In patients with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer, treatment with fulvestrant (Faslodex) demonstrated superiority over anastrozole (Arimidex) in achieving extended progression-free survival, according to a recent press release from AstraZeneca.
For protection against breast cancer recurrence, results from one recently reported study can best be described as “good news, bad news.”
Oncology nurses are portrayed as the compassionate, dedicated heroes they truly are in a short documentary-style film, Heroic Hearts: To Be an Oncology Nurse, the Movie, which premiered at the Oncology Nursing Society 41st Annual Congress.
A review of the incidence and management of hypersensitivity reactions to oxaliplatin revealed that many patients are unnecessarily taken off this important drug. Most reactions are mild, and most patients can be successfully rechallenged with the drug, according to a study presented at the 2016 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium by Kelly Markey, PharmD, of Moffitt Cancer Center, Tampa, FL.
For the treatment of radiodermatitis, a skin product containing calendula (a type of marigold) resulted in faster healing than Aquaphor plus aloe vera gel, according to interim results of a comparative study presented as a poster at the Oncology Nursing Society 41st Annual Congress.
Multivitamin supplement use was associated with a reduction in symptoms of chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy (CIPN) in a subanalysis of the SWOG S0221 trial. Patients who were using multivitamins before chemotherapy had 40% less neuropathy, and those using them during or after treatment had a 23% reduced risk.
BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations have been shown to confer an increased risk for ovarian, fallopian tube, and primary perineal cancer. As a result, guidelines recommend bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy (BSO) upon completion of child bearing, and preferably between the ages of 35 and 40 years as a risk-reducing option. However, what has been less clear is the association of uterine cancer with BRCA. The data have been conflicting: some studies have suggested a slight increased risk, but others have not. Therefore, hysterectomy has not been included in national medical management guidelines.
Lymphomas, cancers that begin in lymphatic cells of the immune system, can be divided into 2 main categories: Hodgkin lymphoma and non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). Hodgkin lymphoma is a fairly homogeneous disease characterized by the presence of Reed-Sternberg cells. Hodgkin lymphoma is far less common than NHL—approximately 8000 new Hodgkin lymphoma cases are diagnosed in the United States annually compared with over 70,000 new cases of NHL; more than 60 types of lymphoma are included in the NHL category.1 Presented below are a few facts about various forms of lymphoma.
The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA spoke with Susan Sheehan, RN, MS, OCN, Nurse Manager, Reno Center for Cancer Care at Winchester Hospital, about the fatigue management program, the “pre-hab” (or prerehab) program, and her role at the center.
To sign up for our newsletter or print publications, please enter your contact information below.