For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Christopher Zorn, clinic operations administrator of Winship Cancer Institute at Emory University, and Gianna Bayci, RN, of the University of Chicago Medicine, about how to foster a safe, yet festive, holiday environment in oncology clinics and floors.

The 2 experts discuss talking to patients about their approach to family gatherings, incorporating festive costumes into the oncology environment, and some favorite holiday memories from over the years.

“Flexibility and adaptability are key. Gathering around the holidays can [be] stressful during [the] best of times, and for those that are going through a cancer journey and are potentially immunocompromised, that stress is heightened even more...We advise our patients: ‘Do what you feel comfortable doing, you don’t have to force yourself to do anything extra, [and] it is okay to set up appropriate boundaries.’”

Podcasts

In this episode of “The Vitals,” 2 health care professionals discuss how to safely celebrate the holidays in oncology units. 

Merry and Bright: Bringing a Festive Air into the Oncology Space for the Holidays

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News spoke with Joe Contreras, MD, about 3 common myths patients have about palliative care. Dr. Contreras, chair of the Institute of Pain and Palliative Medicine, Hackensack Meridian Health, debunks these misconceptions by explaining how palliative care is a specialty, rather than a setting, of medicine, and that patients who receive this care while undergoing active treatment may achieve better outcomes.

For National Hospice and Palliative Care Awareness Month, Joe Contreras, MD, spoke to Oncology Nursing News® about some common misconceptions between the 2 and how oncology nurses can more effectively speak with their patients about palliative care. 

Debunking 3 Common Myths Patients with Cancer Have About Palliative Care

For this episode of “The Vitals,” Oncology Nursing News spoke with Gretchen McNally, APRN-CNP, and Kathy Burns, MS, APRN-CNS, AGCNS-BC, Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital and Richard J. Solove Research Institute, on the importance of being mindful about one’s implicit bias in the treatment of patients with cancer who have substance use disorders.

“It is not a ‘one and done kind of thing.” It is very important to implement these skills throughout the community. It's a practice. It's a behavioral change.”

Addressing Implicit Bias in Oncology Nursing

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Kristin Barber, FNP-BC, AOCNP, Huntsman Cancer Institute, about understanding the MAP kinase signaling pathway and some of the ongoing trials targeting these mutations in gastrointestinal oncology.

Barber discussed some of the ongoing phase 1 trials she is participating in and how she hopes the results of these trials could change patient outcomes following targeted treatment.

“Previously, this mutation has been undruggable, but this is now changing.”



Targeting KRAS Mutations in Gastrointestinal Oncology 

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Martin Dietrich, MD, PhD, an assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Central Florida, a fellow of the American College of Physicians, and a medical oncologist at Florida Cancer Specialists & Research Institute. Dietrich highlighted some recent advances and ongoing research in stage III non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and discussed some of the ways immunotherapy and targeted therapy has evolved in recent years.

“I think the biggest [change] that we’ve seen is the addition of adjuvant or consolidated chemotherapy following the completion of concurrent chemotherapy and radiation. We have seen the 4-year overall survival data now and the 5-year update from the PACIFIC study in the adjuvant setting, obviously confirming the initial signal that patients who have initiation of immunotherapy early carry a significant risk reduction for progression and overall survival…”

Expert Discusses Biggest Updates in NSCLC Treatment 

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Chastity Washington, MPH, CHES, Center for Cancer Health Equity, Ohio State University, about how the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated preexisting disparities in cancer care. Chastity spoke to our team about the direct and indirect impacts of COVID 19 on disadvantaged communities, vaccine hesitancy amongst those communities, and more.


“We’ve had periods of time where things were shut down. We do have telemedicine, that was expanded, but telemedicine doesn’t work for everyone. If you don’t have internet access, if you don’t have the ability to understand the technology….”


COVID-19 Pandemic Emphasizes Disparities in Cancer Care

For this episode, we spoke with Eloise Theisen, RN, MSN, AGPCNP-BC, current president of the American Cannabis Nurses Association (ACNA). She spoke to us about some the benefits and applications of medical cannabis for patients with cancer, some of the challenges and interesting updates in medical cannabis research, and how nurses can talk to their patients about cannabis, as well as monitor their patients for potential cannabis-related adverse events.

Over half of the states in the United States have legalized medical cannabis. What does that mean for nurses who care for patients with cancer?

Navigating Medical Cannabis in Cancer Care

For this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Cynthia Ingram, BS, RN, HN-BC, COHN-S, animal therapy coordinator, CTCA Chicago. She talked about how she pursued her dream to bring animal therapy to patients in her care center and how, together, her and her furry companion, Tori, touched the lives of many patients and caregivers and brought a little bit of joy to their day.

“Animal-assisted therapy has been shown to reduce stress, improve energy levels, and decrease perceived pain and anxiety.”

Pet Therapy Positively Impacts Patients and Caregivers of Cancer

In this episode of “The Vitals,” we spoke with Kate Esselen, MD, Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, about patients with gynecologic cancer who don’t comply with prescribed treatment in response to financial distress or toxicity.

Dr. Esselen is the corresponding author on the study, titled “Evaluating Meaningful Levels of Financial Toxicity in Gynecologic Cancers,” which was published in the International Journal of Gynecologic Cancer. The data found that nearly half of patients with gynecologic cancer experienced some degree of financial distress and that patients with severe financial toxicity were significantly more likely to engage in behavioral cost-coping by medication non-compliance (adjusted risk ratio, 4.6; 95% CI, 1.2-18.1).


“[Drug adherence] seems like a problem we could potentially solve or, at least, make much better, and we are not really doing enough right now to do that.”


Addressing Medication Non-Compliance and Financial Toxicity in Patients with Gynecologic Cancer

In this episode, we spoke to Chevon Rariy, MD, medical director of Endocrinology at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA) Chicago, and the Telehealth Program director for the CTCA, about the impact of COVID-19 on telehealth programs, the creation of the in-home infusion program, and what these changes will look like for the nurses caring for these patients.