Search Results for "Immunotherapy"

Debuting in human clinical trials just a decade ago, chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy was quickly hailed as a breakthrough cancer treatment for certain hematologic cancers. Today, patients and providers have access to 22 U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–approved cellular and gene therapy products, and CAR T-cell therapy is available beyond large academic research centers.

ONS member Diana Sutherland, MSN, AGNP-C, APRN, OCN^®, nurse practitioner at the UC Health Barrett Cancer Center in Cincinnati, OH, and member of the Cincinnati Tri-State ONS Chapter, joins Stephanie Jardine, BSN, RN, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, to discuss how oncology nurses can safely administer trastuzumab chemotherapy and manage its associated side effects. This episode is part of an ongoing series about outpatient oncology drug infusion. The others are linked in the episode notes.

ONS member Seth Eisenberg, RN, ASN, OCN^®, BMTCN^®, professional practice coordinator of infusion services at Seattle Cancer Care Alliance in Washington and member of the Puget Sound ONS Chapter, joins Stephanie Jardine, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, to discuss how to safely administer rituximab. This episode is part of an ongoing series about outpatient oncology drug infusion; the others are linked in the episode notes. 

By rebalancing the immune system and re-engaging mechanisms that tumor cells have shut off, immunotherapies such as immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) enable patients’ own bodies to fight their cancers for them. But those same mechanisms can also result in immune-related adverse events (irAEs).

People with cancer have a particular risk for infection, and vaccines can be a powerful preventive tool. According to the World Health Organization, immunization prevents 2–3 million deaths every year worldwide from diseases, including diphtheria, influenza, and measles. Here’s what patients and nurses need to know about vaccines and guidelines for people with cancer.