Top 5 Articles in 2024 for Oncology APPs and Nurses

With many advances made this past year in the cancer space, oncology nurses and advanced practice providers were at the frontlines of it all.

Here are the top 5 articles from 2024 reported on Oncology Nursing News.

Opinion: The Media May Have Oversold AOH1996, City of Hope's Pioneering Cancer Drug

Amanda Brink, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP, shares insight into City of Hope Cancer Center’s unique opportunity to name one of its novel agents after a special patient.

This drug, named AOH1996, is a tribute to the memory of Anna Olivia Healey, born in 1996.¹Tragically, Anna passed away at the tender age of 9 due to neuroblastoma.¹

“AOH1996, a drug named in honor of Anna Olivia Healy, is being tested in a phase 1 trial. As nurses, we must help our patients understand that phase 1 trials represent very early research,” she says.

Oral Cannabis Extract May Be Beneficial as Secondary Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting

Oral cannabis extract was effective in the secondary prevention of chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting compared with placebo in patients treated with moderately or highly emetogenic, intravenous chemotherapy despite guideline-consistent antiemetic prophylaxis, according to a study published in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.²

“Our data support the claim that [the oral cannabis extract] is an effective and safe option for the prevention of refractory [ chemotherapy-induced nausea and vomiting]. Availability, access, affordability, cultural attitudes, societal barriers, and legal barriers may limit implementation,” study authors wrote.

Surgical Technique May Preserve Fertility, Boost QoL With Pelvic Radiation

Pelvic transposition—a new surgical technique for women undergoing radiation to the pelvic field—may help patients preserve their fertility and have improved quality of life, according to John Paul Diaz, MD.

Diaz, chief of gynecologic oncology, director of robotic surgery, director of the Center of Excellence in Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery at Baptist Health, and lead physician for Clinical Trials in Gynecologic Oncology at Miami Cancer Institute, highlighted that this surgery is suitable for any patient with colorectal or gynecologic cancers who may be receiving radiation to the affected areas.

“It’s exciting that we’re thinking outside the box, and that we’re moving a reproductive organ outside the field of radiation so that women can preserve fertility,” he says.

WHO Updates Cervical Cancer Prevention Guidelines

The World Health Organization (WHO) updated its guidelines for cervical cancer prevention to include the dual-stain cytology test, CINtec PLUS Cytology.³

“Adding dual-stain cytology to the WHO guidelines further reinforces the value of our biomarker-based CINtec PLUS Cytology test to identify patients with an elevated risk of cervical cancer,” Matt Sause, chief executive officer of Roche Diagnostics, stated in a news release. “HPV infections can cause cervical cancer, a potentially deadly disease that is highly preventable. Consequently, it is critical to determine who is most at risk.”

Looking More Closely at Breast Cancer in Male Patients

Stephanie Jackson, DNP, MSN, RN, AOCNS, BMTCN, discusses the increasing rates of men with breast cancer over the past decade.⁴

“Over the past decade, the rising incidence has warranted research to evaluate its rate, prognostic factors, and mortality. Through qualitative studies, researchers are trying to understand how men cope and to reduce the boundaries that lead to social isolation,” she says.

References

1. Researcher Linda Malkas on Inspiration and Innovation. News release. City of Hope. September 30, 2022. Accessed September 13, 2023. www.cityofhope.org/researcher-linda-malkas-inspiration-and-innovation
2. Grimison P, Mersiades A, Kirby A, et al. Oral Cannabis Extract for Secondary Prevention of Chemotherapy-Induced Nausea and Vomiting: Final Results of a Randomized, Placebo-Controlled, Phase II/III Trial. J Clin Oncol. Published online August 16, 2024. doi:10.1200/JCO.23.01836
3. WHO endorses dual-stain cytology (CINtec PLUS) testing in its cervical cancer prevention guidelines, advancing patient care and underlining Roche’s role in pioneering cervical cancer solutions. News release. Roche. September 23, 2024. Accessed September 23, 2024. https://www.roche.com/media/releases/med-cor-2024-09-23
4. Levin-Dagan N, Baum N. Passing as normal: negotiating boundaries and coping with male breast cancer. Soc Sci Med. 2021;284:114239. doi:10.1016/j.socscimed.2021.114239