Top 5 Articles for Oncology Nurses and APPs in 2025

From clinical updates across cancer types to breakthroughs in supportive care, the year 2025 was filled with insights by and for oncology nurses and advanced practice providers (APPs).

Here are the top articles reported by Oncology Nursing News in 2025.

5. Patient-Centered Communication Drives Supportive Care Needs in Incurable Cancer

According to results of a pilot study presented at the 50th Annual ONS Congress, the Primary Palliative Care Communication Intervention (PRECURSOR) may improve the psychosocial experiences of patients with incurable gynecologic cancer and their caregivers in the outpatient setting.

Overall acceptability (defined by at least 80% of participants responding that they “agree or completely agree” with each item) was 70% among patients and 78% among caregivers. As acceptability pertained to the free listing exercise and its handouts, patients rated this at 70% for both, while caregivers reported 89% and 78%, respectively.

4. Rx Road Map: Subcutaneous Daratumumab in Multiple Myeloma

Sylwia Zielinska, RN, of Vanderbilt University Medical Center, gives a nurse’s perspective on the use of subcutaneous daratumumab(Darzalex Faspro) to treat patients with multiple myeloma. The guide gives practical advice on how to administer a subcutaneous drug, key data from the drug’s approval, its mechanism of action, and its recommended dose.

Further, Zielinska walks through safety signals to be aware of and how to educate patients prior to treatment. For more expert insights on administering subcutaneous daratumumab in multiple myeloma, check out the full video series with advice from oncology nurses and APPs.

3. Opinion: Targeted Therapy Plus Immunotherapy Is Promising for ATC

Amanda Brink, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, writes about a combination treatment for patients with anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) without BRAF V6000E mutations, a disease associated with poor survival, especially in those lacking this mutation, for whom no treatments are yet FDA approved.

Depending on patient’s mutations, they were assigned to receive either vemurafenib (Zelboraf) and cobimetinib (Cotellic) with atezolizumab, cobimetinib plus atezolizumab, bevacizumab (Avastin) plus atezolizumab, or a paclitaxel-based chemotherapy regimen plus atezolizumab. Patients harboring BRAF mutations experienced higher overall survival (OS) and objective response rates (ORR) compared with patients harboring RAS and NF1/2 mutations.

2. Onc Nurse On Call: Immunotherapy With Kristin Daly

In the inaugural episode of Oncology Nursing News’ new podcast, Onc Nurse On Call, hosts and editors-in-chief Stephanie Desrosiers, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, and Patricia Jakel, MN, RN, AOCN, interview Kristin Daly, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP, a nurse practitioner in medical oncology at WashU Medicine in St Louis, Missouri, about the evolution of immunotherapy and the role of oncology nurses and APPs through these changes.

Daly, who treats patients with head and neck cancers, touches on common types of immunotherapies and how to handle adverse effects in the outpatient setting, including premedication and steroids. She shares helpful analogies for patient education as well as what she calls the “head tilt test,” which she uses to encourage patients to contact the clinic if a new symptom catches a patient’s attention.

1. Making Breast Cancer Treatment Decisions After Endocrine Therapy

Survivorship expert Michelle Kirschner, MSN, RN, ACNP, APRN-BC, shared key considerations for nurses and APPs helping breast cancer survivors decide whether to continue therapy after 5 years.

She explains how the Breast Cancer Index (BCI) can help assess whether a patient will derive benefit from continued therapy, contributing to a decision on whether the burden of adverse effects will outweigh clinical benefits. Kirschner explains that understanding a patient’s experiences and concerns will aid treatment decisions.