News

The mortality rate with COVID-19 appears to be higher in patients with cancer—especially those with lung cancer—compared with the general population, according to updated data released from several registries reported during the AACR Virtual Meeting on COVID-19 and Cancer, and several factors associated with mortality are beginning to emerge.

To date, no FDA-approved options are available for patients under the age of 12 with SR-aGVHD in the United States, underscoring a great unmet need.

The FDA has granted a fast track designation for the PKCβ inhibitor enzastaurin for the treatment of patients with newly diagnosed glioblastoma.

Treatment with immune checkpoint inhibitors did not increase the risk of mortality in patients with COVID-19 and cancer.

The situation with the coronavirus-19 pandemic continues to rapidly evolve, but one thing is clear: this is much more than just the common cold.

Strides in public health “shouldn’t carry passports,” NCCN CEO Robert W. Carlson, MD, said.

A grateful patient explains why she loves the nurses who take care of their patients every single day.

The FDA has accepted a supplemental new drug application (sNDA) seeking approval for selinexor (Xpovio) for the treatment of patients with multiple myeloma following at least 1 previous line of therapy.

I love introducing new nurses to the joy of oncology nursing. The process is gratifying, stressful, and brings much happiness and meaning to my work. However, this year is difficult for everyone including the new nurses, preceptors, and educators.

Lurbinectedin (Zepzelca) was added to the Clinical Practice Guidelines in Oncology by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) on July 7, 2020 for the treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC), according to a press release from Jazz Pharmaceuticals.

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is undergoing chemotherapy treatment for a cancer recurrence.

Heather Han, MD, discusses ongoing clinical trials within the field of HER2-positive breast cancer and the future of personalized treatment for this patient population.

Veterans with newly diagnosed lung cancer who had mental health disorders tended to have better cancer outcomes if they participated in mental health treatment.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, many elective surgical procedures had been cancelled or rescheduled to maximize hospital capacity and prevent unnecessary exposure for patients, but surgical delays might lead to worse outcomes for certain patients with gastrointestinal cancers.

Treatment with the BTK inhibitor acalabrutinib resulted in decreased inflammation and improve outcomes in patients with severe COVID-19.

The FDA’s Oncologic Drugs Advisory Committee (ODAC) voted 12 to 0 in favor of approving belantamab mafodotin for the treatment of patients with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma who have previously received at least 4 prior therapies, including an immunomodulatory drug, a proteasome inhibitor, and a CD38-directed antibody.

Pap and HPV testing can decrease cervical cancer risk, but testing intervals seem to be sporadic for patients.

Only a small percentage of patients with kidney cancer who are considered to be particularly vulnerable to COVID-19 have actually been tested for infection.

The FDA recently released guidelines expanding clinical trial eligibility for investigational cancer drugs for pediatric patients.

During his presentation, Michael A. Postow, MD, briefly reviewed the latest updates with immunotherapy and other targeted treatments in melanoma reported during the 2020 ASCO Virtual Scientific Program.

Efbemalenograstim alpha (F-627) has demonstrated strong and lasting benefit when used as a treatment for chemotherapy-induced neutropenia in patients with breast cancer, meeting the primary and secondary end points of a phase 3 study.

The FDA has granted priority review to a new supplemental biologics license application for pembrolizumab monotherapy as a treatment for adult patients with relapsed/refractory classical Hodgkin lymphoma.

We want to hear from nurses about your comfort in having end-of-life discussions.

Each Friday, Oncology Nursing News poses a question on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram and invites readers to share their thoughts and experiences with each other. Here’s what readers had to say about the thoughtful comments of their patients, and how their job has changed their outlook on life.

Dexamethasone, a corticosteroid traditionally used in cancer treatment, may be beneficial in treating patients with the novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19).

Liquid biopsy with circulating tumor DNA could help alleviate some of the challenges of tissue biopsy in prostate cancer, and in doing so, lead to a better precision medicine model in the field.

The FDA has issued a clinical hold on the phase 1 MELANI-01 trial evaluating the CAR T-cell product UCARTCS1A in the treatment of patient with relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma, according to Cellectis, the manufacturer of the product.

The drug combination can be taken orally, at home.