December 2019, Vol 9, No 12

The human papillomavirus (HPV) has changed the field of head and neck cancer, and HPV now causes a growing majority (70%-90%) of oropharyngeal squamous-cell carcinomas. As its incidence is rising in the United States, so is patient curiosity about what sets this cancer apart from other malignancies. Read Article ›

On November 21, 2019, the FDA approved acalabrutinib (Cal­quence; AstraZeneca) as initial or subsequent therapy for adult patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic lymphoma (SLL). This is the second approval under Project Orbis, a collaboration between the FDA, the Australian Therapeutic Goods Administration, and Health Canada. Read Article ›

On November 15, 2019, the FDA approved crizanlizumab (Adakveo; Novartis) to reduce the frequency of vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in adults and pediatric patients aged ≥16 years with sickle-cell disease. Read Article ›

On November 14, 2019, the FDA granted accelerated approval to zanubrutinib (Brukinsa; BeiGene) for the treatment of patients with mantle-cell lymphoma who have received ≥1 previous therapies. Read Article ›

Cannabis has been credited as a medicinal plant with benefits ranging from pain and inflammation relief to epileptic seizure reduction to insomnia and anxiety cures, but the evidence is still limited, particularly in the setting of advanced cancer. Read Article ›

We are in a “golden age” in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), according to Andrew D. Zelenetz, MD, PhD, Medical Oncologist, Division of Hematologic Malignancies, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, New York City. Read Article ›

Keeping up with the many treatment advances in relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma can be a challenge for even the most informed providers, according to Jorge J. Castillo, MD, Clinical Director, Bing Center for Waldenström’s Macroglobulinemia, Dana-­Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA. Read Article ›

In the evolving landscape of today’s healthcare industry, more and more demands are being placed on practice managers and their staff. The Certified Medical Office Manager-Business of Hematology & Oncology (CMOM-HEM/ONC) program is a valuable resource for oncology practice managers who want to gain the knowledge and skills they need to motivate their employees, improve their practice’s financial outlook, and handle administrative issues so that providers can focus on maintaining high-quality care for their patients. Read Article ›

Adolescent and young adult (AYA) patients with cancer consistently indicate the need for better communication from their oncology providers on matters concerning sexual health. Despite misconceptions that the topic may embarrass them or fall on deaf ears, surveys show that AYAs actually want to talk to their providers about topics such as dating, safe sex practices during treatment, contraception, body image, sexuality, fertility, and psychosexual adjustment. Read Article ›

The primary reason that nurses cite for not approaching the topic of sexual health with their patients is lack of knowledge. At the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) 44th Annual Congress, Lisa Chism, DNP, APRN, NCMP, FAANP, Clinical Director, Women’s Wellness Clinic, Barbara Ann Karmanos Cancer Institute, Wayne State University, Detroit, MI, set out to change that by arming oncology nurses with enough knowledge to broach the subject confidently with their female patients. Read Article ›