SAN FRANCISCO—One of the most perplexing issues for healthcare providers caring for breast cancer patients is the management of hot flashes, both natural and induced by treatment, because estrogen replacement therapy is not considered wise.
STOCKHOLM—Oncology nurses can take simple measures to help patients manage incontinence related to surgery for rectal cancer.
Restoration of intestinal continuity and preservation of the anal sphincter is now done via an ultralow anterior resection, but this can leave patients with functional problems that need attention, said Claire Taylor, RN, a lecturer at the Burdett Institute of Gastrointestinal Nursing at St. Mark’s Hospital in London.
STOCKHOLM—After radiation to the pelvic area, gastrointestinal symptoms are common and can be severe. Jervoise Andreyev, MD, consultant gastroenterologist in pelvic radiation disease at the Royal Marsden Hospital in the United Kingdom, maintained that such patients are not given the attention they deserve, leading to unnecessary suffering.
Many cancer survivors who thought they were fertile now may be finding that is not the case. New research is suggesting that current estimates of the impact of chemotherapy on women’s reproductive health are too low.
Researchers at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) say their analysis of the age-specific, longterm effects of chemotherapy provides new insights that will help patients and clinicians make more informed decisions about future reproductive options, such as egg harvesting (Cancer. September 1, 2011. Epub ahead of print).
Almost 1 of 5 oncology nurses is unintentionally exposed to chemotherapy agents, according to an article published online August 16 in BMJ (British Medical Journal) Quality & Safety.
Many oncology nurses may be wearing uniforms that contain harmful bacteria, including drug-resistant organisms. A new study has found that more than 60% of hospital staff’s uniforms are colonized with potentially pathogenic bacteria. The study, which was published in the September issue of the American Journal of Infection Control (Wiener-Well Y, et al. 2011;39:555-559), suggests that physicians and nurses may be transferring pathogens that could cause clinically relevant infection.
For antiemetic prophylaxis, a model of shared cost-savings using incentives such as cash rebates might reduce the high cost of some pharmaceuticals while maintaining patient access to optimal care, according to oncologists from Michigan.
CHICAGO—Treatments for multiple myeloma have advanced rapidly over the past 15 years as research has fostered an improved understanding of the mechanisms of the disease. These discoveries have been translated into effective drugs, most notably bortezomib, thalidomide, and lenalidomide.
Thanks to medical research, there are nearly 12 million cancer survivors living in the United States today. And the research continues: There are approximately 400 new cancer therapies in preclinical and clinical development. As progress continues to treat those with cancer, let’s examine the statistics related to clinical trial participation.
From 1996 through 2002, National Cancer Institute (NCI)-sponsored cooperative group nonsurgical treatment trials for breast, colorectal, lung, and prostate cancers enrolled 75,215 patients:
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