Oncology nurses are crucial in the management of cancer symptoms and treatment-related adverse events, explained Hope S. Rugo, the director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at the University of California San Francisco Comprehensive Cancer Center. 

Nurses work hand-in-hand with doctors, and by staying in touch with patients, they offer them a "lifeline for management," Rugo said, citing that a recent study even found that the upfront management of symptoms can lead to better outcomes.

Videos

Oncology nurses are crucial in the management of cancer symptoms and treatment-related adverse events.

Oncology Nurses Are a 'Lifeline for Management' in Cancer Care

Hope S. Rugo, MD, professor of Medicine and director of breast oncology and clinical trials education at the UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses DigniCap, a scalp cooling device to prevent chemotherapy-induced hair loss.

Since the approval of DigniCap last December, Rugo says that there has been progress on both the national and worldwide levels, such as the establishment of an international organization that will collaborate on scalp cooling. In the United States, there has been an increase in awareness and uptake of the cooling cap, as well as the creation of another organization providing financial assistance to patients who may not be able to cover the cost of DigniCap.

Hope S. Rugo on the Approval of the Cooling Cap

Hope S. Rugo, MD, director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education, UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center, discusses the DigniCap cooling system to reduce the severity and frequency of hair loss in patients receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer.

The system became the nation's first FDA-approved cooling cap in December 2015.

Rugo and fellow researchers initially partnered with the manufacturer, Dignitana, to test the device on 20 patients with stage I breast cancer. The study found that the caps were effective and well-tolerated.

Rugo then conducted a pivotal trial with more than 100 patients from five different institutions who had stage I/II breast cancer. The results showed that nearly 70% of the women lost less than half of their hair.

Hope S. Rugo, MD

Articles

Oncology Nurses Are a 'Lifeline for Management' in Cancer Care

Hope S. Rugo on the Approval of the Cooling Cap

Hope S. Rugo on Scalp Cooling Cap for Hair Loss