From the Editor

TON March 2016 Vol 9 No 2
Beth Faiman, PhD, APRN-BC, AOCN
Founding Editor in Chief

In the March issue of The Oncology Nurse-APN/PA, we feature a profile of Anne Katz, PhD, RN, FAAN, certified Sex Counselor at CancerCare Manitoba and Clinical Nurse Specialist at the Manitoba Prostate Centre in Canada, who counsels patients with cancer about sexuality. “I encourage them to bring up the subject of sexuality as a consequence of cancer therapy,” Dr Katz shares. “Just listening to patients can provide much-needed validation and make them feel less isolated.”

We also provide highlights from notable studies that were presented at the recent American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition, the American Society for Radiation Oncology Annual Meeting, and the San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium. One particular study, comparing quality of life in 1193 postmenopausal women with ductal carcinoma in situ treated with tamoxifen versus anastrozole, found significant differences in adverse effect profiles. Tamoxifen significantly increased the severity of vasomotor, bladder control, and gynecologic symptoms compared with anastrozole, and patients treated with anastrozole had considerably increased severity of musculoskeletal and vaginal symptoms compared with those receiving tamoxifen.

In addition to conference news, we provide valuable insight from recent studies pertaining to prostate cancer, including research into how aspirin can reduce risk of prostate cancer death, and active holistic surveillance can reduce—and potentially avoid—biopsies in certain men with low-risk and low-intermediate−risk prostate cancer . On the subject of survivorship, we learn about the integral role nurse navigators have played in bridging the gap between pediatric and adult care in patients with cancer at Children’s Mercy Hospital and the University of Kansas Cancer Center, who have collaborated to develop the Survivorship Transition Clinic.

In this issue’s reader poll, we ask you whether you maintain communication and continuity of care with your pediatric patients with cancer as they transition to adult care settings. Please visit our website, The OncologyNurse.com, and let us know whether this is what you have observed in your everyday practice. You can also send comments to info@TheOncologyNurse.com. We hope you enjoy this issue, and sincerely look forward to receiving your feedback.

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