Expert Interviews

With minimally invasive procedures to test lung cancer tumors, there often isn't enough tissue to undergo a full biomarker test, pointing toward the strength of liquid biopsies, explained Lynette M. Sholl, MD, chief of thoracic pathology at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and associate professor at Harvard Medical School.

Radiation therapy is key in treating patients with small cell and non-small cell lung cancer, explained Terence T. Sio, MD, MS, radiation oncologist and assistant professor of radiation oncology at the Mayo Clinic.

There are multiple factors in making "cold" breast cancer tumors "hot," meaning that they respond to chemotherapy, explained Hope S. Rugo, MD, FASCO, director of Breast Oncology and Clinical Trials Education at the University of California San Francisco (UCSF) Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center.

There are many issues that women can face after undergoing treatment for gynecologic cancers.

An oncologist discusses the scary unknowns of COVID-19.

Oncology nurses made it a point to get to know Barbara Bigelow, a breast cancer survivor, while she was getting treatment. To her, that made a big difference.

Aditya Bardia, MD, MPH, attending physician at Massachusetts General Hospital and assistant professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, discusses COVID-19 (Coronavirus) risk in patients with cancer and the elderly.

Some patients with breast cancer might be apprehensive to undergo genetic testing, but it is crucial both for them and their family members. Lauren Carcas, MD, medical oncologist at the Miami Cancer Institute, discusses some main points nurses can make to these patients to encourage them to get tested.

Some metastatic breast cancer data is not available. And some patients choose not to know it.

Electronic medical records (EMRs) are crucial for nurses to track adverse events and other important information for patients undergoing CAR T-cell therapy, explained Andrea Price, APN, associate director for clinical research at Washington University School of Medicine.

There are concerns when a patient undergoes a cytoreductive nephrectomy after immunotherapy or targeted therapy that nurses should be aware of.

Nurses are key when it comes to treating patients with prostate cancer who are being given radium-223.

The results of genetic testing could change a patient's treatment regimen.

Cell-free DNA could be the next big breakthrough in detecting gastrointestinal cancers, according to Brian M. Wolpin, MD, MPH, director of the Gastrointestinal Cancer Center, and director of the Hale Family Center for Pancreatic Cancer Research at Dana-Farber Cancer.

There are socioeconomic and ethnic disparities in young adults who receive a diagnosis of colorectal and gastric cancers, according to Amir Khan, MD, from City of Hope.

The FDA's recent approval of olaparib for BRCA-positive pancreatic cancer is improving outcomes for many patients.

Supplements are well-tolerated (and can be beneficial) to patients with advanced pancreatic cancer, according to a small study.

Combining ovarian suppression and an aromatase inhibitor is an efficacious treatment method for premenopausal women with breast cancer. However, the regimen (which is given long-term) can cause some major adverse events, explained Dawn L. Hershman, MD, MS, professor of medicine and epidemiology at the Columbia University Irving Medical Center.

Do a head-to-toe scan when discussing adverse events for melanoma treatment, says a nurse practitioner.

The future of melanoma treatment will include many combinations, explained Mario Sznol, MD, professor of medicine and co-leader of cancer immunology at the Yale Cancer Center.

Frequent communication between patients and providers is key in getting ahead of adverse events that can occur during breast cancer treatment, explained Madeline Kuiper, MSN, RN, OCN, an oncology nurse practitioner at UCLA.

While the regimen was overall well tolerated, there are some adverse events for nurses to look out for.

There are 3 major immunothearpy agents in the melanoma space. Hear one expert talk about them.

Myeloma therapies continue to improve, and maybe one day there will be a cure, says one expert.

Minimal residual disease status could cause patients undue stress.

It is important that nurses talk with their patients about what kind of adverse events to expect while being treated for HER2-positive breast cancer.