For patients with extensive-stage small cell lung cancer (SCLC), cytotoxic chemotherapy remains a mainstay of treatment. However, myelosuppressive hematologic adverse events such as anemia, neutropenia, and thrombocytopenia pose a significant challenge to care. In a study recently presented at the 63rd American Society of Hematology (ASH) Annual Meeting & Exposition in Atlanta, Georgia, a team of researchers led by Dr. Jerome Goldschmidt, medical oncologist at Blue Ridge Cancer Care and the ...

Oncology Data Advisor™ · New Insights Into Preventing and Managing Chemotherapy-Induced Neutropenia Chemotherapy-induced neutropenia (CIN) is a potentially life-threatening toxicity of chemotherapy that has been recognized as a major risk factor for the development of infections in patients with cancer (NCCN, 2021). The severity and duration of neutropenia place patients at higher risk of developing febrile neutropenia (FN) and experiencing dose reductions or delays that may comprom...

Keira Smith: Hi. I'm Keira Smith from Oncology Data Advisor. I'm here today with Allison Imahiyerobo. Allison Imahiyerobo: Hi Keira, my name is Alli Imahiyerobo. I'm a nurse practitioner, and I practice at Hematology Oncology Physicians of Englewood in New Jersey. I focus on both benign and malignant hematology. Keira Smith: What are some of the most challenging aspects of treating patients with immune thrombocytopenia, or ITP? Allison Imahiyerobo: I think that it's really twofold. The first cha...

With the opioid crisis claiming so many lives, physicians need to be especially careful prescribing these drugs. However, for many patients with cancer who are in a lot of pain, opioids can be a necessary part of treatment. So how can physicians determine predictors and frequency of opioid abuse in this population? A study now published in JAMA Oncology found that marital status, higher levels of pain, high scores on the Screener and Opioid Assessment for Patients with Pain (SOAPP), and morphine...

Patients aged 75 years and older face an increased risk of mortality and postoperative events when undergoing surgical treatment for cancer. In a study recently published in JAMA Network Open, a research team led by first author Armin Shahrokni, MD, MPH, found that patients whose care was managed by both the surgical and geriatric teams experienced significantly better outcomes compared with those whose care was provided by the surgical team alone. In this interview with i3 Health, Dr. Shahrokni...

In older patients with cancer undergoing surgical treatment, collaboration between surgical and geriatric teams significantly decreases 90-day postoperative mortality. Patients aged 75 years and older face unique challenges when undergoing cancer-related surgery, including an increased risk of adverse postoperative events, a heightened risk of delirium, difficulties in recovering mobility and functional activity, and the need for appropriate care after hospital discharge. However, collaboration ...

The stress of having cancer and the physical and financial toll of treatment can be difficult for patients, even under normal circumstances. During the COVID-19 pandemic, patients face additional stressors, including not only the fear of mortality from COVID-19 but also the emotional impact of isolation. This sense of isolation can be present even in patients' cancer care, as many appointments take place through videoconferencing and telephone calls; even when in-person appointmen...

Patients with cancer are at increased risk of infection with severe adult respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, according to a medical records review of patients with cancer at a hospital in Wuhan, China. "Patients with cancer from the epicenter of a viral epidemic harbored a higher risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection… compared with the community. However, fewer than half of these infected patients were undergoing active treatment for their cancers," note the investiga...

For oncology nurses, certification has a significant impact on career advancement and quality care. Since oncology is a rapidly changing field, up-to-date study materials are therefore crucial. To this end, Oncology Nursing Review, Sixth Edition, has just been published. This new edition is an essential guide for oncology nurses studying for the Oncology Certified Nurse (OCN®) exam offered by the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC). Coauthor Barbara Holmes Gobel, MS, RN, AOCN®, FAA...

A recent study published in the Journal of Supportive Care in Cancer reported that the long-term financial burden of breast cancer can be exacerbated by lymphedema, a type of swelling that occurs due to the accumulation of lymphatic fluid after lymph node damage or removal as a part of cancer treatment. The researchers surveyed 129 breast cancer survivors in New Jersey and Pennsylvania regarding cancer treatment factors, insurance, comorbid conditions, and economically burdensome events since ca...

Up to 90% of patients undergoing radiation therapy for cancer experience radiation dermatitis. While the symptoms are mild or moderate for many patients, some experience severe dermatitis that can cause not only substantial discomfort but also infection. Treatment involves topical ointments, but patients are often advised to avoid these ointments for several hours before daily radiotherapy because of concern that they might increase the radiation dose to the skin. In a recent study, researchers ...

Acupuncture and acupressure for cancer pain are associated with decreased pain and reduced use of analgesics, according to a meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials now published in JAMA Oncology. Over 70% of patients with cancer experience pain. For almost half of these patients, that pain is not sufficiently controlled. Pharmacologic interventions can provide effective pain relief, but they can have adverse effects, and the use of opioids poses a substantial risk of addiction. In light of ...

The field known as integrative oncology involves a combination of conventional antitumor therapies and complementary therapies used to enhance wellness, improve quality of life, and relieve disease symptoms and treatment side effects. A study published this week in The Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that integrative oncology facilitated adherence to conventional cancer treatment and reduced treatment-related adverse effects. The study, by Elio Rossi, MD and colleagues at...

The incidence of suicide among patients with cancer in the United States is twice that of the general population. Studies demonstrate that demoralization, defined as lowered morale and perceived incapacity to cope, is strongly and independently related to suicidal ideation among cancer patients. Nancy Gilbert, MSN, RN, OCN and colleagues performed a retrospective analysis to determine the prevalence of suicidal ideation in cancer patients. Ms. Gilbert, nurse manager in the Psychiatric Oncology C...

Chemotherapy is a life-saving treatment for many patients with cancer. However, it can also leave patients with lasting neurological deficits through a condition commonly known as "chemo brain." "It's wonderful that they're alive, but their quality of life is really suffering," commented Erin Gibson, PhD, a postdoctoral researcher at the Stanford University School of Medicine. "If we can do anything to improve that, there is a huge population that could benefit." In a study published in Cell, Dr...

For survivors of breast cancer, lifestyle behaviors can have a significant impact on disease outcome. It is known that factors such as poor diet and lack of exercise can change tumor-associated biological pathways in ways that increase the risk of cancer's growth or recurrence. However, exactly how these biological pathways are affected by lifestyle factors has until now been unclear. To answer this question, researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina investigated the association be...

A new study by researchers at Penn State College of Medicine has found that the suicide risk for patients with cancer is four times that of the general population. "Even though cancer is one of the leading causes of death in the United States, most cancer patients do not die from cancer; the patients usually die of another cause," commented Nicholas Zaorsky, MD, a radiation oncologist at Penn State Cancer Institute and first author of the study, which was published in Nature Communications. "The...

​After a cancer diagnosis, nearly half of patients who smoke continue to do so, even though continued smoking can negatively impact the outcome of their disease. A team of researchers from Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and the University of Pennsylvania's Abramson Cancer Center has found that lengthening patients' use of an anti-smoking medication can lead to better smoking cessation outcomes for those who adhere to the treatment. "With the stress cancer patients are unde...

​A team of Canadian researchers has found that apixaban reduces the occurrence of venous thromboembolism in cancer patients who are starting chemotherapy and are at intermediate to high risk for this condition. A blood clot that forms in the veins, venous thromboembolism is the third most common vascular condition after heart attack and stroke, affecting between 300,000 and 600,000 individuals in the United States each year. Patients with active cancer are at increased risk, with a 9.6% chance o...