Podcasts about ncpd

“Colorectal cancer treatment is not just about eliminating a disease. It's about preserving life quality and empowering patients through every phase. So I think nurses are really at the forefront that we can do that in the oncology nursing space. So from early detection to survivorship, the journey is deeply personal. Precision medicine, compassionate care, and informed decision-making are reshaping outcomes. Treatment's just not about protocols. It's about people,” ONS member Kris Mathey, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP®, gastrointestinal medical oncology nurse practitioner at The James Cancer Hospital of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about colorectal cancer treatment.  Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 1.0 contact hour of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by August 1, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learner will report an increase in knowledge related to the treatment of colorectal cancer. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 370: Colorectal Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Disparities Episode 153: Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Has More Treatment Options Than Ever Before ONS Voice articles: Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Screening, Treatment, and Survivorship Recommendations Genetic Disorder Reference Sheet: Lynch Syndrome (Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer) How Liquid Biopsies Are Used in Cancer Treatment Selection Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: 5-Fluorouracil Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Oxaliplatin What Is a Liquid Biopsy? Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults: Considerations for Oncology Nurses Oncology Nursing Forum article: Neurotoxic Side Effects Early in the Oxaliplatin Treatment Period in Patients With Colorectal Cancer ONS Colorectal Cancer Learning Library ONS Biomarker Database (filtered by colorectal cancer) ONS Peripheral Neuropathy Symptom Interventions American Cancer Society colorectal cancer resources CancerCare Colorectal Cancer Alliance Colorectal Cancer Resource and Action Network Fight Colorectal Cancer National Comprehensive Cancer Network To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.  To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “Colorectal cancer has several different types, but there is one that dominates the landscape, and that is adenocarcinoma. So I think most of us have heard that. It's fairly common, and it accounts for about 95% of all colorectal cancers. It begins in the glandular cells lining the colon or rectum and often develops from polyps, in particular adenomatous polyps.” TS 1:41 “One of the biomarkers that we'll most commonly hear about is KRAS or NRAS mutations. This indicates tumor genetics, and these mutations suggest resistance to our EGFR inhibitors such as cetuximab. BRAF mutation or V600E is a more aggressive tumor subtype, and those may respond to our BRAF targeted therapy. … And then our MSI-high or MMR-deficient—microsatellite instability or mismatch repair deficiency—that really predicts an immunotherapy response and may indicate Lynch syndrome, which is a huge genetic component that takes a whole other level of counseling and genetic testing with our patients as well.” TS 6:02 “Polypectomy or a local excision—that removes our small tumors or polyps during that colonoscopy. And that's what's used for those stage 0 or early stage I cancers. A colectomy removes part or all of the colon. This may be open or laparoscopic. It can include a hemicolectomy, a segmental resection, or a total colectomy, so where you take out the entire part of the colon. A proctectomy removes part or all of the rectum. This may include a low anterior resection, also known as an LAR … or an abdominal perineal resection, which is an APR. … Colostomy or ileostomy—that diverts the stool to an external bag via stoma. Sometimes this is temporary or permanent depending on the type of surgery.” TS 14:11 “We'll have our patients say, ‘Hey, I want immunotherapy therapy. I see commercials on it that it works so well.' We have to make sure that these patients are good candidates for it, also that we're treating them adequately. We need to make sure that they have those biomarkers, so as I mentioned, the MSI-high or MMR tumors. Our MSS-stable tumors—they may benefit from newer combinations or clinical trials. Metastatic disease—immunotherapy may be used alone or with other treatments. And then in the neoadjuvant setting, some trials are really showing promising results using immunotherapy prior to surgery.” TS 25:38 “Antibody-drug conjugates are really an exciting frontier in all cancer treatments as well as colorectal cancer treatment. This is used mainly for patients with advanced or treatment-resistant disease, and these therapies combine the targeted power of monoclonal antibodies with the cell-killing ability of potent chemotherapy agents. They're still on the horizon for the most part in colorectal cancer. However, there is only one approved antibody-drug conjugate, or ADC, at this time, and that's trastuzumab deruxtecan, or Enhertu. That's approved for any solid tumor, such as colorectal cancer with HER2 IHC 3+. So again, looking back at that pathology in those markers, making sure that you have that HER2 mutation and that IHC.” TS 35:00 “There are a few myths going around about colorectal cancer treatment that can lead to confusion or even delayed care. One myth is only older men get colorectal cancer. As you heard me talk in my previous podcast on screening, unfortunately, this isn't necessarily true. Colorectal cancer affects both men and women and our cases in the younger population are rising. So our screening guidelines have changed to age 45 because we are seeing it in the younger population.” TS 45:54

“Next-generation sequencing, or NGS, can be used to help us determine if the patient has specific biomarkers we can identify and use to target for treatment. Certain findings can tell us if a particular treatment might work for that patient, and we can see if there are any genetic variants we might have a biomarker targeted agent to use to treat them with,” ONS member Jackie Peterson, MSN, RN, OCN®, NE-BC, MBA, ambulatory nurse manager at the University of Chicago Medical Center in Illinois, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about prostate cancer and biomarker testing.  This podcast is sponsored by AstraZeneca and is not eligible for NCPD contact hours. ONS is solely responsible for the criteria, objectives, content, quality, and scientific integrity of its programs and publications.   Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod    Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0   Episode Notes This episode is not eligible for NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 324: Pharmacology 101: LHRH Antagonists and Agonists Episode 321: Pharmacology 101: CYP17 Inhibitors Episode 180: Learn How Nurse Practitioners Use Biomarker Testing in Cancer Care ONS Voice articles: An Oncology Nurse's Guide to Cascade Testing Genetic Disorder Reference Sheet: BRCA1 and BRCA2 Hereditary Disorders Genetic Disorder Reference Sheet: Lynch Syndrome (Hereditary Nonpolyposis Colorectal Cancer) Germline and Somatic Variants: What Is the Difference? Help Patients Understand Genomic Variants of Unknown Significance Prostate Cancer Clinical Trials Don't Reflect Racial Diversity—And It's Getting Worse Over Time Prostate Cancer Disparities Disappear With Equal Access to Care Prostate Cancer Prevention, Screening, Treatment, and Survivorship Recommendations The Case of the Genomics-Guided Care for Prostate Cancer ONS book: Understanding Genomic and Hereditary Cancer Risk: A Handbook for Oncology Nurses ONS course: Genomic Foundations for Precision Oncology Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Metastatic Prostate Cancer: An Update on Treatments and a Review of Patient Symptom Management Prostate Cancer: How Nurse Practicioners Can Aid in Disease Diagnosis and Management Oncology Nursing Forum article: Identification of Symptom Profiles in Prostate Cancer Survivors Other ONS Resources: Biomarker Database (refine by prostate cancer or specific biomarkers) Clinical tool/case study: Biomarker Testing in Prostate Cancer: The Role of the Oncology Nurse Genomics and Precision Oncology Learning Library Huddle Card: Genomic Biomarkers Infographic: Talking to Your Patient About a Germline Variant of Uncertain Significance (VUS) American Cancer Society - Genetic Testing and Counseling for Prostate Cancer Risk American Cancer Society - Prostate Cancer Clinicaltrials.gov National Cancer Institute - Prostate Cancer National Comprehensive Cancer Network ZERO Prostate Cancer To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities.   To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library.  To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org.  Highlights From This Episode “Some of the risk factors for developing prostate cancer include age, race, family history, and certain genetic changes or variants. Prostate cancer has some hereditary components, but most prostate cancer occurs in men without any significant family history of it.” TS 1:31 “Key biomarkers include PSA and prostate cancer gene 3, which is PCA3, and prostate-specific membrane antigen, or PSMA. Other biomarkers that are important for us to test include BRCA1, BRCA2, and Lynch syndrome–associated genes, which are MLH1, MSH2, MSH6, PMS2, and EPCAM. Biomarkers can be collected via your blood, urine, saliva, or tissue samples, so these are different ways that we can test and look for biomarkers in our patients.” TS 3:24 “It does matter how advanced the disease is. Usually, for our castrate-sensitive patients, they respond better to androgen deprivation therapy because that really is slowing down the growth of the cancer by reducing the available testosterone that the cancer needs to grow. Whereas our patients that are more advanced and have castrate-resistant prostate cancer, that cancer will continue to grow despite having the lowered testosterone levels, so they might need additional layers of treatment to really get their cancer under control.” TS 7:50 “When I talk to [patients] about biomarker testing, I tell them it's another tool in our toolbox that we can use to help us determine if they might benefit from other therapy options now or in the future. I tell them that sometimes we'll get a report back with a variant of unknown significance, and basically that means that we don't really know whether or not this has an impact on their health or risk factors for the disease. That can sometimes be a little bit of a concern for these patients, so we just have to reassure them that we're continually doing research around biomarker testing. The science is always advancing, so if there's something that [researchers] find in the future, we'll make them aware of that.” TS 9:08 “One of the biggest topics I think about is the inequity that exists in biomarker testing and research, especially surrounding the African American population. When these tests were developed, that population really wasn't studied as much, so there's not a lot of good data yet to make a decision or impact on those patients and that population.” TS: 12:30

This content has been developed for healthcare professionals only. Patients who seek health information should consult with their physician or relevant patient advocacy groups.For the full presentation, downloadable Practice Aids, slides, and complete NCPD information, and to apply for credit, please visit us at PeerView.com/HXH865. NCPD credit will be available until July 12, 2026.Nursing Strategies in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Targeted Therapies and the Patient Experience In support of improving patient care, PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.SupportThis activity is supported by an educational grant from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Disclosure information is available at the beginning of the video presentation.

This content has been developed for healthcare professionals only. Patients who seek health information should consult with their physician or relevant patient advocacy groups.For the full presentation, downloadable Practice Aids, slides, and complete NCPD information, and to apply for credit, please visit us at PeerView.com/HXH865. NCPD credit will be available until July 12, 2026.Nursing Strategies in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Targeted Therapies and the Patient Experience In support of improving patient care, PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.SupportThis activity is supported by an educational grant from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Disclosure information is available at the beginning of the video presentation.

Ms Jennifer Filipi from the Massachusetts General Hospital Cancer Center in Boston discusses nursing considerations for the treatment of ovarian cancer. NCPD information and select publications here.

This content has been developed for healthcare professionals only. Patients who seek health information should consult with their physician or relevant patient advocacy groups.For the full presentation, downloadable Practice Aids, slides, and complete NCPD information, and to apply for credit, please visit us at PeerView.com/HXH865. NCPD credit will be available until July 12, 2026.Nursing Strategies in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Targeted Therapies and the Patient Experience In support of improving patient care, PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.SupportThis activity is supported by an educational grant from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Disclosure information is available at the beginning of the video presentation.

This content has been developed for healthcare professionals only. Patients who seek health information should consult with their physician or relevant patient advocacy groups.For the full presentation, downloadable Practice Aids, slides, and complete NCPD information, and to apply for credit, please visit us at PeerView.com/HXH865. NCPD credit will be available until July 12, 2026.Nursing Strategies in Transthyretin Cardiac Amyloidosis: Targeted Therapies and the Patient Experience In support of improving patient care, PVI, PeerView Institute for Medical Education, is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.SupportThis activity is supported by an educational grant from Alnylam Pharmaceuticals, Inc.Disclosure information is available at the beginning of the video presentation.

“The proteasome itself, it really helps us unfold or get rid of misfolded proteins or degradations of different cells. We used to have garbage disposals in our sinks, and we used to put food product in there. If your garbage disposal is clogged, then everything backs up. So that's kind of what's really going on in the cell itself, is that I'm building up these unnecessary proteins that we should be getting rid of, and it actually causes apoptosis or cell death,” ONS member Daniel Verina, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, nurse practitioner for the multiple myeloma program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, BMTCN®, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about the proteasome inhibitor drug class. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.75 contact hours (including 40 minutes of pharmacotherapeutic content) of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by July 18, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learner will report an increase in knowledge related to the use of proteasome inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ Pharmacology 101 series ONS Voice article: AI Multiple Myeloma Model Predicts Individual Risk, Outcomes, and Genomic Implications ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition) Guide to Cancer Immunotherapy (second edition) Multiple Myeloma: A Textbook for Nurses (third edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Optimizing Transitions of Care in Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy: Nurse Roles Oncology Nursing Forum articles: Changes in Health-Related Quality of Life During Multiple Myeloma Treatment: A Qualitative Interview Study Facilitators of Multiple Myeloma Treatment: A Qualitative Study ONS Guidelines™ and Symptom Interventions Adherence to Oral Anticancer Medication Peripheral neuropathy ONS Hematology, Cellular Therapy, and Stem Cell Transplantation Learning Library American Society of Hematology International Myeloma Foundation Leukemia and Lymphoma Society Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “When we look at the administration, we also want to make sure that we're looking at the blood counts, right? Because proteasome inhibitors are well known for causing thrombocytopenia and neutropenia. So making sure that the patients do meet eligibility for the treatment for that day, and do they have anemia or lower red blood cell counts. You want to make sure that, because of these therapies, that the patient has no symptoms or infections going into each therapy for that day.” TS 10:19 “[Bortezomib], interesting enough, it can cause hypotension, cardiac failure, and sometimes pulmonary edema. Switching that up a little bit, what makes it slightly different, carfilzomib … a lot of times we saw, even in the clinical trial, that there was a lot of hypertension or cardiomyopathies, or arrythmias that we saw with carfilzomib and different dosages that they have indicated from the FDA. So again, monitoring the hypertension … or heart failure.” TS 15:16 “We also want to keep in mind another adverse effect, and especially in myeloma—our patients come in the door already immunocompromised just by the disease state alone. But now I'm giving them therapies that can drop their neutrophil count, so neutropenia and thrombocytopenia, so they are at a higher risk of having serious infections, even including like pneumonia or having outbreaks of herpes zoster or shingles.” TS 16:50 “If the patient has shortness of breath or symptoms, hold the therapy. I think that's one of my biggest messages when it comes to cancer treatments and educating other healthcare providers, or even educating our patients and their caregivers or the care partners with them, is that we need to sometimes hold the therapy for safety.” TS 22:02 “I say keep a log, keep a book. Let me know when the symptoms happen. Are they happening the day of treatment? Are they happening two days later from the treatment? Are they happening a week later from the treatment? And being able to kind of guide which therapy is causing some of these adverse events or side effects alone. So, making them have calendars. When did you take the drug, when did you get your last infusion or your last [subcutaneous] injection? Always talk to your care team, whether it's in the academic center or next to your house in the community.” TS 26:17 “It's us learning how to listen to the patient going forward. We have tasks to do—we all have tasks to do in our lives—but we have to take a breath, be mindful who's in front of us, listen to them first, and then be able to talk to them and care for them upfront and see what the symptoms are. I think that's what we need to do. We have to take a breath in cancer.” TS 39:35

Featuring an interview with Ms Jennifer Filipi, including the following topics: Responsibilities of an oncology nurse and perspectives on the career (0:00) Case: A woman in her late 70s with BRCA1-mutated ovarian cancer (OC) (3:50) Case: A woman in her mid 40s, a mother of 3, with advanced OC (27:23) Case: A woman in her early 70s, a social worker, with platinum-refractory OC (40:02) NCPD information and select publications

Listen here for your audio sneak peek of the May/June issue of Nursing Economic$! For over 43 years, Nursing Economic$ has been the trusted resource for health care leaders, advancing nursing leadership, health care management, economics, and policy.With 1.2 NCPD contact hours available, this issue is packed with opportunities to enhance your leadership skills and drive improvements in quality and cost outcomes, this issue is designed to help you navigate the evolving health care landscape.Visit www.nursingeconomics.net to subscribe or access individual articles. Don't forget to follow us on social media for more updates!© Jannetti Publications, Inc.All rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be used without written permission.Music by Scott Holmes.http://www.scottholmesmusic.com

Dr Rahul Aggarwal and Dr William K Oh and nurse practitioners Ms Monica Averia and Ms Kathleen D Burns discuss the current treatment landscape for prostate cancer and protocols to mitigate and manage treatment-emergent adverse events. NCPD information and select publications here.

In this episode, MEDSURG Nursing Journal Editorial Board Member Dr. Katie Chargualaf, the Dean of Nursing at the University of South Carolina Aiken, talks with Briana Aaron, an Instructor in the School of Nursing at the University of South Carolina Aiken. Aaron shares her expertise and insights on the specialty of medical-surgical nursing. She explores ways to effectively promote medical-surgical nursing to new graduate nurses and the value and rewards of starting and extending their careers in the specialty.Briana Aaron, MSN, RN, is an Instructor in the School of Nursing at the University of South Carolina in Aiken, South Carolina. Katie Chargualaf, PhD, RN, CMSRN, CNE, FAAN, is Dean of the School of Nursing at the University of South Carolina in Aiken, South Carolina. She is a member of the MEDSURG Nursing Journal Editorial Board and serves as author of the journal's “Leadership in Nursing” column.Visit our new online journal platform at www.jannettipublications.comChoose what works best for you – purchase individual articles, or subscribe and access all MEDSURG Nursing articles, including archives from past years. Plus, NCPD assessments are FREE for individual subscribers or through the purchase of the NCPD article.For archived episodes of this podcast and to learn more about MEDSURG Nursing, visit the journal's website at www.medsurgnursing.net.© Jannetti Publications, Inc.Music selections by Scott Holmeshttp://www.scottholmesmusic.com

Dr Bita Fakhri, Dr Jeff Sharman, and nurse practitioners Dr Jacqueline Broadway-Duren and Ms Corinne Hoffman discuss the current treatment landscape for chronic lymphocytic leukemia and strategies to mitigate and manage treatment-emergent adverse events. NCPD information and select publications here.

Featuring perspectives from Dr Jacqueline Broadway-Duren, Dr Bita Fakhri, Ms Corinne Hoffman and Dr Jeff Sharman, including the following topics: Introduction: Key Factors in the Management of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) (0:00) Role of Covalent Bruton Tyrosine Kinase (BTK) Inhibitors for Newly Diagnosed CLL (12:02) Role of Time-Limited Up-Front Treatment, Including Therapy Combining BTK Inhibitors and Venetoclax, for Newly Diagnosed CLL (37:55) Role of Pirtobrutinib for Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) CLL (1:02:07) CAR (Chimeric Antigen Receptor) T-Cell Therapy for R/R CLL (1:16:48) NCPD information and select publications

Listen here for your audio sneak peek of the May/June issue of Pediatric Nursing! For over 50 years, Pediatric Nursing has been the trusted resource for advancing evidence-based practice, clinical research, and professional development in pediatric nursing.With 2.5 NCPD contact hours available, this issue is packed with opportunities to advance your practice and deliver exceptional care to pediatric patients.Visit www.pediatricnursing.net to subscribe or access individual articles. Don't forget to follow us on social media for more updates!© Jannetti Publications, Inc.All rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be used without written permission.To learn more about Pediatric Nursing and subscribe, visit www.pediatricnursing.net.Music by Scott Holmes.http://www.scottholmesmusic.com

Dr Anne Chiang, Dr Erin Schenk, and nurse practitioners Ms Elizabeth Krueger and Ms Beth Sandy discuss the role of bispecific antibodies in the management of small cell lung cancer and strategies to mitigate and manage treatment-emergent adverse events. NCPD information and select publications here.

Featuring perspectives from Dr Anne Chiang, Ms Elizabeth Krueger, Ms Beth Sandy and Dr Erin Schenk, including the following topics: Introduction: Overview of Bispecific Antibodies (0:00) Biology of Small-Cell Lung Cancer (SCLC) and Review of Its Initial Management (13:37) Case: 63-year-old man — Ms Krueger (23:36) Current Role of Tarlatamab in Therapy for SCLC (33:40) Case: 70-year-old woman — Ms Sandy (43:41) Future Directions in the Management of SCLC (50:45) Case: 81-year-old man — Ms Krueger (1:01:24) Unique Considerations in SCLC Management (1:09:29) Case: 67-year-old woman — Ms Sandy (1:22:53) NCPD information and select publications

Get a look at the latest May/June issue of MEDSURG Nursing! For over 30 years, MEDSURG Nursing has been the trusted resource for advancing evidence-based practice, clinical research, and professional development in medical-surgical nursing.With 2.5 NCPD contact hours available, this issue is packed with opportunities to advance your practice and deliver exceptional care. Visit www.medsurgnursing.net to subscribe or access individual articles. Don't forget to follow us on social media for more updates!© Jannetti Publications, Inc.All rights reserved. No portion of this podcast may be used without written permission.To learn more about MEDSURG Nursing and subscribe, visit www.medsurgnursing.net or https://www.jannettipublications.com/journal/470987Music by Scott Holmes.http://www.scottholmesmusic.com

Featuring perspectives from Dr Christopher Flowers, Dr Manali Kamdar, Ms Robin Klebig and Ms Caitlin Murphy, including the following topics: Introduction: Overview of Bispecific Antibodies and Chimeric Antigen Receptor T-Cell Therapy for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (0:00) Current and Future Use of Bruton Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors for Mantle Cell Lymphoma (16:09) First-Line Therapy for Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL) (40:03) Role of Loncastuximab Tesirine for Patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) DLBCL (57:31) Role of Tafasitamab for Patients with R/R DLBCL and Follicular Lymphoma (1:16:59) NCPD information and select publications

Dr Christopher Flowers and Dr Manali Kamdar summarize the clinical treatment landscape for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma, supported by clinical perspectives and management strategies from nurse practitioners Ms Robin Klebig and Ms Caitlin Murphy. NCPD information and select publications here.

“The five-year relative survival rate for localized, or cancer that is confined to the colon or the rectum, is 91% for colon cancer and 90% for rectal cancer. Distant, metastasized to other organs—the five-year survival rate is 13% for colon and 18% for rectal cancer. So that really shows you the huge difference in screening and where screening can come in and make better outcomes,” ONS member Kris Mathey, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP®, gastrointestinal medical oncology nurse practitioner at The James Cancer Hospital of The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about colorectal cancer screening. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.75 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by July 4, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Leaners will report an increase in knowledge related to colorectal screening, early detection, and disparities. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episode: Episode 153: Metastatic Colorectal Cancer Has More Treatment Options Than Ever Before ONS Voice articles: AI-Assisted Colonoscopy Can Detect Small Colon Polyps As Colorectal Cancer Incidence Increases in Younger Patients, USPSTF Issues New Screening Guidelines. Here's How Nurses Can Encourage Uptake Colorectal Cancer Prevention, Screening, Treatment, and Survivorship Recommendations Text Messaging Reduces Disparities in Colorectal Cancer Screening USPSTF Recommends Colorectal Cancer Screening Should Begin at 45 Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Colorectal Cancer in Young Adults: Considerations for Oncology Nurses Colorectal Cancer Screening: A Quality Improvement Initiative Using a Bilingual Patient Navigator, Mobile Technology, and Fecal Immunochemical Testing to Engage Hispanic Adults Oncology Nursing Forum article: Disparities in Cancer Screening in Sexual and Gender Minority Populations: A Secondary Analysis of Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System Data ONS Course: Prevention, Detection, and the Science of Cancer—Oncology RN ONS Biomarker Database ONS Colorectal Cancer Learning Library American Cancer Society colorectal cancer resources Colorectal Cancer Alliance To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “Interestingly, recent studies suggest that starting screening even earlier than 45, such as age 40, could significantly reduce mortality and incidence rates, especially as colorectal cancer is rising among younger adults.” TS 2:42 “[Artificial intelligence]-enhanced screening tools are also being developed to improve sensitivity, reduce turnaround time, and enable real-time monitoring of disease progression. These innovations aim to make screening more accessible and accurate, especially in our underserved populations. So there's a huge impact on early detection.” TS 4:07 “Those with multiple chronic conditions or limited mobility may be less likely to complete screening, and those results may be harder to interpret. I mentioned a little bit earlier about our underserved or minority populations. Those barriers such as limited health literacy, lack of insurance, and cultural stigma can reduce screening uptake and ultimately follow-through.” TS 12:25 “Patient navigation programs—this is where we have trained navigators to help patients schedule appointments, understand procedures, and ultimately overcome some of these logistical hurdles. These have actually been shown to significantly boost screening rates. Also, those mailed stool-based-test kits—sending those kits directly to a patient home, especially with a personalized letter from a provider to add that extra little touch, has proven effective in increasing participation.” TS 21:29 “Our screening can detect cancer before symptoms appear and even identify precancerous polyps, which can be removed to prevent cancer altogether. Studies actually show that regular screening can reduce colorectal cancer mortality by up to 35% and the incidence of advanced-stage disease by nearly 30%. Just another reason why screening really does matter.” TS 25:53 “Evaluating our implicit bias, especially in something as critical as colorectal cancer, requires both introspection and instructional supports. One way of doing this is by auditing your practice patterns, really looking at reviewing your own screening recommendations and follow-up rates across different patient demographics. So are there certain groups that are less likely to be offered a colonoscopy? I think some of us may have an implicit bias—you see a patient; you're like, ‘There's no way they're going to agree to that, so I'm just not going to offer it.' Where we don't offer it, they don't have that opportunity to decline that. That can lead to further delay. And those patterns can reveal a bias in action.” TS 28:18

Dr Michael Mauro, Dr Neil Shah, and nurse practitioners Ms Ilene Galinsky and Dr Sara Tinsley-Vance discuss important nursing considerations in the modern treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia. NCPD information and select publications here.

“Just remember that these patients, these are human beings who had lung cancer. It's a scary disease. And we don't want to just say, ‘Oh, well, that's a horrible disease. They probably won't do well.' These patients are living longer. Our treatments are better. And so no matter who they are, they have every chance of surviving long term for this,” ONS member Beth Sandy, MSN, CRNP, thoracic medical oncology nurse practitioner at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about lung cancer survivorship. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by June 27, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to lung cancer survivorship. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 363: Lung Cancer Treatment Considerations for Nurses Episode 359: Lung Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Disparities ONS Voice articles: Nursing Considerations for Lung Cancer Survivorship Care Nurse-Led Survivorship Programs: Expert Advice to Help You Build Your Institution's Resources Oncology Nursing Forum articles: Empowering Lung Cancer Survivors in Post-Treatment Survivorship Care Using Participatory Action Research A Qualitative Cultural Sensitivity Assessment of the Breathe Easier Mobile Application for Lung Cancer Survivors and Their Families Exploring Stigma Among Lung Cancer Survivors: A Scoping Literature Review ONS Survivorship Care Plan Huddle Card ONS Survivorship Learning Library To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “For patients with stage I disease, they have a pretty good chance of getting to that five-year mark, somewhere probably in the 70%–80% range, depending on if you're stage IA or IB. Then it starts to drop obviously if you go up stages with patients.” TS 6:36 “Our radiation oncologists … and the dosimetrists in radiation oncology do a great job trying to line those beams up to minimize toxicity to those other vital organs. But we just can't always do that. You may see long-term fibrotic changes within the lungs. You could see cardiac damage over time. You can see esophagitis or [gastrointestinal] toxicity, particularly in the esophagus over time, post-radiation. And just the fact of having disease or cancer in the lungs, you can have breathing problems and pulmonary issues long term.” TS 10:37 “Part of survivorship in lung cancer is smoking and smoking cessation. I know it can be hard for people to quit, even people who had curative-intent treatment for their lung cancer—and so keeping up with smoking cessation. And that can be hard again if you don't have access to a smoking cessation specialty or if you live with other people who smoke and don't have really access to programs to help you quit and help you stay quitting.” TS 17:26 “I should talk about autoimmune diseases as part of immunotherapy. We give immunotherapy now in the curative setting preoperatively, postoperatively, post-chemoradiation, so they may get a year or so of immunotherapy. They may develop some sort of autoimmune toxicity from that. Usually that will go away once we stop the immunotherapy. But I've seen some things persist over time. That can go anywhere from like mild eczema that came about to things like more serious, like maybe lupus or scleroderma that may have developed as part of your immunotherapy. And we may stop the immunotherapy, but that may linger on.” TS 25:02  

Featuring perspectives from Ms Ilene Galinsky, Dr Michael J Mauro, Dr Neil P Shah and Dr Sara M Tinsley-Vance, including the following topics: Introduction: Chronic Myeloid Leukemia (CML) as a Model for Targeted Treatment (0:00) Biology of CML; Role of First- and Second-Generation Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors (TKIs) as Initial Treatment for Chronic-Phase (CP) CML (12:37) Role of Asciminib for Newly Diagnosed CP-CML (47:46) Feasibility of TKI Discontinuation for Patients with Sustained Response to Treatment (1:14:06) Management of CP-CML After Failure of Initial Therapy (1:23:04) NCPD information and select publications

Dr David O'Malley and Dr Shannon Westin summarize the clinical treatment landscape for ovarian cancers, supported by clinical perspectives and management strategies from nurse practitioners Ms Courtney Arn and Ms Jennifer Filipi. NCPD information and select publications here.

“That's what metastatic breast cancer looks like now—patients can live an extended period of time. And sometimes I think we forget to cheer for stable disease. I tell patients they can live with weeds in their garden; they just can't let the weeds take over their garden. And today we don't have a cure. We live in a rapidly changing time in oncology, and so there's just so much hope right now that we can offer patients,” ONS member Kristi Orbaugh, RN, MSN, RNP, AOCN®, nurse practitioner at Community Hospital North Cancer Center in Indianapolis, IN, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about patient communication in the metastatic breast cancer setting. This podcast episode was developed by ONS through a sponsorship from Lilly. ONS is solely responsible for the criteria, objectives, content, quality, and scientific integrity of its programs and publications. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Episode Notes  This episode is not eligible for NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 354: Breast Cancer Survivorship Considerations for Nurses Episode 350: Breast Cancer Treatment Considerations for Nurses Episode 345: Breast Cancer Screening, Detection, and Disparities ONS Voice articles: Black Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer Are Less Informed About Their Clinical Trial Options What Is HER2-Low Breast Cancer? ONS books: Guide to Breast Care for Oncology Nurses ONS course: Breast Cancer Bundle Oncology Nursing Forum article: Relations of Mindfulness and Illness Acceptance With Psychosocial Functioning in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer and Caregivers ONS Biomarker Database American Cancer Society breast cancer resources METAvivor National Cancer Institute resources: Breast cancer—Patient version To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “I think the most important and vital piece of having those conversations is making sure that we know—really know—that patient, because if we know them, that helps guide what they're needing right then, helps guide our verbiage, helps guide disciplines that we bring in.” TS 2:04 “What do they want to hear? I've been in practice a really, really long time, and I've had the entire spectrum. I've had patients say, ‘Tell me every single detail.' I mean, they want pictures. They want graphs. They want me to draw things. I've even had patients that want me to take markers and mark their body parts. … And then I've had patients that say, ‘I don't want to know anything. I trust my healthcare team. I'm going to proceed with treatment, but I really don't want to know anything.'” TS 3:40 “Remember to make things as simple as possible until we really know what the patient knows. We don't send our children to school and start them out in eighth grade; we send them to kindergarten for a reason. So we get basic information, and then we build on that. And I think we need to remember that when we're doing our patient education, whether it's regarding new chemotherapy or treatment plans or palliative care, we've got to remember to start simple. And maybe we build on that very quickly, or maybe it takes a bit more time. Number one—I actually think it helps with adherence because patients understand what we're asking of them and why we're asking that of them.” TS 12:00 “I think what's really kind of key to keep in mind is that patients are going to seek information. And so, we need to make sure that we're giving them really good, reliable, durable information because if we are not giving them good websites, if we're not giving them good written material, if we're not giving them good verbal information and education, they're going to contact ‘Dr. Google.' Dr. Google is good for a lot of things, but sometimes patients can go down a rabbit hole that's not appropriate or not accurate. That's not a good place for them to be.” TS 14:35 “If we find biomarkers that we call actionable, meaning that we find this mutation and we have a drug that blocks that mutation, that is what is going to guide and drive our treatment. Sometimes that can take a bit of time, right? And if we have a patient and they just find out they have metastatic disease, will they want treatment yesterday. And I understand that. … But frequently there is a very important period of waiting and allowing us to learn that enemy better by reviewing genomic testing, looking at that next-generation sequencing, looking at any positive biomarkers in breast cancer. They may have started out ER/PR positive. Are they still ER/PR positive?” TS 23:46 “I think when we're talking about goals of care, first of all, we need to make sure that the patient understands, when we're talking about metastatic disease today…, this is not a disease that we can cure, but hopefully it's a disease that we can manage for years to come. With that in mind, what's important to that patient? What is important to that patient in terms of life goals? What's important to that patient in terms of toxicities that they will allow and toxicities that they won't allow? TS 29:22 “If don't have a lot of medical knowledge, taking a pill seems less important than getting an IV. It seems like a bigger deal if I would miss getting my IV therapy. ‘Oh, whoops, I forgot to take a pill. Maybe it's not such a big, important piece of my treatment.' So education—when we set that patient down, helping them understand how this drug works, mechanism of action in a simple term, why it's important to take it as scheduled, why it's important to take it with food or without food, why it's important to take it consistently.” TS 34:41

Featuring perspectives from Dr Virginia F Borges, Ms Jamie Carroll, Mr Ronald Stein and Dr Seth Wander, including the following topics: Introduction (0:00) Role of CDK4/6 Inhibitors in Localized and Metastatic Hormone Receptor (HR)-Positive Breast Cancer (12:49) PI3K Inhibition as First-Line Treatment for HR-Positive, HER2-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer (mBC) (38:24) Clinical Utility of AKT and PI3K Inhibitors in Progressive HR-Positive mBC (1:01:44) Current and Future Role of Oral Selective Estrogen Receptor Degraders in HR-Positive mBC (1:24:38) NCPD information and select publications

Drs Virginia F Borges and Seth Wander summarize the treatment landscape for patients with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer, supported with clinical perspectives and management strategies from nurse practitioners Ms Jamie Carroll and Mr Ronald Stein. NCPD information and select publications here.

Episode 367: Pharmacology 101: PARP Inhibitors “We know that in cells that are proliferating very quickly, including cancer cells, single-strand DNA breaks are very common. When that happens, these breaks are often repaired by the PARP enzyme, and the cells can continue their replication process. If we block PARP, that repair cannot happen. So in blocking that, these single-strand breaks then lead to double-strand breaks, which ultimately is leading to cell apoptosis,” Danielle Roman, PharmD, BCOP, manager of clinical pharmacy services at the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, PA, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about the PARP inhibitor drug class. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by June 13, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to the use of PARP inhibitors in cancer care. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Pharmacology 101 series Episode 330: Stay Up to Date on Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Episode 232: Managing Fatigue During PARP Inhibitor Maintenance Therapy Episode 227: Biomarker Testing, PARP Inhibitors, and Oral Adherence During Ovarian Cancer Maintenance Therapy ONS Voice articles: PARP Inhibitors and Ovarian Cancer Genomics May Trick PARP Inhibitors to Treat More Cancers Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Niraparib ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition) Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs (fourth edition) ONS courses: Safe Handling Basics Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: PARP Inhibition: Genomics-Informed Care for Patients With Malignancies Driven by BRCA1/BRCA2 Pathogenic Variants Talazoparib Plus Enzalutamide in Patients With HRR-Deficient mCRPC: Practical Implementation Steps for Oncology Nurses and Advanced Practice Providers Oncology Nursing Forum article: Familiarity and Perceptions of Ovarian Cancer Biomarker Testing and Targeted Therapy: A Survey of Oncology Nurses in the United States Oral Anticancer Medication Care Compass: Resources for Interprofessional Navigation ONS Biomarker Database ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Learning Library ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Toolkit Oral Chemotherapy Education Sheets To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “The big toxicities here to watch for are primarily hematologic toxicities. It is one of those targeted therapies that does affect blood cell counts. So I'd say the blood cell count that is most commonly affected here is the hemoglobin. So, anemia very frequent complication that we see, probably a little bit more with olaparib compared with other drugs, but we see it as a class side effect. And we can also see neutropenia and thrombocytopenia with these agents, probably a little bit more with niraparib versus the others, but again, you can see it across all of these drugs.” TS 8:16 “We mentioned that rare risk of MDS and AML. This isn't a particularly scary thing if you talk to patients about it. Because of the rarity that we see this, it isn't something that we need to overemphasize, but I think careful monitoring of blood counts in is stressing the importance of that and early intervention here is very important.” TS 16:55 “This is a collaborative effort. And because of the home administration here, these patients do need to be followed very closely. So we are not laying eyes on them usually with the frequency that we do when we have patients actually coming into our infusion centers for treatments—so making sure that there is a plan for regular follow-up with these patients to ensure that they're getting that lab work done, that that's being looked at closely, that we're adjusting the dose if we need to based on that lab work, that we are managing the patient's fatigue. Again, that potentially dose reductions may be needed if patients are having that extreme fatigue.” TS 19:34 “I think one of those [misconceptions] could be that they're only effective in patients that have that BRCA1/2 mutation. And again, remember here that there is some data in particular disease states that we can use them and that they work in the absence of those mutations.” TS 25:12

With demonstrations against the Trump administration's immigration policies expanding, Mr. Trump first ordered the California National Guard into the state, followed by the U.S. Marines - and other so called Blue states could be next. That, and a planned military parade that could end up costing tax payers millions of dollars planned for Saturday, which happens to be Trump's 79th birthday, have tensions boiling over everywhere. Here at home, how are our local leaders handling this issue?  Bill McIntyre talks with the person following all of these developments closely, Mr. John Asbury, breaking news reporter for Newsday and Newsday.com.

Dr Sunnie Kim and Dr Manish Shah summarize the clinical treatment landscape for patients with gastroesophageal cancers, supported by clinical perspectives and management strategies from oncology nursing experts Ms Brooke Parker and Ms Michal Segal. NCPD information and select publications here.

Dr Sunnie Kim and Dr Manish Shah summarize the clinical treatment landscape for patients with gastroesophageal cancers, supported by clinical perspectives and management strategies from oncology nursing experts Ms Brooke Parker and Ms Michal Segal. NCPD information and select publications here.

Dr Sunnie Kim and Dr Manish Shah summarize the clinical treatment landscape for patients with gastroesophageal cancers, supported by clinical perspectives and management strategies from oncology nursing experts Ms Brooke Parker and Ms Michal Segal. NCPD information and select publications here.

Featuring perspectives from Dr Sunnie Kim, Ms Brooke Parker, Ms Michal Segal and Dr Manish Shah, including the following topics: Introduction: Clinical Presentation of Gastroesophageal Cancer (0:00) Management of Localized or Locally Advanced Gastroesophageal Cancers; Current and Future Role of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (21:44) Incorporation of Immunotherapeutic Strategies for HER2-Negative Metastatic Gastroesophageal Tumors (39:32) Role of Therapy Targeting CLDN18.2 in Advanced Gastric/Gastroesophageal Junction Adenocarcinoma (1:00:50) Considerations in the Care of Patients with HER2-Positive Gastroesophageal Cancers (1:22:41) NCPD information and select publications

Featuring perspectives from Ms Kathryn M Lyle, Dr Ritu Salani, Ms Jaclyn Shaver and Dr Brian M Slomovitz, including the following topics: Introduction: Overview of Endometrial Cancer (0:00) First-Line Therapy for Advanced or Recurrent Endometrial Cancer (11:01) Role of Lenvatinib/Pembrolizumab in the Management of Progressive Advanced Endometrial Cancer (39:09) Novel Investigational Strategies for Newly Diagnosed Advanced Endometrial Cancer (1:00:15) Incidence and Management of HER2-Positive Endometrial Cancer (1:17:52) NCPD information and select publications  

“[My mom] would always be very inspirational whenever I would see her studying so long. And when she finally got to be a nurse, I always admired her vocation and compassion with her patients. She would always go above and beyond for all of her patients. I also got inspired a lot by my brother, as well, just seeing how passionate he was for caring for his patients for the families as well, and helping them deal with the any grief or loss that they were experiencing, Carolina Rios, MSN, RN, CPhT, told Valerie Burger, RN, MA, MS, OCN®, CPN, member of the ONS 50th anniversary planning committee, during a conversation about families in nursing. Burger spoke with Carolina, her mother Lissette Gomez-Rios, MSN, APRN, AGACNP-BC, FNP-BC, OCN®, BMTCN®, and her brother Carlos Rios, BSN, RN, BMTCN®, about how having multiple nurses in their family has affected them personally and professionally. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Episode Notes  This episode is not eligible for NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: 50th anniversary series Episode 327: Journey of a Student Nurse: Choosing Oncology Nursing and the Value of a Professional Home ONS Voice articles: Innovation Inspires Hope: A Nurse's Journey of Passion and Purpose When Health Care Is Woven in Our Family Fabric, We Find Support in Unexpected Places Is Work–Life Balance Possible? The Evidence Says It Isn't—Rather, It's About Reframing Our Thinking ONS Nurse Well-Being Learning Library Oncology Nursing Foundation Resiliency Resources Connie Henke Yarbro Oncology Nursing History Center To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode Lissette: “Being in the oncology nursing as a family, when I feel the necessity to talk to them, they listen to me. They pay attention, and we help each other to cope, especially when there is a loss of our patients, so we help each other. We are understanding. We give them compassion and the advice that we need.” TS 6:51 Carlos: I remember growing up—and [my mom] would always be in school and in the healthcare field, so I knew growing up I wanted to be in the healthcare field. She was the one that guided me into going to nursing because at a certain point, I wasn't sure what I was going to be doing. She guided me, and once I started doing nursing, this has been the career I want to do, I want to continue doing. I'm very grateful for her guiding me into nursing.” TS 9:48 Carolina: “Anytime I had a question I would ask them. They would always help me out, make sure I really understood. It would actually be a little funny because sometimes they would overexplain, and I was a little overwhelmed, and I would have to be like, ‘OK, let's dial it back. Let's get back to the basics.'” TS 14:22  

Dr Ritu Salani and Dr Brian Slomovitz and nurse practitioners Ms Kathryn Lyle and Ms Jaclyn Shaver discuss datasets guiding treatment decision-making for patients with endometrial cancer and strategies to mitigate and manage treatment-emergent adverse events. NCPD information and select publications here.

This week, we talk to Ted Grogan—a 1988 New Canaan High School graduate who works as executive director of The Serenity Project, a nonprofit organization that uses equine therapy to help people who have suffered from all forms of trauma—and New Canaan Police Officer Jeff Deak, the school resource officer at NCHS.

“From a radiation standpoint, the biggest thing we're looking at is the treatment site, the dosage, and the way the radiation has been delivered. There are different ways that we can focus radiation using methods such as intensity-modulated radiotherapy, volumetric modulated arc therapy, flattening radiation beams, and proton beam therapy to try to help minimize radiation exposure to healthy tissues to minimize patient risk for secondary cancers,” ONS member Andrea Matsumoto, DNP, AGACNP-BC, AOCNP®, radiation oncology nurse practitioner at Henry Ford Health in Detroit, MI, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about radiation-associated secondary cancers. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by May 30, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to radiation-associated secondary cancers. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 301: Radiation Oncology: Side Effect and Care Coordination Best Practices Episode 201: Which Survivorship Care Model Is Right for Your Patient? Episode 12: The Intersection of Radiation and Medical Oncology Nursing  ONS Voice articles: Even Low-Dose CT Radiation Increases Risk for Hematologic Cancers in Young Patients Nurse-Led Survivorship Programs: Expert Advice to Help You Build Your Institution's Resources Secondary Cancers in Pediatric Survivors: Increased Risk and Unique Barriers to Care ONS book: Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education (fifth edition) ONS courses: ONS/ONCC® Radiation Therapy Certificate™ Essentials in Survivorship Care for the Advanced Practice Provider Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Adolescent and Young Adult Cancer Survivors: Development of an Interprofessional Survivorship Clinic ONS Radiation Learning Library ONS Survivorship Learning Library American Cancer Society survivorship resources National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship National Comprehensive Cancer Network survivorship guidelines To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “It's hypothesized that radiation can also induce different DNA mutations in healthy cells or in tissues surrounding cancers that we're treating, including alterations in the structure of signal genes or chromosomes, or also causing changes in gene expression, which may help develop a neoplasia or a cancer in a patient's future. The development of cancer carcinogenesis that is impacted or caused by radiation has to do with the chemicals that are produced, the impact it has on cell proliferation, and how these changes and mutations can also pass on to daughter cells in the future as cells are replicating.” TS 2:34 “Younger people are much more susceptible to having a secondary cancer, especially because we know with treatments, we expect them to live a longer time. And once patients get to 5 and 10 years out from radiation is when we may see a secondary cancer develop. We also have seen research showing that females may be more sensitive to some of the carcinogenic effects of radiation. Underlying diseases and genetic mutations can also impact patients' risk.” TS 5:27 “I think a big thing is remembering that although the risk is really small, the risks does exist, and so it's something that we want to bring up with patients. And even if it is something 20 years down the line for a child being treated and making sure that this information is written down somewhere. So when reviewing records, anyone from a care provider to a family member might be able to say, ‘Okay, I see that, and I'm going to keep that on my radar.' And that's another big benefit of using NP- and nurse-led survivorship clinics and creating survivorship care plans.” TS 17:20

Featuring perspectives from Dr Farshid Dayyani, Ms Caroline Kuhlman, Dr Philip A Philip and Ms Amanda K Wagner, including the following topics: Introduction: Initial Management of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma (PAD) (0:00) Clinical Presentation and Prognosis of PAD; Recent Advances in Up-Front Treatment for Metastatic PAD (19:01) Selection and Sequencing of Therapy for Relapsed/Refractory Metastatic PAD (54:38) Importance of Palliative Care for Advanced PAD (1:06:09) Role of PARP Inhibitor Maintenance Therapy for Newly Diagnosed Metastatic PAD (1:14:59) Promising Investigational Strategies for PAD (1:26:56) NCPD information and select publications

Drs Farshid Dayyani and Philip A Philip and oncology nursing professionals Caroline Kuhlman and Amanda K Wagner discuss datasets guiding treatment decision-making for patients with metastatic pancreatic cancer and strategies to mitigate and manage treatment-emergent adverse events. NCPD information and select publications here.

“Everyone will probably say this, but it is so true. Do not cram the night before the exam. The most important thing the night before the exam is to get a good night's sleep. You might be so nervous. You're like, ‘I can get any new information that matters right before the exam,' but you can't. Any information that you know you will have gotten in the time that you spent studying already. Really, you have to trust yourself,” Talia Lapidus, BSN, RN, professional staff nurse in the neonatal intensive care unit at UPMC in Pittsburgh, PA, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about preparing for the NCLEX. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Episode Notes  This episode is not eligible for NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 85: Nursing Resilience and Self-Care Aren't Optional Episode 27: How Self-Care Can Impact Your Nursing Practice ONS Voice articles: OCN® Certification Test-Taking Tips to Ease Your Anxiety Find Your Balance Between Work, Life, and School Practice These Five Self-Care Strategies in Less Than Five Minutes ONCC Certification Exam Resources: Benefits of certification  Prepare to test Review courses Practice tests ONS books: BMTCN® Certification Review Manual (second edition) Breast Care Certification Review (second edition) Core Curriculum for Oncology Nursing (seventh edition) Study Guide for the Core Curriculum for Oncology Nursing (seventh edition) ONS course: OCN® Certification Review Bundle ONS Wellness Breaks Joint Position Statement From ONS and ONCC: Oncology Certification for Nurses ONS Nurse Well-Being Learning Library Oncology Nursing Foundation Resiliency Resources NCLEX (National Council of State Boards of Nursing's licensure exam) UWorld Quizlet Cleveland Clinic article: How Box Breathing Can Help You Destress To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “The biggest studying tip that I found when I was studying was just consistency. I was studying every day, and I was setting time aside every single day to study. It's really just about making sure that it's part of your daily routine. At first it feels weird, like going from school to just straight up studying. But that's really what school was for—finding a study method that works for you, that you can then implement into studying for the biggest test that you have to take.” TS 1:52 “Practice questions are everything. You mentioned already that the NCLEX questions are formulated in a very specific way. And I know some schools do all their exams in NCLEX style, but some schools don't, so some people might not know how the NCLEX formulates their questions. A lot of the time it's like you have to pick the most correct out of a lot of correct answers. And if you don't have practice critically thinking about how to answer these questions, you might get tripped up. So practicing these questions, knowing what the test will be like, is so important.” TS 6:46 “Time management is the best thing that you can do. When I was working, I still had goals for myself for studying, even if it was just study this topic today or do 10 practice questions today. Anything that you're doing is better than nothing. So if you have to color-code your life and, in Google Calendar, have two hours to work, two hours to study, or eat lunch from 12 to 1, and then from 1 to 2, you study. Anything that you have to do to make sure that you get at least a little bit of studying in matters.” TS 9:05 “You don't have to be studying 24/7. You have a life outside of the exam, and you should still live it. You should still see your friends, and you should still go out to eat. Do things that make you feel good because if you are not in your best headspace, you won't be able to study appropriately.” TS 18:50

“A lot of other disease sites, they have some targeted therapies, they have some immunotherapies [IO]. In lung cancer, we have it all. We have chemo. We have IO. We have targeted therapies. We have bispecific T-cell engagers. We have orals, IVs. I think it's just so important now that, particularly for lung cancer, you have to be well versed on all of these,” ONS member Beth Sandy, MSN, CRNP, thoracic medical oncology nurse practitioner at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about lung cancer treatment. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by May 16, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to lung cancer treatments. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episode: Episode 359: Lung Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Disparities ONS Voice articles: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Prevention, Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment, Side Effects, and Survivorship Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Amivantamab-Vmjw Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Cisplatin Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Lazertinib Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Nivolumab and Hyaluronidase-Nvhy Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Fam-Trastuzumab Deruxtecan-Nxki Optimize Your Testing Strategy and Improve Patient Outcomes With NeoGenomics' Neo Comprehensive™–Solid Tumor Assay Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Oncogenic-Directed Therapy for Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Implications for the Advanced Practice Nurse ONS Biomarker Database ONS video: What is the role of the KRAS biomarker in NSCLC? Biomarker Testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Discussion Tool ONS Huddle Cards: Checkpoint inhibitors External beam radiation Monoclonal antibodies Proton therapy To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “Unfortunately, because lung cancer is pretty aggressive, we'll see lung cancer mostly in stage IV. So about 50%–55% of all cases are not caught until they are already metastatic, or stage IV. And then about another 25%–30% of cases are caught in stage III, which means they're locally advanced and often not resectable, but we do still treat that with curative intent with concurrent chemoradiation. And then 10%–20% of cases are found in the early stage, and that's stage I and II, where we can do surgical approaches.” TS 2:53 “The majority of radiation that you're going to see is for patients with stage III disease that's inoperable. At my institution, a lot of stage III is inoperable. Now, neoadjuvant immunotherapy has changed that a little bit. But if you have several big, bulky, mediastinal lymph nodes that makes you stage III, surgery is probably not going to be a great option. So we give curative-intent chemoradiation to these patients.” TS 10:51 “Oligoprogression would mean they have metastases but only to one site. And sometimes we will be aggressive with that. Particularly, there's good data, if the only site of progression is in the brain, we can do stereotactic radiation to the brain and then treat the chest with concurrent chemoradiation as a more definitive approach. But outside of that, the majority of stage IV lung cancer is going to be treated with systemic therapy.” TS 15:00 “It's important for nurses to know that there's a lot of different options now for treatment. Probably one of the most important things is making sure patients are aware of what their biomarker status is, what their PD-L1 expression level is, and make sure those tests have been done. … It's good that the patients understand that there's a myriad of options. And a lot of that depends on what we know about their cancer, and then that guides our treatment.” TS 31:05

“The signaling and that binding of the MET and the HGF help, in a downstream way, lead to cell proliferation, cell motility, survival, angiogenesis, and also invasion—so all of those key cancer hallmarks. And because of it being on an epithelial cell, it's a really good marker because it's found in many, many different types of cancers, so it makes it what we call kind of a nice actionable mutation,” ONS member Marianne Davies, DNP, ACNP, AOCNP®, FAAN, senior oncology nurse practitioner at Yale Comprehensive Cancer Center in New Haven, CT, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about the MET inhibitor drug class. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by May 9, 2026. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to MET inhibitors. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Pharmacology 101 series Episode 330: Stay Up to Date on Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs ONS Voice articles: Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Amivantamab-Vmjw Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Cabozantinib Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Capmatinib Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Tepotinib Predictive and Diagnostic Biomarkers: Identifying Variants Helps Providers Tailor Cancer Surveillance Plans and Treatment Selection ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition) Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs (fourth edition) Telephone Triage for Oncology Nurses (third edition) ONS courses: Safe Handling Basics ONS Biomarker Database ONS Huddle Cards: Monoclonal Antibodies Targeted Therapy ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Learning Library ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Toolkit ONS and NCODA Oral Anticancer Medication Compass Oral Chemotherapy Education Sheets IV Chemotherapy Education Sheets Drugs@FDA To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “The MET receptor was actually identified back in 1984. And it was actually identified as an oncogene in osteosarcoma. And so basically what that MET receptor does—it's a tyrosine kinase pathway, and the ligand that it attaches to is something called HGF/SF. That's hepatocyte growth factor/scatter factor. And so this MET pathway tyrosine kinase pathway is really important in tumor cell growth and migration. And it's expressed specifically on epithelial cells, so that's going to really help us in identifying how it can be a pathway for cancer treatments.” TS 1:35 “But in the particular classes, there kind of are some unique things that are with these MET inhibitors. For example, crizotinib, we found early on, causes some vision changes. Patients would report things like floaters or a little bit of blurry vision. For the capmatinib, things like elevation of amylase and lipase, fluid retention and bloating, and hypersensitivity reactions and photosensitivity.” TS 7:36 “Other things to teach for the TKI is the self-management strategies in terms of nausea management and dietary changes for the risk of peripheral edema. Having them do things like maybe doing daily weights, or at least weights every other day, and sometimes doing limb measurements so it can help us really quantify the amount of fluid retention they have. And then from a nursing perspective, meeting with these patients, is to do really good skin inspection. When people have peripheral edema, they're at risk for skin breakdown, and that can lead obviously to infection.” TS 16:06 “The biggest [misconception] is that people assume that all MET mutations are going to be equally responsive to the same targeted therapies, that all of the abnormalities are the same and react the same, and they really don't. We're really diving down and carving that pie thinner and thinner in terms of each individual MET abnormality, in terms of what drugs responds it to and what that means for patient outcomes and prognosis.” TS 25:21

Featuring perspectives from Dr Rahul Aggarwal, Ms Monica Averia, Ms Kathleen D Burns and Dr William K Oh, including the following topics: Introduction: Overview of Prostate Cancer (0:00) Recent Advances in the Treatment of Nonmetastatic Prostate Cancer (8:36) Treatment Approaches for Metastatic Hormone-Sensitive Prostate Cancer (30:01) Current Role of PARP Inhibitors in Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer (mCRPC) (47:41) Current and Future Role of Radiopharmaceuticals in mCRPC (1:09:57) NCPD information and select publications

“We spent time today discussing all the ways that owners can have a positive impact on career growth, whether you're a bedside nurse or just in teaching, research, hospital leadership. More than career growth, I see ONS as kind of a barrier to burnout and a catalyst for professional self-care. I think that no matter what aspect of oncology care you're involved in, it is a difficult and complex specialty. And I think with that can come a lot of challenges and tough days, and ONS brings a sense of community to that and, specifically, a community that is pushing cancer care forward,” ONS member Amy Kaiser, MSN, CPNP-PC, told Nick Escobedo, DNP, RN, OCN®, NE-BC, member of the ONS 50th anniversary committee, during a conversation about the benefits of ONS membership. Escobedo spoke with Kaiser, who joined ONS as a student, and Susan Groenwald, PhD, RN, ANEF, FAAN, a charter ONS member, about how ONS membership and resources have helped them grow in their careers. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Episode Notes  This episode is not eligible for NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: 50th anniversary series Episode 331: DNP and PhD Collaboration Strategies to Help Advance Oncology Care Episode 327: Journey of a Student Nurse: Choosing Oncology Nursing and the Value of a Professional Home Episode 160: Build Innovative Staff Education Tools and Resources ONS Voice articles: Your ONS Membership Offers You Benefits in Other Organizations, Too Co-Creation Modernizes ONS Chapters to Meet Member Needs ONS book: Cancer Basics (third edition) ONS course: ONS Cancer Basics™ Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Professional Organization Membership: The Benefits of Increasing Nursing Participation ONS membership ONS chapters ONS Communities Connie Henke Yarbro Oncology Nursing History Center To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode Groenwald: “ONS was groundbreaking in so many areas. The area that sticks out to me was, I was the board liaison to the standards committee. And so, the development of oncology nursing standards, it was a hallmark and critical to the field and to me and my practice, as well as education. It was very exciting time.” TS 4:18 Kaiser: “I think that my very first introduction to cancer care came from the Cancer Basics course. I think I feel fortunate that I probably was the recipient of a lot of the efforts of Susan, who has pioneered so many of these different oncology resources. I had the benefit of being at school during a time where there were a ton of resources available through ONS.” TS 5:38 Groenwald: “Having attended the meetings and getting involved in some of the committees is where I met people and worked with people. And that became, for me, very vital for doing a book, where it was a contributed book, an edited book [Cancer Nursing: Principles and Practice], so we had lots of different chapters and contributors, but I met them all through ONS. And how we communicated was via the old-fashioned mail and telephone. I didn't even have a computer. We typed the whole manuscript, thousands and thousands of pages, the first couple editions.” TS 12:25 Kaiser: “What's so wonderful about going to [Congress] is everybody there is looking to move oncology nursing forward and meet people and connect and network. And it's this, you know, magical space of people who are meeting and sharing shared experiences, and I got to feel all of that prior to even being an oncology nurse. And I went home from that first conference, immediately discussed with my manager that I wanted to move to the oncology floor, and I did. But it was meeting all of those people and hearing about those career paths that did that for me.” TS 16:42 Kaiser: “I think people who are involved with ONS, I found, are also very, very willing to mentor. I was very fortunate as I was speaking to these people, not even being an oncology nurse, that they were so welcoming and wanted to welcome me into the specialty and wanted to show me how to get involved. So I think it's just taking that very first step of talking to somebody or going to that local chapter meeting, and then the rest of it becomes a lot easier.” TS 19:29 Groenwald: “One thing Amy mentioned that I think is important is that new nurses have so many opportunities. I think it's scary to put forth an abstract to speak at the conference. It's scary, but it's such a great opportunity for anybody at any level in their career. If they have something of interest to share, it's such a great place. I feel like it launched my career in terms of being able to speak in front of people and think critically about things and put together some projects. This all came from my work with ONS.” TS 20:51

Featuring perspectives from Ms Courtney Arn, Ms Jennifer Filipi, Dr David M O'Malley and Dr Shannon N Westin, including the following topics: Introduction: Overview of Ovarian Cancer (OC) Management (0:00) Genetic Testing for Newly Diagnosed Advanced OC (14:31) Role of PARP Inhibitor Maintenance in Newly Diagnosed Advanced OC (22:46) Other Available and Investigational Novel Strategies for OC (43:56) Current and Future Role of Mirvetuximab Soravtansine in OC Treatment (1:19:24) NCPD information and select publications

Featuring perspectives from Ms Marianne J Davies, Dr Edward B Garon, Ms Marissa Marti-Smith and Dr Tiffany A Traina, including the following topics: Introduction (0:00) Overview of Antibody-Drug Conjugates (ADCs) (4:40) Trastuzumab Deruxtecan (T-DXd) in Patients with HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer (mBC) with and without Brain Metastases (12:40) Role of ADCs for Patients with ER-Positive mBC (35:09) T-DXd in Patients with Metastatic Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC) with HER2 Alterations (52:20) Emerging Role of ADCs for Patients with Progressive EGFR-Mutant NSCLC (1:12:20) NCPD information and select publications

“Everyone's brain is extremely heterogenic, so it's different. You can put five of us in a room; we can all have the same diagnosis of a [glioblastoma multiforme], but all of ours can be different. They're highly aggressive biologically. It's a small area in a hard shell. So trying to get through the blood–brain barrier is different. There's a lot of areas of hypoxia in the brain. There's a lot of pressure there. The microbiology is very different—it's a cold environment versus a hot environment—and then the pathways are just different,” Lori Cappello, MSN, APN-C, CCRP, research advanced practice nurse at the John Theurer Cancer Center of Hackensack Meridian Health in New Jersey, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about brain malignancies and caring for patients with them. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by April 25, 2027. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to brain malignancies and their diagnosis and treatment. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 235: Self-Advocacy Skills for Patients Episode 166: Cognitive Behavioral Interventions Help Patients With a Spectrum of Cancer Symptoms ONS Voice articles: Glioblastoma Diagnosis, Treatment, Side Effect Management, and Survivorship Recommendations Blocking Fatty Acid Storage May Induce Glioblastoma Apoptosis Brain Tumor Navigator Role Bridges the Intersection of Cancer and Neuroscience Researchers Tie More Cancers, Mortality to NF1 Disorders Larotrectinib and Other Tumor-Agnostic Targeted Therapies Are Leading Cancer Care Into the Next Frontier McCain Announcement Sheds Light on Nurses' Role in Advance Care Planning ONS book: Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education (fifth edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Implementing a Standardized Educational Tool for Patients With Brain Tumors Undergoing Concurrent Temozolomide and Radiation Therapy Exercise Intervention: A Pilot Study to Assess the Feasibility and Impact on Cancer-Related Fatigue and Quality of Life Among Patients With High-Grade Glioma Society for Neuro-Oncology Musella Foundation End Brain Cancer Initiative Brain Tumor Network American Brain Tumor Association Glioblastoma Research Organization Brain Tumor Funders' Collaborative Optune Gio® website Nurse.org article: Mysterious Brain Tumor Cluster Grows: Another Nurse Diagnosed at Newton-Wellesley Lori Cappello's contact information: lori.cappello@hmhn.org To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “A glioblastoma actually is the most predominant brain tumor that we do see. It is the most diagnosed of the brain tumors. And then I would say that an anaplastic astrocytoma is probably the second diagnosed. Historically a GBM, they used to say was probably an elderly patient for these. But we are definitely seeing it diagnosed at a much younger age now, definitely much more prevalent for people under 60.” TS 3:17 “Nine times out of ten, either a patient out of nowhere has a seizure, or they present with what they think are stroke-like symptoms. They noticed that they were slurring, or they were becoming more forgetful, or a family member noticed it and said, ‘Hey, what is going on with you?' But usually they present to the [emergency department], and a [computed tomography] scan is always done first. And lo and behold, something is seen.” TS 4:50 “The only other U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved treatment that has come along in the last 20 years is a device called Optune Gio, which is an alternating electric field that stops cell division at the mitosis stage.” TS 7:45 “They lose so much of their independence, especially if they don't have a caregiver or help. That is huge. Medication management at home, to making sure that they're taking the medication properly, that they are actually taking their medication. Transportation is another huge problem. Getting to and from appointments is a challenge. Those are big issues—real, day-to-day, simple issues that people don't think about.” TS 17:11 “I think that having a brain tumor is very unique in the fact that you really need a dedicated neuro-oncologist. And depending on where you live, there are not a lot in the area. I actually had a patient that was moving out west, and the closest dedicated neuro-oncologist was four hours from them. … if you're not seeing dedicated neuro oncologists, you might not be getting the best treatment for yourself. So I think that having the resources and helping patients find the best care or the best brain tumor society—and there's a bunch of really good brain tumor groups to help patients find the best resources out there. I think that's really, really important for patients to know or for families to know.” TS 19:17 “So trying to help patients, there are always going to be challenges, and there are always going to be ups and downs. But finding that one person that they can go to, that they trust, that they have a great relationship with, whether at the doctor's office or whatever, and being available to them makes such a difference in their journey. I think that that is the most important for anybody in the journey.” TS 22:08 “With brain, there are going to be expectations. They are going to lose functionality at some point—and preparing them for that thing or preparing them for things that can help themselves. Like sometimes I say, ‘Go to the dollar store, get coloring books,' if they have weakness in one hand. Little tricks of the trade that can help them. About treatment options, going through the side effects, preparing them for whatever they can be prepared for.” TS 22:39 “It is not one of the better cancers to have, but it doesn't immediately mean it's a death sentence, and we shouldn't treat them like they're dying. We shouldn't take away their ability to live just because they were diagnosed with it. We shouldn't take away hope.” TS 25:35 “I think there's not enough discussed about [brain malignancies] and the lack of resources for this. These patients need a lot more resources and are available. There's just not enough available for it.” TS 26:59

Episode 359: Lung Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Disparities “I was actually speaking to a primary care audience back a few weeks ago, and we were talking about lung cancer screening. And they said, ‘Our patients, they don't want to do it.' And I said, ‘Do you remind them that lung cancer is curable?' Because everybody thinks it is a death sentence. But when you're talking about screening a patient, I think it's really important to say, ‘Listen, if we find this early, stage I or stage II, our chances of curing this and it never coming back again is upwards of 60% to 70%,'” ONS member Beth Sandy, MSN, CRNP, thoracic medical oncology nurse practitioner at the Abramson Cancer Center at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about lung cancer screening. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0  Earn 0.5 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by April 18, 2027. The planners and faculty for this episode have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies to disclose. ONS is accredited as a provider of nursing continuing professional development by the American Nurses Credentialing Center's Commission on Accreditation. Learning outcome: Learners will report an increase in knowledge related to lung cancer screening. Episode Notes  Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.  ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 313: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Other Pulmonary Complications Episode 295: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Pulmonary Embolism, Pneumonitis, and Pleural Effusion Episode 247: Tobacco Treatment for Patients With Cancer ONS Voice articles: Lung Cancer Screening and Early Detection Drastically Improves Survival Rates Pack-Year History Is a Biased and Inadequate Criterion for Lung Cancer Screening Eligibility, Researchers Say CMS Expands Eligibility Criteria for Lung Cancer Screening With Low-Dose Computed Tomography Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Prevention, Screening, Diagnosis, Treatment, Side Effects, and Survivorship Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Nurse-Led Tobacco Cessation for Veterans Using Motivational Interviewing in a Lung Cancer Screening Program Identifying Primary Care Patients at High Risk for Lung Cancer: A Quality Improvement Study Oncology Nursing Forum article: Patient–Provider Discussion About Lung Cancer Screening Is Related to Smoking Quit Attempts in Smokers ONS Tobacco, E-Cigarettes, and Vaping Learning Library American Cancer Society Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines American Lung Association lung cancer resources To discuss the information in this episode with other oncology nurses, visit the ONS Communities. To find resources for creating an ONS Podcast Club in your chapter or nursing community, visit the ONS Podcast Library. To provide feedback or otherwise reach ONS about the podcast, email pubONSVoice@ons.org. Highlights From This Episode “Unfortunately, the current state of lung cancer screening is pretty low. Our rate of uptake in eligible patients is somewhere between 6% and 20%. And that falls much further below what we see for screening, such as breast cancer screening, prostate cancer screening, and colorectal cancer screening. So certainly, we can do better.” TS 1:32 “If you quit more than 15 or 20 years, your risk of developing lung cancer at that point is significantly lower. And so that's why once patients have quit more than 15 years, they're actually not eligible for screening anymore—because their risk of developing lung cancer is dramatically reduced. And that takes into account when you are a primary care provider, pulmonary, whatever field you work in, and you are running a screening clinic each year that you screen the patient, you have to remind yourself when they quit smoking, because once they reach that 15 years, then they're no longer eligible for screening.” TS 5:17 “One of the strategies that they've used to get the word out is, I watch a lot of baseball. I love the Philadelphia Phillies, watch Phillies games. And so at least once a year, maybe even twice a year, they will take an inning of the baseball broadcast on TV and on the radio separately, and they will bring on either an oncologist or pulmonologist from one of the local cancer centers in our area, and the whole inning—between batters of course—they will talk about lung cancer screening and why it's beneficial.” TS 13:16 “Medicare always has its idiosyncrasies. So Medicare—I went over the rules with you, so the age, the smoking. They follow all of it, except they have a slight difference in age. They cover it for age 50 to 77, as opposed to 80.” TS 16:52 “I think just the other thing that people don't think about is that to go get a medical test done, no matter what test it is, typically people have to take time off of work. And it can be really hard to do that when you are relying on your job, maybe you don't have vacation time, maybe you have children at home that you need to get home to. When people are weighing the risk/benefit and thinking, ‘Well, I'd love to get screened for lung cancer, but I just can't find time to fit it into my schedule, and my job won't let me take off.' These are all things that we don't always think about if you have the luxury of just taking the day off.” TS 20:01