Michelle Bragazzi, BS, RN

Younger cancer survivors experience worse survival outcomes following a second primary cancer diagnosis than their older counterparts, according to a recent study.

Advanced practice nurses and oncology nurses can benefit from having a better understanding of recently approved immunotherapies and targeted agents, both in how they work and who should be receiving them.

While oncologic emergencies are common among cancer patients, they can often be avoided with close monitoring, early intervention, and ongoing patient education.

Understanding treatment-induced neurotoxicity can be difficult when treating patients with central nervous system (CNS) malignancies.

This session at ONS reviewed treatment options for CLL and the issues associated with bone marrow transplantation in eligible patients.

The topic of obesity and its effect on cancer risk and subsequent treatment was discussed in detail at this year's Oncology Nursing Society annual meeting in Orlando, Florida.

Patients with lung cancer are increasingly receiving targeted therapies that induce complete disease remissions, but they can also develop resistance to these drugs. New efforts are now underway to discover and develop new options for patients experiencing drug resistance.

New treatment options for melanoma continue to be developed, especially in the areas of immunotherapies and targeted agents. Oncology nurses need to be knowledgeable about the various therapies being used, indication for use, and the management of adverse events.

Oncolytic viruses are receiving more attention these days as a form of cancer treatment, and have shown promise in clinical trials. These viruses are thought not only to cause direct destruction of the tumor cells, but also to stimulate a patient's immune response.

According to a recent study, 89% of patients would be willing to use hypnosis to control side effects associated with cancer treatment. So, if patient are willing to try this, why are we not utilizing this kind of therapy more often? Myths associated with hypnosis are generally the reason.

Cancer patients who are of reproductive age (especially women) can be a challenge to treat when it comes to fertility, birth control during treatment, and treatment administration during pregnancy. And for women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy, safe treatment options need to be considered.

With the boom of technological advances and the increased use of social media come the potential ethical issues surrounding patient privacy and confidentiality.

Many of you have heard of stereotactic radiosurgery, but do you have an understanding of what this actually is, what kind of tumors are treated, and its associated side effects?