Our understanding of cancer has come a great ways over the past few decades, and some of the progress can be traced back to the 1950’s film Challenge: Science Against Cancer, explained David Cantor, PhD, researcher at the Instituto de Desarrollo Económico y Social, Buenos Aires Argentina, adjunct professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Maryland, College Park, in a July 2022 essay for the National Library of Medicine.
An eight-week online symptom self-management program, which can be facilitated by a nurse, significantly improves symptom burden, sense of control, and quality of life among patients with ovarian cancer. Researchers reported the evidence in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
Patterns of sugars at the surface of immune cells can affect a person’s vulnerability to HIV infection, according to results from a study funded by the National Institutes of Health. The findings suggested it may be possible to locate infected immune cells with the last vestiges of HIV by reading sugar profiles on the surface, Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, NIH acting director, said in a July 2022 blog post.
Sexual dysfunction is one of the most common side effects of cancer treatment, yet oncology professionals often under address patients’ sexuality and sexual dysfunction concerns. Providers cite lack of time, training, and resources as barriers to initiating important discussions about sexual side effects, and studies show that patients’ age and prognosis are additional hindering factors.
Patients have long lauded nurses’ essential role on their care team—and in an August 2022 podcast episode, healthcare agency leaders did too. Shannon Zenk, PhD, MPH, RN, FAAN, National Institute of Nursing Research director, described nurses as important members of care teams during a short conversation with Griffin Rodgers, MD, MACP, National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease director.
On October 13, 2022, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration reported Exela Pharma Sciences, LLC’s, voluntary recall of 49 lots of sodium bicarbonate injection, USP, 8.4%, 50 mEq/50 ml vial, 20-count carton, to the consumer level because of potential vial breakage and flying glass when pressurized while preparing for administration.
Cancer-related pain, whether from the disease or its treatments, is a distressing symptom that persists through survivorship. Pain diminishes patients’ quality of life and negatively affects their cancer-related outcomes.
Biologic agents or chemotherapies can trigger hypersensitivity reactions, which occur when a patient’s immune system identifies an agent as an antigen and initiates a complex reaction involving sensitization of T lymphocytes and macrophages, production of antibodies, and release of histamine. Developing and implementing a hypersensitivity kit containing all necessary medications and associated protocols allows nurses to immediately implement management when reactions occur.
Nurses’ consistent and correct use of genomics terminology is critical to reduce confusion and provide safe genomics care to patients and their families, especially when explaining the meaning of genomic tests or findings.
Caregivers spend an average of 30 hours per week caring for patients with metastatic prostate cancer, researchers reported in study findings published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.