Effectively treating a cancer diagnosis requires an immense amount of collaboration. Clinicians are equipped with the clinical knowledge to provide the best care possible, and sharing that crucial information with each other and patients is essential for optimal patient outcomes. 

On May 28, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to sotorasib (Lumakras™), a RAS GTPase family inhibitor, for adult patients with KRAS G12Cmutated locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), as determined by an FDA approved test, who have received at least one prior systemic therapy.

On May 27, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved piflufolastat F 18 (Pylarify^®), a drug for positron-emission tomography (PET) imaging of prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)-positive lesions in patients with prostate cancer.

Oncology nursing is an immensely rewarding calling, but the emotional burdens and stressors can feel overwhelming. Office politics, career changes, and providing end-of-life care are difficult to navigate alone, but partnering with mentors helps nurses work through challenges and grow as leaders. As I look back on my career accomplishments, I can’t deny the influence from several mentors sprinkled throughout that trajectory. Each one gifted me with the insight to develop specific skills that enhanced my practice.

ONS released ONS On-Demand™, a new distribution platform that provides an efficient solution to deliver ONS evidence-based education to institutions and healthcare networks. The tool gives administrators the ability to assign courses to staff and offers reporting on course completion activity. The product supports nursing continuing professional development reporting requirements for accreditation programs and staff continuous professional development.

Using positron-emission tomography with a radioactive tracer identifies levels of progesterone receptor in patients with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer, researchers reported in Nature Communications. The diagnostic tool would help clinicians determine which patients are most likely to respond to hormone therapies for breast cancer.

Clinicians are already seeing an increase in late-stage cancer diagnoses that they attribute to the pandemic-driven pause in cancer screening and treatment adherence, according to the results of a survey from the American Society for Radiation Oncology.

On February 12, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved trilaciclib (Cosela^TM), a parenteral inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase, to prevent myelosuppression when administered prior to chemotherapy administration. The approval is currently limited to the use of trilaciclib before treatment with platinum- and etoposide-containing regimens and topotecan-containing regimens for treatment of extensive-stage small cell lung cancer.

Dedication to their patients and each other and an innate passion unrivaled by most other professions are two of the reasons why oncology nurses make great leaders—I know that from my daily work with colleagues both near and far as well as my experience as part of ONS’s Leadership Development Committee. 

On May 21, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) granted accelerated approval to amivantamab-vmjw (Rybrevant™), a bispecific antibody directed against epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and MET receptor, for adult patients with locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with EGFR exon 20 insertion mutations, as detected by an FDA-approved test, whose disease has progressed on or after platinum-based chemotherapy. FDA also approved the Guardant360^® CDx as a companion diagnostic.