In a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL) shared harsh criticism for the agency’s lack of attention to the youth smoking epidemic. His letter from May 29, 2019, detailed efforts that the agency could be taking to curb the rise in youth tobacco use. The smoking cessation community, of which ONS is a palpable member, has sided with Durbin on the importance of continued FDA oversight on e-cigarettes and the vaping industry’s kid-friendly, fun-flavored tobacco products.

On Sunday, April 14, 2019, the ONS Board of Directors held a face-to-face meeting at the end of a highly successful ONS 44th Annual Congress in Anaheim, CA. New directors took office and new plans unfolded for fostering nurse leaders and supporting ONS chapters.

In May 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) added new clarifications to its risk evaluation and mitigation strategy and black box warnings for blinatumomab (Blincyto^®). Blinatumomab is a bispecific, CD19-directed CD3 T-cell engager indicated for the treatment of adults and children with (a) B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in first or second complete remission with minimal residual disease greater than or equal to 0.1% or (b) relapsed or refractory B-cell precursor ALL.

On May 28, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved lenalidomide (Revlimid^®) in combination with a rituximab product for previously treated follicular lymphoma and previously treated marginal zone lymphoma.

Professional development needs of oncology nurse navigators (ONNs) have not been clearly identified, both for novice and more experienced navigators. Although some work has begun to define training for novice ONNs, most information about education for experienced ONNs comes from evaluation data and anecdotal reports.    

On May 24, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved alpelisib (Piqray®) in combination with fulvestrant for postmenopausal women, and men, with hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative, PIK3CA-mutated, advanced or metastatic breast cancer as detected by an FDA-approved test following progression on or after an endocrine-based regimen.

Oncology nursing is a rewarding profession that offers nurses opportunities to build meaningful relationships with patients and families, manage complex patient situations, and provide compassionate care during a scary time in someone’s life. But what makes oncology nursing so special can also make nurses more vulnerable to occupational stress, which can lead to compassion fatigue or burnout.   

On May 24, 2019, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved ruxolitinib (Jakafi®) for steroid-refractory acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) in adult and pediatric patients 12 years and older.

Because of limited preliminary evidence that the use of robotic-assisted surgical devices for treatment or prevention of women’s cancers may be associated with diminished long-term survival, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a reminder warning to healthcare providers and the public in February 2019 that the technique has not been FDA approved for this purpose.

Medicare Part D will continue to give patients access to certain cancer drugs, according Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS’s) final ruling issued May 16, 2019. The final rule does not allow for utilization controls like step therapy and prior authorizations for patients who are already in an established treatment regimen; does not restrict drugs that have had certain price increases over a specified time period; and does not restrict new formulations of an existing protected class drug.