase 3 IMCgp100-202 trial (NCT03070392) showed t...

In this episode of The Vitals, Beth Faiman, PhD, CNP, weighs in on the current trajectory of research and clinical practice in multiple myeloma. 

Faiman is a nurse practitioner and researcher with the Cleveland Clinic, as well as a board member of the NP/PA Center of Excellence in Multiple Myeloma. According to her, one of the biggest changes of late was the publication of a study in Lancet Discovery, findings of which suggest that patients with biomarker-defined defined disease, as well as 60% or more bone marrow plasma cells (BMPCs), or a free light chain ratio (FLCratio) of a...

In this episode of The Vitals, Lindsay Diamond, MSN, AGNP-C, AOCNP, spoke on updated data from the CheckMate 274 trial (NCT02632409), which were presented during the 2023 ASCO Genitourinary Cancers Symposium (ASCO GU), and commented on different trials paving the way in urothelial carcinoma. 

According to Diamond, who is a nurse practitioner and clinical program manager of the GU Oncology Clinical Trials Department at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the disease-free survival (DFS) outcomes from Checkmate 274 were very promising, as they signify that adjuvant treatment with nivolumab (Opdivo) may be able to help patients reach certain milestones. T...

It takes a special skillset for nurses to care for patients whose disease continues to relapse after multiple lines of therapy, shares Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN.

“I tell my younger staff who aren’t used to seeing patients this sick, ‘even if that patient doesn’t survive, what an honor for us to be a part of their journey,’” she tells Oncology Nursing News®.

For this episode of The Vitals, Jackson, an oncology and bone marrow transplant clinical nurse specialist and unit director at UCLA Medical Center, recalls the story of a patient with acute ly...

Data presented during the 2023 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium have accentuated the amount of ongoing research across many of these hard-to-treat gastrointestinal malignancies, according to Terri Pollack, DNP, APRN, FNP-C, PMHNP-BC. Specifically, data surrounding the utility of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) should be exciting for RNs and nurse practitioners alike, as it allows providers and patients to visualize if a treatment is working long before a traditional test would show. 

Pollack is a nurse practitioner with the Gastrointestinal Cancer Site Disease Group in the Department of Medical Oncology at the University of Miami Sylvester Comprehensive Cancer Center. For this episode o...

In this episode of The Vitals, Nilesh Kalariya, PhD, AGPCNP-BC, AOCNP; and Laura J. Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCN, discuss data from the 64th American Society of Hematology Annual Meeting and Exposition that have the greatest potential to change oncology nursing practice. 


Kalariya, a nurse practitioner with the Department of Lymphoma/Myeloma at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, recently spoke with Oncology Nursing News® highlighted research from the University of Pennsylvania which showed clinical utility of a frailty phenotype tool and contextualized the role of CAR T-cell therapy for patients with multiple myeloma. He al...

In this episode of The Vitals, we interview 2 nurse practitioners about their key takeaways from the 2022 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium (SABCS). 
“As time goes [on], we learn more,” says Loyda Braithwaite, MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC, AOCN. Specifically, as more safety data with fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enerhtu) comes to light, providers are getting a better idea of how to anticipate and handle potentially serious adverse events such as interstitial lung disease and left ventricular dysfunction. Braithwaite, who is an oncology nurse practitioner at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center in Madison, highlights exciting developments in HER2-positive breast cancer and for p...

In this special episode of “The Vitals,” we ring in the New Year by combing through 2022 FDA approvals. Listen as associate editor, Lindsay Fischer, recounts key approvals on a month-by-month basis, with input from some of the investigators from behind the research. To read the full information surrounding the approvals, be sure to check out our news coverage below. Other resources can also be found below. 
As always, thank you for listening to The Vitals, and for all the engagement in 2022. We look forward to bringing you more oncology news in 2023. 
We want to hear from you! Which drugs...

Complementary therapies, such as acupuncture, can deliver significant benefits when used in combination with standard therapies, according to Heather Jackson, PhD, FNP-BC, NEA-BC, FAANP.
In this episode of The Vitals, Jackson, who is administrative director of advanced practice at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center, discusses how complementary acupuncture helped one thyroid cancer survivor achieve his goal of stopping opioid use to manage his cancer-related pain. Throughout the discussion, she highlights common questions patients have about acupuncture, what different forms of treatment are available, and how providers can assess the efficacy of the integrative therapy. 
“My adv...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® speaks with Aliènne Salleroli, MS, BSN, RN, OCN, an assistant patient services manager at Yale-New Haven Health Smilow Cancer Hospital, and cochair of the Yale New Haven Hospital Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Nursing Task Force. Earlier this year, Salleroli presented research on how racial diversity within oncology nursing is not enough to create lasting change—there needs to also be racial diversity within oncology nursing leadership to inspire positive outcomes. However, when it comes to making change on an individual level, the best thing that an oncology nurse leader can do i...

In this episode of The Vitals, Ellen Miller, MSN, FNP-BC, a nurse practitioner with Vanderbilt University’s Radiation Oncology Survivorship Clinic, shares her experience with a 26-year-old woman who wanted to get pregnant after undergoing chemoradiation for stage II extranodal natural killer T-cell lymphoma of the nasal cavity as a teenager. Miller underscores why some patients may not choose or be able to pursue fertility preservation when they receive a cancer diagnosis, and what follow-up conversations might be necessary for survivors who have family building goals following cancer treatment. 
References and resources are provided below. 

Episode Highlights
...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Jeannette Meyer, MSN, RN, CCRN-K, CCNS, PCCN-K, ACHPN, a palliative care clinical nurse specialist with UCLA Health about the value of advance directives for vulnerable populations. Meyer highlights her personal experience working with unhoused populations near and around Los Angeles, California. Meyer works with programs including “Hearing Their Voice” and “Hospice Under the Bridge,” which seek to help homeless patients connect with much needed medical resources and help providers understand the personal health goals of individual patients who may one day present in the hospital. 

Episode Highlights
“Our h...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Daniel J. Verina, DNP, RN, MSN, ACNP-BC, of the Myeloma Team with Mount Sinai Medical Center, about optimal strategies for adverse event management for patients receiving selinexor (Xpovio). Verina recently presented on adverse event management for novel multiple myeloma therapies as part of the International Myeloma Society’s 6th Annual Nursing Symposium. 
Episode Highlights
“I think one of the challenges is when a patient keeps relapsing and [you have] to come back to them and [say] you relapsed again, we have to change your treatment. That is a chal...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Milagros Elia, MA, APRN, ANP-BC, about the role that oncology nurses play in increasing dialogue around climate change. Elia recently presented on climate change as part of the 2022 Oncology Nursing Society Bridge. In this episode, she discusses how increases in heat and poor air quality can negatively affect vulnerable populations, and the role nurses play in proactively managing their patients’ health in the context of changing local climates.
Episode Highlights
Top takeaways from the discussion include:
“We know that climate change is damaging human health today and w...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Christine Miaskowski, PhD, RN, professor in the Department of Physiological Nursing and Anesthesia at UCSF School of Nursing. Miaskowski discusses results from research which showcases an increased risk of hearing loss among patients who received platinum- or taxane-based cancer treatments. She also discusses the importance of including hearing assessments as a standard of care for survivors.
Episode Highlights
Top takeaways from the discussion include: 
“When we did audio metrically confirmed hearing loss [assessments], we found that between 50% to 70% of survivors had confirmed hearing loss.” Timestamp (TS): 04:29
“I...

In this episode of The Vitals, a panel of oncology nurses and nurse practitioners with backgrounds in gastric and breast cancer unpack adverse event (AE) management with anti-body drug conjugates (ADCs). 
Sarah Donahue, MPH, NP, AOCNP, of the University of California San Francisco Health recently moderated a discussion with Jamie Carroll, APRN, CNP, MSN, of the Mayo Clinical in Rochester Minnesota; Theresa Wicklin Gillespie, PhD, MA, RN, FAAN, of the Winship Cancer Institute with Emory University; and Elizabeth Prechtel-Dunphy, DNP, RN, ANP-BC, AOCN of the Abramson Cancer Center with the University of Pennsylvania. The Peer Exchange program was structured t...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® met with Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNP, BMTCN, to discuss key takeaways from her recent presentation at the 6th Annual School of Nursing Oncology™ Meeting. Jackson, who is a certified oncology and bone marrow transplant clinical nurse specialist and unit director at UCLA Medical Center, presented on advances in the treatment of leukemia, and highlighted how nurses can practice at the top of their licensure incorporating the latest advances in hematologic malignancies. 
Jackson discusses the clinical application of drugs which were recently added into the treatment schema, such as ivos...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® met with Sarah Donahue, MPH, NP, a nurse practitioner at the University of California San Francisco Health, to discuss findings from the findings of DESTINY-Breast04 trial (NCT03734029).
DESTINY-Breast04, a phase 3, open-label pivotal trial, randomly assigned patients with unresectable or metastatic HER2-low breast cancer to receive the fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) at 5.4 mg/kg every 3 weeks (n = 373) or physician’s choice chemotherapy at locally approved dosing (n = 184). All enrolled patients had already received at last 1 prior line of therapy in the metastatic setting.
The primary end point was progression-free survival (PFS...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® met with Lidia Schapira, MD, FASCO, to discuss key advances in the treatment of toxicities that may present later in cancer survivorship care. 
Schapira is a professor of medicine and director of the Cancer Survivorship Program at Stanford. Schapira specializes in breast cancer with a focus on the psychosocial aspects of cancer care and issues that relate to patient experience and health equity. She recently participated in a poster discussion in the Symptoms and Survivorship track at the 2022 ASCO Annual meeting.
Schapira discusses recent innovation in addressing later toxicities in...

For this episode of The Vitals, Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Sri Kota, MSN, BA, RN, OCN, a nurse clinician with the Rutgers Cancer Institute of New Jersey, about important updates in the breast cancer treatment paradigm for nurses to consider.
The increasing availability of options for patients with metastatic disease is exciting, said Kota, with promising drugs such as fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan-nxki (Enhertu) and sacituzumab govitecan-hziy (Trodelvy) continuing to make waves in the field. 
“[There] is something to look forward to,” she said. “The pipeline looks great.”

In this episode of The Vitals, Donna Herrera Bell, MSN, APRN, FNP-C, highlights how nurses can eliminate barriers to fertility discussions among adolescent and young adult patients with cancer.
Bell spent 14 years working with children and adolescents with leukemia and lymphoma as well as helped develop a Pediatric Onco-Fertility consult service with MD Anderson. She recently presented at the 47th Annual Oncology Nursing Society Congress about eliminating barriers to conversations around fertility preservation for adolescent or young adult patients with cancer. In our discussion, Bell highlights common barriers that young men and women face, reasons why oncology nurses may...

Loyda E. Braithwaite, MSN, RN, AGPCNP-BC, AOCNP, an oncology nurse practitioner at the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center, provides an overview of the evolving treatment landscape in hormone receptor–positive breast cancer. Braithwaite highlights the emerging role of selective estrogen receptor degraders, selective estrogen receptor modulators, and updates on aromatase inhibitors within the space. She also discusses the management of potential treatment-emergent toxicities and how recently approved agents might make active treatment more accessible for certain patient populations. 
“Decision-making doesn’t happen spontaneously,” Braithwaite says. “[There] are strong data and scientific research that show new therapies are emerging. It is up to...

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Heidi Donovan, PhD, RN, professor of nursing and medicine, and co-director of the National Center on Family Support, at the University of Pittsburgh. Donovan recently co-led a study evaluating the utility of an online symptom management tool for women with recurrent ovarian cancer. 
The study, which was published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology, found that women who used the intervention experienced higher satisfaction with their symptom management.
“[In my opinion] some principles of our intervention are critical and actually overdue in clinical practice for ovarian cancer and othe...

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News® spoke with Hamid Emamekhoo, MD, an assistant professor of the Division of Hematology, Medical Oncology and Palliative Care with the University of Wisconsin Carbone Cancer Center.  Emamekhoo offers a snapshot of recent advances in kidney cancer treatments, an overview of caring for patients receiving immunotherapy and TKI combinations, and where future advances for kidney cancer research are headed.
“We have used high dose interleukin-2 for the treatment of kidney cancer since 1992—we have been doing immunotherapy for kidney cancer before immunotherapy was cool. But it was not the best treatment modality b...

In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Caitlin Benda, MBA, MS, RD, CSO, LDN, a clinical oncology nutritionist supervisor at American Oncology Network, about dietary strategies to support patients undergoing curative cancer therapies. 
Throughout our conversation, Benda discussed how nurses can help change a patient’s approach to diet in order to combat complications brought about by nausea and appetite loss. In addition, she highlights the importance of allowing patients some autonomy in their diet, common gastrointestinal—related side effects with different cancer treatments, and the importance of nutrition screening tools in increasing necessary referrals.
“Oncology nurses, esp...

In this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News® met with Matt Iwaniec, PsyD, a licensed clinical health psychologist with the stem cell transplant and CAR-T therapy program at Allegheny Health Network, to discuss fully integrated behavioral services as it relates to oncology.
In our discussion, Iwaniec highlights the mechanisms behind psychosocial treatments like cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) and acceptance and concomitance therapy (ACT), discusses recent advances in the behavioral health space, and underscores the need to normalize behavioral therapy for patients facing a cancer diagnosis.
“Psychologists and behavioral health professionals have a unique skill set that we can bri...

In this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News® met with Mark Honor, PA-C, Department of Malignant Hematology, Moffitt Cancer Center, to discuss managing adverse events (AEs) related to cancer therapies. In our conversation, we discuss the different mechanisms of action of today’s most popular therapeutic options, and best principles for responding to adverse events in patients receiving combination or immunotherapies.
“I went to school to be a medical provider; they didn't go to school to be a patient. They're not going to walk up to me and say, ‘Mark, I think I had gastroparesis, can you prescribe me some met...

In this special episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News® and CURE® Magazine met with Janice Post-White, PhD, RN, FAAN, to discuss her recently published book, “Standing at Water’s Edge.”
Post-White was an oncology nurse when her 4-year-old son, Brennan, was diagnosed with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Throughout our discussion, she reflects on the intersections of her professional and personal life, the lessons she learned, and offers advice for those processing their own grief in the wake of cancer.
“I remember saying to one student, ‘You know, I really need to know more about pediatric oncology.’ And, that year, my son...

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, University of California Los Angeles Health, and Elspeth Knill-Selby, a nurse practitioner in breast surgery at Yale University School of Medicine. The 2 experts discuss the rewards of mentorship—from both a providing and receiving perspective, as well as the importance of nurturing young nurses as they transition to acute care. 
“I think to be a well-rounded mentor, you have to have a good sense of self and understand yourself—and be able to articulate your feelings in a positive way.”
“I think I look at mentorship a...

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Nikki Urban, a registered nurse and practice manager at Allegheny Health Network, about the implementation of a successful phone triage program at the oncology institution.

Urban discusses why the program came about, some of its successes, and how a phone triage program can bring value to an oncology center.

“The phone triage process is a patient-centered initiative that really has patient access in mind,” Urban explains. “The initiative has provided the opportunity for patients to call in and have their concerns addressed in a real-time fashion with an oncolog...

Cisplatin is a life-saving drug, says Bruce Carleton, PharmD, FCP, FISPE. However, although the drug has lifesaving benefits, it also causes some degree of hearing loss in about 60% of children who receive this therapy. Furthermore, about 40% of children who receive cisplatin require hearing aids for the rest of their lives as a result of treatment.
In this episode of “The Vitals,” Carleton, of the Department of Pediatrics, Division of Translational Therapeutics, at the University of British Columbia, spoke with Oncology Nursing News® about balancing the beneficial effects of cisplatin with it’s potential to cause permanent hearing loss, in childre...

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Christopher Zorn, clinic operations administrator of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, and Gianna Bayci, RN, of the University of Chicago Medicine, about how to foster a safe, yet festive, holiday environment in oncology clinics and floors. 

The 2 experts discuss talking to patients about their approach to family gatherings, incorporating festive costumes into the oncology environment, and some favorite holiday memories from over the years. 

“Flexibility and adaptability are key. Gathering around the holidays can [be] stressful during [the] best of times, and for those that are going th...

For National Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month, Joe Contreras, MD, spoke to Oncology Nursing News® about some common misconceptions between the 2 and how oncology nurses can more effectively speak with their patients about palliative care. 

“It is not a ‘one and done kind of thing.” It is very important to implement these skills throughout the community. It's a practice. It's a behavioral change.”

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Kristin Barber, FNP-BC, AOCNP, Huntsman Cancer Institute, about understanding the MAP kinase signaling pathway and some of the ongoing trials targeting these mutations in gastrointestinal oncology. 

Barber discussed some of the ongoing phase 1 trials she is participating in and how she hopes the results of these trials could change patient outcomes following targeted treatment.

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Central Florida, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a medical oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute. Dietrich highlighted some recent advances and ongoing research in stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and discussed some of the ways immunotherapy and targeted therapy has evolved in recent years.

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Chastity Washington, MPH, CHES, Center for Cancer Health Equity, Ohio State University, about how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting disparities in cancer care. Chastity spoke to our team about the direct and indirect impacts of COVID 19 on disadvantaged communities, vaccine hesitancy amongst those communities, and more. 

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News spoke with Eloise Theisen, RN, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, current president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA). She spoke to us about some the benefits and applications of medical cannabis for patients with cancer, some of the challenges and interesting updates in research, and how nurses can talk to their patients about its use, as well as monitor their patients for potential cannabis-related adverse events.

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Cynthia Ingram, BS, RN, HN-BC, COHN-S, animal therapy coordinator, CTCA Chicago. She talked about how she pursued her dream to bring animal therapy to patients in her care center and how, together, her and her furry companion, Tori, touched the lives of many patients and caregivers and brought a little bit of joy to their day.

In this episode, we spoke to Chevon Rariy, MD, medical director of Endocrinology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Chicago, and the Telehealth Program director for the CTCA, about the impact of COVID-19 on telehealth programs, the creation of the in-home infusion program, and what these changes will look like for the nurses caring for these patients. 

After hearing about the difficulties a transgender man faced in receiving a cancer diagnosis, Kelly S. Haviland, PhD, FNP-BC, found her calling. In this episode, Haviland, nurse research scientist and family nurse practitioner at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, discusses how LGBTQ treatment has changed over the years, though there is still much more work to be done.    Read more: https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/two-part-questions-can-improve-cancer-care-in-lgbtq-patients

Music can help alleviate stress and bring something familiar into an unfamiliar medical procedure.    In this episode, we spoke with Laura Schandert, AGPCNP-BC, nurse practitioner at Duke University School of Nursing, about her recent experiment in using music to calm the nerves of patients with blood cancers undergoing bone marrow procedures.

  While some people face barriers to colorectal cancer screening, at-home fecal immunochemical tests (FIT) can help. For this episode, we heard from Diann Boyd, BSN, RN, OCN, a nurse navigator at the Penn Medicine Abramson Cancer Center. Boyd specializes in GI oncology and has a passion for ensuring that everyone completes the screening.    Boyd recently presented at the ONS Annual Congress about how to increase screening rates in Black and underserved communities. In doing so, the medical community has the opportunity to potentially catch cancers in earlier stages and improve patient outcomes.

It is well known that fear of recurrence is a major issue in the cancer community, but can genetic test results outlining risk impact those feelings?    For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Maurade Gormley, CPNP, RN, assistant professor and post-doctoral fellow at the NYU Rory Myers College of Nursing. Her recent research analyzed how Oncotype DX genomic test results may increase fear of recurrence in breast cancer survivors.

Provider communication is extremely important, especially when dealing with a pediatric cancer diagnosis. In this episode of “The Vitals,” Bryan A. Sisk, MD, MSCI, assistant professor of pediatric hematology and oncology at the Washington University School of Medicine discusses his recent research on communication barriers between healthcare providers and children with cancer and their families.  While some of these issues can be found in the broader cancer space, others – like how much information to give a 6-year-old versus a 16-year-old – align more with the intricacies of pediatrics. Sisk talks about this, and the improvements he hopes to see in this space in y...

Clinicians, patients, and caregivers alike all reported that they want cancer to be a communal experience – meaning that they feel that they are supported in the journey. However, certain factors can lead to feelings of isolation.    In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Jody Koenig Kellas, PhD, department chair and professor, interpersonal, family, and health communication at the University of Nebraska – Lincoln. Her research looked at the communal cancer experience, and gives clinicians direct tips on how they can reframe hope for patients and caregivers.

  When it comes to fighting clinician burnout and building resiliency, mindfulness matters. Loren Winters, MSN, ANP-BC, OCN, an oncology nurse practitioner at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Cancer Center and yoga instructor, discusses how oncology nurses can find the mindfulness practice that works for them, and offers simple tips to be more present every day.    Read more about our conversation with Winters: https://www.oncnursingnews.com/view/mindfulness-is-beneficial-to-patients-and-providers  

Younger age was associated with an increased instance of fear of cancer recurrence, while a pessimistic outlook was actually associated with a decrease, according to recent research led by Jacqueline Galica, PhD, RN, an assistant professor of nursing at Queen’s University.    In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Galica on her findings, and what role oncology nurses can play in helping survivors manage fear of recurrence.

Health care providers are facing an increasing amount of stress due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but there are certain factors that may make some people at a higher risk for distress than others. In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke to Fuschia Sirois, PhD, BSc, SFHEA, reader in social and health psychology at the University of Sheffield in the United Kingdom.    Sirois analyzed clinician stress not only during the COVID-19 pandemic, but during other infectious outbreaks as well. Her research noted which groups of clinicians had higher rates of poor mental health during the pandemic, as well as which factor...

A recent study found that 19% of patients with cancer engaged in nonmedical opioid use. In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with study author Sriram Yennu, MD, MS, FAAHPM, study author and professor in the department of palliative care and rehabilitation medicine at MD Anderson. Yennu outlined the risk factors that he and his team found for opioid misuse, as well as what nurses can do to promote safer opioid use.    The following factors were independently associated with nonmedical behavior: Marital status SOAPP score Morphine equivalent daily dose  Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale pain level   Read more: https://www.oncnursingnews.com/web...

As more health care providers and the general public get vaccinated against COVID-19, some people may be tempted to ease up on social distancing and mask-wearing efforts. However, people should continue to take appropriate precautions, especially if they have cancer or care for a loved one with cancer, explained Emily Beard, RN, OCN, CBCN, the program coordinator of breast cancer at Northside Cancer Institute in Atlanta, GA.    “It’s easy to want to go back to normal… it’s going to take some time before we really see the effects of this mass vaccination effort,” Beard said.   

As more health care providers and the general public get vaccinated against COVID-19, some people may be tempted to ease up on social distancing and mask-wearing efforts. However, people should continue to take appropriate precautions, especially if they have cancer or care for a loved one with cancer, explained Emily Beard, RN, OCN, CBCN, the program coordinator of breast cancer at Northside Cancer Institute in Atlanta, GA.    “It’s easy to want to go back to normal… it’s going to take some time before we really see the effects of this mass vaccination effort,” Beard said.

Oncology nurse practitioners are both competent and compassionate, and undergo rigorous academic and clinical training to earn the NP next to their name. However, many states still require them to work under the supervision of a physician. For this episode, we spoke with Sophia L. Thomas, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, PPCNP-BC, FNAP, FAANP, president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, about the importance of nurse practitioners, and why current regulatory models are outdated.

The World Health Organization deemed 2020 the Year of the Nurse and the Midwife. Theresa Brown, RN, deemed it the year of the nurse’s voice.    In this episode, we spoke with Brown, a nurse and best-selling author, about her recent online petition to have a nurse on president-elect Joe Biden’s COVID-19 task force. She said that now, more than ever, it is vital for nurses to have their voices heard.   

Patients who are LGBTQ and have cancer may be more prone to cancer and other health disparities. However, oncology nurses and their colleagues can make a major impact on the care that they receive. 

For this episode, we'll hear from Matthew B. Schabath, an associate member of the Moffitt Cancer Center, about steps clinicians can take to create a more welcoming cancer care environment.

A recent study led by Bethany J. Petronio-Coia, PhD, RN, a nurse educator at the Rhode Island College School of Nursing, discovered the characteristics of “approachable” nurses caring for school-aged children who were hospitalized for cancer. From compassionate listening to syringe water fights, they shared some creative ways that nurses have managed to make their care a bit less scary.    Read more: https://www.oncnursingnews.com/web-exclusives/a-smiling-nurse-makes-all-the-difference-in-pediatric-oncology  

The world of oncology is continuously changing, often making it difficult for oncology nurses – especially those who are just starting their career in the cancer setting – to keep up. So, Kellie Zeichner, RN, BSN, OCN, an oncology nurse at the Rutgers Cancer Institute of NJ, worked with an interdisciplinary team to create reference sheets containing key information about oncology drugs.    “When they were done with orientation, I didn’t want them to feel like they were alone,” Zeichner said in this interview with Oncology Nursing News.

Treatment for gynecologic cancer can negatively impact sexual health, yet many clinicians still feel uncomfortable about discussing these adverse events with their patients.    For this episode of “The Vitals,” we will hear from Christina Wilson, PhD, a doctoral student at the University of Utah. Wilson recently presented on sexual adverse events of gynecologic cancer at the 2020 ONS Bridge virtual conference. In this podcast, she gives tips on starting the conversation, and discusses some of the science that clinicians can fall back on to broach the subject.   

It is crucial that oncology nurses monitor for cardiac complications in their patients with hematologic malignancies. And when one is discovered, they must act.    In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Brenda Shelton, DNP, RN, APRN-CNS, CCRN, AOCN, a clinical nurse specialist at the Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. She discusses heart issues that can arise in patients with blood cancer, and what oncology nurses need to know. She gives a sneak peek of her upcoming presentation at the NCCN Virtual Annual Congress on Hematologic Malignancies and NCCN Virtual Nursing Forum, a free, online conference Octobe...

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has affected nursing school at both the graduate and undergraduate level. While online classes may be convenient, a lack of in-person and hands-on training is a clear downside for those learning the trade.    In this episode of “The Vitals,” Jann Budiman, BSN, RN, BMTCN, discusses her experiences with nursing education during the pandemic. Budiman is currently an oncology nurse at UCLA, and is pursuing her MSN/NP degree in acute care adult/gerontology. While higher education looks a bit different than what she expected, Budiman is optimistic that nurses will rise to the challenge – as they alw...

Immunotherapy has become a mainstay in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer, but more recently, it has moved into the small cell lung cancer space, too. In this episode of “The Vitals,” Beth Sandy, NP, a nurse practitioner at the University of Pennsylvania Abramson Cancer Center, discusses the immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that nurses need to be aware of when treating patients with these agents.    Sandy also discussed how some irAEs, such as difficulty breathing – which is more common in lung cancer than other tumor types – can be similar to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) symptoms. She offered advice on how to determi...

Educational costs in the United States continue to rise, and that could be leaving many nurses wondering if furthering their education is worth it. 

For this episode, we talk to Monica Mikheal, MSN, RN, a nurse at UCLA. Despite the debt, she continues to earn degrees. She'll talk about why this is important to her, as well as programs that can help nurses and other health care providers decrease their debt. 

For this episode, we'll talk to Rebecca Bank, BSN, RN, OCN, CHPN, a palliative care and advanced planning nurse at Sansum Clinic Ridley Tree Cancer Center, about how the COVID-19 pandemic is affective palliative care for patients with cancer. 

Cancer can already be an isolating time in someone's life, and with the added stress of social distancing, patients may feel even more alone. However, Bank offers nurses and other health care providers tips on providing that "personal touch" and letting patients know you care.