Podcast
The ONS Podcast
Hosted by Oncology Nursing Society · EN
Where ONS Voices Talk Cancer
Join oncology nurses on the Oncology Nursing Society's award-winning podcast as they sit down to discuss the topics important to nursing practice and treating patients with cancer.
ISSN 2998-2308
42episodes
Episodes
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Episode 398: An Overview of Multiple Myeloma for Oncology Nurses
Jan 1600:43:36Tap to summarize"[Multiple myeloma] is very treatable, very manageable, but right now it is still considered an incurable disease. So, patients are on this journey with myeloma for the long term. It's very important for us to realize that during their journey, we will see them repeatedly. They are going to be part of our work family. They will be with us for a while. I think it's our job to be their advocate. To be really focused on not just the disease, but periodically assessing that financial burden and psychosocial aspect," Ann McNeill, RN, MSN, APN, nurse practitioner at the John Theurer Cancer Center at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, NJ, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS®, TCTCN™, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about multiple myeloma. 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 January 16, 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 the pathophysiology and diagnosis of multiple myeloma. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 332: Best Nursing Practices for Pain Management in Patients With Cancer Episode 256: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Hematologic Complications Episode 192: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Hypercalcemia of Malignancy ONS Voice articles: AI Multiple Myeloma Model Predicts Individual Risk, Outcomes, and Genomic Implications Cancer Mortality Declines Among Black Patients but Remains Disproportionately High Financial Navigation During Hematologic Cancer Saves Patients and Caregivers $2,500 Multiple Myeloma: Detecting Genetic Changes Through Bone Marrow Biopsy and the Influence on Care Multiple Myeloma Prevention, Screening, Treatment, and Survivorship Recommendations Nurse-Led Bone Marrow Biopsy Clinics Truncate Time for Testing, Treatment Diagnose and Treat Hypercalcemia of Malignancy ONS books: BMTCN® Certification Review Manual (second edition) Multiple Myeloma: A Textbook for Nurses (third edition) Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: African American Patients With Multiple Myeloma: Optimizing Care to Decrease Racial Disparities Music Intervention: Nonpharmacologic Method to Reduce Pain and Anxiety in Adult Patients Undergoing Bone Marrow Procedures Other ONS resources: Financial Toxicity Huddle Card Hypercalcemia of Malignancy Huddle Card Hematology, Cellular Therapy, and Stem Cell Transplantation Learning Library American Cancer Society article: What Is Multiple Myeloma? Blood Cancer United educational resources page International Myeloma Foundation homepage Myeloma University homepage Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation (MMRF) article: Understanding Multiple Myeloma 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 "Epidemiologically, myeloma is a cancer of older adults. The median age is about 69. It is more common in men than women. It's a ratio of about three men to two women that are diagnosed. It is much more common in people of African American descent with increasing global incidence linked to aging populations. Although, the highest rates are in high-income countries. So, if we look at some of the risk factors, and several have been identified, including MGUS. MGUS is a benign precursor of myeloma, and it stands for monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Older age is also a risk factor, although we do see patients that are younger who are diagnosed with myeloma." TS 1:54 "Bone pain, specifically in the back, and fatigue, are very common symptoms that relate to things that are going on behind the scenes with myeloma. But also, patients can be bothered by frequent and long-lasting infections. So, they find that they get sick more frequently than their family and friends, and they take a longer time to recover. That could also be a presenting sign. I think there can be some presenting signs and symptoms related to electrolyte abnormalities, especially in later stages. They might be nauseated, vomiting, or constipated. Also, signs and symptoms related to cytopenias. You have to remember that this is a bone marrow cancer. So, we do have some problem with development of normal blood cells. So, we can see not only infections, but bleeding issues related to thrombocytopenia and factors related to anemia from low red blood cell counts." TS 7:15 "About 20%–25% of our patients who are diagnosed are asymptomatic. They have no symptoms. They're living their lives, they're going to work or they're traveling, playing golf on the weekends, taking care of their children or grandchildren. They are just living their lives. And at times, they go to the primary care physician and then they're referred to a hematologist-oncologist, and they're pretty surprised when they're sent to a cancer center. The way they are diagnosed in this matter is that their routine lab work, the complete blood cell count may be normal, there may be some slight differences in their hemoglobin. But what we see in the chemistry, the complete metabolic panel, is an elevation in their total protein and or an elevation of the total globulins." TS 9:22 "The bone marrow biopsy serves many purposes. You want to determine the percentage of bone marrow plasma cells. So, you want to get the degree of plasmacytosis. And then you want to do really specific tests on those plasma cells. So, you want to isolate the malignant plasma cells and determine, via analysis. So, we do the karyotype, chromosomal studies, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) studies, immunohistochemistry studies, and molecular studies. All of these studies are looking for specific genetic changes in the myeloma cells—looking for translocations or deletions. And it's very important to get that information because we c...
Transcribe →Episode 378: Considerations for Adolescent and Young Adult Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer
Aug 2900:36:49Tap to summarize“She’s triple negative and has a very, very aggressive tumor. Instead of going on spring break that year, she sat in our chemo room and got chemo. Her friends from college are good to try to keep her involved and try to surround her and encourage her, but they’re right now in very, very different spots in their lives. She’s fighting for her life; her friends are fighting for the grade they get in a class—and that’s different,” ONS member Kristi Orbaugh, MSN, NP, AOCN®, AOCNP®, 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 metastatic breast cancer in adolescent and young adult patients. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 This podcast is sponsored by Lilly 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. Episode Notes This episode is not eligible for NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 368: Best Practices for Challenging Patient Conversations in Metastatic Breast Cancer Episode 354: Breast Cancer Survivorship Considerations for Nurses Episode 350: Breast Cancer Treatment Considerations for Nurses Episode 345: Breast Cancer Screening, Detection, and Disparities Episode 307: AYAs With Cancer: Financial Toxicity Episode 300: AYAs With Cancer: End-of-Life Care Planning ONS Voice articles: ‘Cancer Ghosting’ May Add Another Layer of Emotional Burden for Patients Discoveries in Race-Related Breast Cancer Biomarkers May Improve Precision Treatments What Is HER-2-Low Breast Cancer? What Oncology Nurses Need to Know About Supporting AYAs With Cancer ONS books: Guide to Breast Cancer for Oncology Nurses Oncology Nursing Forum articles: An Integrative Review of the Role of Nurses in Fertility Preservation for Adolescents and Young Adults With Cancer Impact of Race and Area Deprivation on Triple-Negative Metastatic Breast Cancer Outcomes Relations of Mindfulness and Illness Acceptance With Psychosocial Functioning in Patients With Metastatic Breast Cancer and Caregivers ONS huddle cards: Altered Body Image Fertility Preservation Sexuality Other ONS resources: Breast Cancer Learning Library Fertility Preservation in Individuals With Cancer ONS Biomarker Database American Cancer Society’s breast cancer resources American Society of Clinical Oncology continuing education resources Elephants and Tea Life, Interrupted Livestrong National Cancer Institute’s breast cancer resources Stupid Cancer Young Survival Coalition 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 use ‘adolescent and young adult,’ we’re really talking about age 19–35. Some groups will say 15–39, but right around that age. When we think about that age, think about what all could be going on during those ages. Late teenagers, they may be going off to college, they may be graduating high school, trying to set up their own life, trying to become independent from mom and dad. If you’re talking about early to mid 30s, you could be talking about young parents, young career folks. So, just setting that into place makes you realize this can be a very tumultuous time for folks.” TS 2:06 “Unfortunately, this group tends to have more aggressive subtypes. We see more triple-negative in this group. We see more hormone-negative, HER2-positive in this group. Normal breast cancer cells should be stimulated by hormone. They are stimulated by hormones. So when you have a breast cancer cell that is not driven by hormones, it’s much more difficult to treat. We tend to see more aggressiveness in these tumors. We also see a higher incidence in non-Caucasian folks in this age group compared to the older age groups.” TS 4:53 “I think we have gotten much better about understanding the importance of fertility preservation and getting reproductive endocrinologists in, sooner rather than later. If we have earlier-stage cancers and we have patients that want to try to preserve eggs, preserve fertility, sperm banking. … If you have that time to talk to them—maybe a 21-year-old—the primary thing on her mind is not how many children she wants to have one day. Maybe she’s not even thought about having kids yet. It’s still a question you need to [ask]. Do you want to try to preserve fertility? Do you want to try to harvest some eggs? That’s a conversation that needs to be had and is very, very important for that age group.” TS 10:35 “One thing that helps is if you can get them [into] reputable support groups with people their own age that are going through what they're going through. Someone else that doesn't have hair, someone else that isn't going to make it to the big board meeting or isn’t going to get the promotion this year because they've had to take a medical leave. Someone else that understands it differently.” TS 16:47 “In breast cancer, many of those biomarkers just get reflexed. And what I mean by reflexed is a breast cancer pathology comes through, or a breast cancer specimen comes through, and it just automatically gets tested for X, Y, Z. HER2 and of course ER/PR. Now we understand that we don’t just need to know whether they're HER2 positive or HER2 negative. We need to know: What is the IHC score? And even if the IHC score is zero, is there any membrane staining? And then we need to know what’s their ESR1, their PTEN, their AKT, their PIK3CA. Those are so important to know.” TS 18:11 “I think it’s important to try to remember what our priorities were when we were in our 20s—what our priorities were when we were starting out as young mothers or starting out our career. Because that’s where these folks are. … I can’t imagine in the midst of college, when I’m trying to be independent, to suddenly have to be at home and rely on my mom to take me to my chemo appointment. … So I think one really important bias is to remember where they are in the developmental stages of life. They’re not 40-something. They ...
Transcribe →Episode 377: Creating and Implementing Radiopharmaceutical Policies and Procedures
Aug 2200:23:09Tap to summarize“Policies help make sure that we’re giving patients the right education and discharge instructions. Radiation doesn’t end when the syringe is empty. Patients go home with potential radioactive exposure. They need to know how to protect their families, what precautions to take, and what healthcare providers can do if something goes wrong—like a spill, extravasation, or even a pregnant staff member who’s involved in the care. This isn’t just a documentation exercise. It’s about making sure every part of the system speaks the same language when it comes to safety, handling, and patient care,” ONS member Ella-Mae Shupe, MSN, RN, OCN®, nursing practice and professional development specialist for radiation oncology at Johns Hopkins Health System Sydney Kimmel Cancer Center based in Baltimore, MD, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about creating and implementing radiopharmaceutical policies and procedures. 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 August 22, 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 implementing policies and procedures to support administration of radiopharmaceuticals for cancer treatment. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 347: Care Considerations for Radiopharmaceuticals and Theranostics in Patients With Cancer Episode 301: Radiation Oncology: Side Effect and Care Coordination Best Practices Episode 298: Radiation Oncology: Nursing’s Essential Roles Episode 104: How Radiation Affects All Areas of Oncology Nursing ONS Voice articles: New Radiopharmaceutical Improves Survival in Advanced Prostate Cancer Radiopharmaceuticals and Theranostics Offer New Options for Oncology Nurses to Transform Cancer Care Radiopharmaceuticals Pack a One-Two Punch Against Cancer Safety Is Key in Use of Radiopharmaceuticals ONS Voice oncology drug reference sheets: Lutetium Lu 177 Dotatate Lutetium Lu 177 Vipivotide Tetraxetan Radium 223 Dichloride Sodium Iodide-131 ONS book: Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education (Fifth Edition) ONS course: ONS/ONCC® Radiation Therapy Certificate™ Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing article: Nursing Telemedicine Educational Encounters: Improved Patient Satisfaction in Radiation Therapy Clinics Other ONS resources: ONS Radiation Learning Library ONS Radiation Safety: In the Home Huddle Card ONS Radiopharmaceuticals Huddle Card Daily Med Lutathera® website for healthcare professionals Pluvicto® website for healthcare professionals Xofigo® website for healthcare professionals 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 “[Lutetium lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan] has shown so effective in clinical studies that the FDA recently approved expanded use, and it can now be given prior to chemotherapy.” TS 1:56 “There are typically three parts to a radiopharmaceutical. One is a radioisotope, which emits the radiation. The second is a targeting molecule, which directs the compound to a specific site. And the third is a linker that binds the isotope to the targeting molecules securely. The targeting molecule is usually a substance that binds specifically to receptors, antigens, or metabolic pathways that are overexpressed on cancer cells.” TS 2:08 “We have an interdisciplinary team involvement. There’s a physicist, nurse, and provider that confirm lab values are within normal limits. The patient meets all the clinical and safety criteria for administration. Second is an IV placement where a nurse or clin tech starts the IV and verifies a strong blood return. This is critical to avoid extravasation, which can be harmful due to the vesicant-like nature of radiopharmaceuticals. And third, our patient voids immediately before the injection, which reduces bladder radiation dose. During the administration, our provider administers the radiopharmaceutical using a shielded syringe holder to reduce radiation exposure. The physicist remains present throughout the procedure. Lead aprons are worn by any team members close to the IV site, and then the Geiger counter is used by physics to measure ionizing radiation, which is done before, during, and after the procedure.” TS 3:28 “The policy we created doesn’t just address general principles. It includes very specific guidance for both [radium 223 dichloride] and [lutetium lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan]. That includes everything from determining patient eligibility to completing the treatment directive, confirming patient identity, verifying delivery parameters, documenting the treatment itself, and ensuring the treatment environment is appropriate and safe. We’ve also built in drug- specific practices because [radium 223 dichloride] and [lutetium lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan] each come with their own considerations. This includes competencies for nursing, tailored patient education for each therapy, and an extravasation checklist that outlines what to do and who’s responsible for tasks if infiltration occurs.”TS 11:24 “We created two separate versions [of an attestation model], one for clinical staff and one for non-clinical staff. Why include non-clinical staff? Because the risks extend beyond just the clinical team. What if environmental services comes in to clean and the patient has urinated on the floor? Or what if dietary delivers a tray and moves a urinal without knowing the risk? Or what if transport comes in and handles an incontinent brief without awareness? Each of these scenarios has potential for contamination and exposure. And that’s exactly why education for all roles matter.” TS 15:22 “These are such an exciting treatment for our patients, that’s not chemotherapy, that’s not radiation, and their qualit...
Transcribe →Episode 376: ONS 50th Anniversary: The Science Behind the History of Nursing Burnout and Compassion Fatigue
Aug 15, 202500:28:15Tap to summarize“At least some of the answer to these issues of compassion fatigue and burnout have to do making our practice environments the very, very best they can be so that nurses and other clinicians can really connect and care for patients in the ways that they want to be able to do that—and the patients need them to be able to do. I think there’s a lot that is here already and will be coming, and I feel pretty optimistic about it,” ONS member Anne Gross, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, FAAN, senior vice president for patient care services and chief nursing officer at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, told ONS member Christine Ladd, MSN, RN, OCN®, NE-BC, member of the ONS 50th anniversary committee, during a conversation about burnout and compassion fatigue in oncology nursing. Ladd spoke with Gross and ONS member Tracy Gosselin, PhD, RN, NEA-BC, AOCN®, FAAN, senior vice president and chief nursing executive at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York, NY, about the history of nurse well-being and how nurses and health systems are approaching it today. 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: ONS 50th anniversary series Episode 315: Processing Grief as an Oncology Nurse Episode 292: What We Need to Do to Retain Today’s Oncology Nursing Workforce Episode 291: Build a Sense of Belonging for Nurses and Patients Episode 264: Stop the Stressors and Improve Your Mental Health as a Nurse Episode 246: Create a Culture of Safety: Fair and Just Culture Episode 160: Build Innovative Staff Education Tools and Resources ONS Voice articles: Critical Event Debriefings Can Reduce Oncology Nurses’ Risk of Compassion Fatigue and Burnout ONS Chapters and DNP Candidates Combine Forces to Support Oncology Nurse Well-Being Step Out of Reality With Virtual Breaks to Support Your Wellness at Work Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Burnout and Well-Being: Evaluating Perceptions in Bone Marrow Transplantation Nurses Using a Mindfulness Application Engaging Nurse Residents Through Poetry Strategies to Mitigate Moral Distress in Oncology Nursing ONS Nurse Well-Being Learning Library ONS Communities ONS Chapters Connie Henke Yarbro Oncology Nursing History Center Oncology Nursing Foundation Resiliency 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 Gross: “I was on an oncology unit early in practice. And just like today, we were dealing with very sick patients. We were dealing with death and dying. We were administering very toxic treatments and really pushing a field forward in oncology. So there were similar challenges, but I think different from today. There weren’t the kind of resources; there wasn’t the body of work that’s been done today around compassion fatigue and burnout, work-life balance, and things like that. There was not that body of literature and science like there is today. And so there was more of a grassroots kind of support building in the clinical environment that I think I experienced.” TS 2:35 Gosselin: “I think there’s also a piece when we think about nurses in the work we do—we also have families. We have aging parents and children. And sometimes that burnout is multifactorial in that we have family obligations and other obligations that make it really hard. And for some people, they say work is their escape from some of that. Yet it’s all hard to balance sometimes.” TS 8:09 Gosselin: “It’s this question that people like Anne, myself, other chief nurses are saying. If we add this new technology, what are we going to take away? Do we need another alarm to ring to the phone or to their badge? How much can you ask people to do and not be distracted when they’re at point of care delivering patient care? Technology should never be a distractor, nor should it tell us how to practice. The technologies we have today—I’m like, ‘Wow, I wish I had that when I started my career.’ And yet there’s also a double-edged sword to that. I think we have to balance when we think about care and care delivery.” TS 16:36 Gross: “There are so many resour...
Transcribe →Episode 375: Pharmacology 101: VEGF Inhibitors
Aug 8, 202500:29:07Tap to summarize“We’re really using these in many, many types of malignancies. But you can see this class of drug, these monoclonal antibodies, the small molecule inhibitors, being used in colorectal cancer, ovarian cancer, renal cell carcinoma, brain cancers, hepatocellular, non-small cell lung cancer, gynecologic malignancies, so lots of different types of cancers where we’re seeing these drugs used,” 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 vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) 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 August 8, 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 VEGF inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Pharmacology 101 series Episode 303: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Ocular Toxicities Episode 244: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Cardiovascular Complications Episode 196: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Bleeding and Thrombosis Episode 161: Administer Bevacizumab Infusions With Confidence ONS Voice articles: Manage Afatinib’s Adverse Events to Keep Patients on Treatment Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Cabozantinib Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Fruquintinib Patient Education Needs With Pazopanib Therapy for Soft Tissue Sarcoma 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 article: Safety and Adverse Event Management of VEGFR-TKIs in Patients With Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma Oral Anticancer Medication Care Compass: Resources for Interprofessional Navigation ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Learning Library ONS Oral Anticancer Medication Toolkit IV Cancer Treatment Education Sheets 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 “Cancer cells are known to secrete factors that cause the formation of new blood vessels, and tumors need blood vessels to supply themselves with nutrients so that they can grow and metastasize. A lot of tumors overexpress these factors, so they had more of this ability to create new blood vessels. You may hear that term somewhere neo vascularization. … And also these factors can increase the permeability of blood vessels, so making them kind of leaky blood vessels. … So the thought behind it is being able to block the ability for this new blood vessel formation and to decrease that leakiness or permeability of those blood vessels.” TS 2:07 “These are drugs that are tyrosine kinase inhibitors. These are oral, small molecule drugs that are acting intracellular, so they are working within the cell to bind and prevent that downstream signaling of producing more blood vessels. So we have a number of small molecule drugs that fall into this class. Many of them target multiple types of receptors, VEGF being included, but also a lot of these drugs have other targets.” TS 7:58 <p cla...
Transcribe →Episode 374: Colorectal Cancer Treatment Considerations for Nurses
Aug 1, 202500:53:58Tap to summarize“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
Transcribe →Episode 373: Biomarker Testing in Prostate Cancer
Jul 25, 202500:16:10Tap to summarize“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’l...
Transcribe →Episode 372: Pharmacology 101: Proteasome Inhibitors
Jul 18, 202500:40:35Tap to summarize“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 ...
Transcribe →Episode 371: ONS 50th Anniversary: ONS’s Rich History of International Work Advances the Future of Global Oncology Nursing
Jul 11, 202500:44:26Tap to summarize“We want to make sure that nurses, have opportunities both in our local communities as well as international communities, to engage in courageous dialog with others who may think or look different than we do and whose culture or language may also be different. The difference is what brings us together and allows us to have more of this tapestry of what we are about—ensuring that we advance health for all and that we are able to move forward together,” ONS member Ashley Leak-Bryant, PhD, RN, OCN®, professor at University of North Carolina (UNC) at Chapel Hill, told Darcy Burbage, DNP, RN, AOCN®, CBCN®, chair of the ONS 50th Anniversary Committee, during a conversation about international collaboration in oncology nursing. Burbage spoke with Leak-Bryant, ONS member Kristin Ferguson, DNP, MBA, RN, OCN®, senior director of strategic operations, bone marrow transplant, and cellular therapies at MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, and ONS member and Chief Clinical Officer Erica Fischer-Cartlidge, DNP, RN, AOCNS®, EBP-C, about their experiences working in the global oncology space and how ONS is advancing those efforts. Music Credit: “Fireflies and Stardust” by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 Episode Notes ONS Podcast™ ONS 50th anniversary series ONS Voice articles: Bridging Borders and Advancing Oncology’s Global Mission Building Collaboration, Education With Oncology Nurses in Malawi Cancer Terms’ Negative Associations in African Languages Can Create Communication Barriers for Patients and Clinicians Latest Global Cancer Statistics Underscore the Stark Need to Address Resource-Based Disparities ONS Members Share Resources, Experiences With Philippine Colleagues Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Amplifying the Global Impact of Oncology Nursing How Can a Global Experience Enkindle a Passion for Oncology Nursing? Connie Henke Yarbro Oncology Nursing History Center ONS Global Initiatives Joint position statement from ISNCC, MASCC, ONS, AONS, and EONS: Cancer Nursing’s Potential to Reduce the Growing Burden of Cancer Across the World Asian Oncology Nursing Society City Cancer Challenge Canadian Association of Nurses in Oncology European Oncology Nursing Society Global Power of Oncology Nursing Health Volunteers Overseas International Society of Nurses in Cancer Care Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer UNC Project Malawi Union for International Cancer Control Email Ashley Leak-Bryant Email Kristin Ferguson Email Erica Fisher-Cartlidge at ONS Global Initiatives 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 Leak-Bryant: “My first experience was when I was 21 years old. This was when I was in nursing school at UNC Greensboro. An opportunity came about where I had a chance to go to Honduras, and it was for a one-week service learning cultural immersion experience. And that really gave me my first entree into global health as well as global training. And so, as a first-generation college graduate who had never been out of North Carolina nor had ever flown, it was really an eye-opening experience that has led me now to my current role and passion for global health.” TS 3:24 Leak-Bryant: “In 2018, we had the Malawian delegation come to UNC Chapel Hill. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill has one of the longest standing collaborations with Malawi, and we call it UNC Project Malawi, and it has been in existence for more than 30 years. … Those nurses and other allied health professionals came to UNC to our cancer center to see how we were making sure that we were engaged in best practices, then how they would be able to take that back to Malawi to make sure that they have what they need as they were opening up a new national cancer Center in Malawi.” TS 7:57 Ferguson: “I have volunteered with ONS at the Asian Pacific Breast Cancer Summit, which was in Indonesia in 2024, and then a few months ago in Singapore. And this is an exciting...
Transcribe →Episode 370: Colorectal Cancer Screening, Early Detection, and Disparities
Jul 4, 202500:40:04Tap to summarize“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 m...
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