Episodios

  • Episode 403: Pharmacology 101: Checkpoint Inhibitors

    Episode 403: Pharmacology 101: Checkpoint Inhibitors
    Feb 20 2026
    "Because the premise of immune checkpoint blockade centers around elevating the immune function, we should always take a great deal of caution around those patients who have high immune risks. Those include patients with autoimmune disorders. That's one of our biggest questions that we ask, usually every consult that we're seeing with solid tumor. 'Do you have any history of autoimmune disorders? Tell me a little bit more about it. Is it being treated? What are your symptoms like?' And then also patients who have undergone organ transplants. Now, interestingly, this does include stem cell transplants," Kelsey Finch, PharmD, BCOP, oncology pharmacist practitioner at Columbus Regional Health in Indiana, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about checkpoint inhibitors. 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 February 20, 2027. Kelsey Finch has disclosed a speakers bureau relationship with AstraZeneca. This financial relationship has been mitigated. 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 checkpoint inhibitors in the treatment of cancer. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Pharmacology 101 series Episode 273: Updates in Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Episode 174: Administer Pembrolizumab Immunotherapy With Confidence Episode 139: How CAR and Other T Cells Are Revolutionizing Cancer Treatment ONS Voice articles: Here's Why Oncology Nurses Are Pivotal in Managing Immune-Related Adverse Events Make Subcutaneous Administration More Comfortable for Your Patients Nursing Considerations for ICI-Related Myocarditis Oncology Nurses Navigate the Changing Landscape of Immuno-Oncology Postdischarge ICI Patient Education Eliminates Hospital Readmissions Shorter Administration Times Still Require High-Acuity Care ONS Voice oncology drug reference sheets: Dostarlimab-Gxly Nivolumab and Hyaluronidase-Nvhy Nivolumab and Relatlimab-Rmbw Pembrolizumab and Berahyaluronidase Alfa-Pmph Retifanlimab-Dlwr Toripalimab-Tpzi ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Guide to Cancer Immunotherapy (second edition) ONS course: ONS/ONCC® Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate™Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor–Related Myocarditis: Recognition, Surveillance, and Management Immune Checkpoint Inhibitor Therapy: Key Principles When Educating Patients Triple M Syndrome: Implications for Hematology-Oncology Advanced Practice Providers ONS Huddle Cards: Checkpoint Inhibitors Immunotherapy ONS Learning Libraries: Genomics and Precision Oncology Learning LibraryImmuno-Oncology Learning Library Drugs@FDA package insertsNational Comprehensive Cancer Network homepage OncoLink: All About Immunotherapy 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 "Before immune checkpoint blockade, the two-year overall survival rate in metastatic melanoma was hovering around 10%. After these agents came to market, depending on the trial and the agents used, that number actually increased to about 50%–65%. So, five times the amount of patients were actually living at the two-year mark. Not surprisingly, studies then exploded across several tumor types, leading to approvals in all sorts of cancers, mostly in the solid tumor. But there are a couple hematologic as well. Lung cancer, kidney cancer, head and neck, Hodgkin lymphoma, hepatocellular, the list goes on. So, it's really just transforming the stage IV setting across all tumors, specifically from uniformly fatal prognosis to one where durable responses and long-term survival is also possible." TS 3:03 "There are four different mechanisms officially being used in therapies that are approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Those are cytotoxic T-lymphocyte–associated protein 4, programmed cell death protein 1, and programmed cell death ligand 1, which I'm counting as two different mechanisms, even though they somewhat work together. And lymphocyte-activation gene 3 is the fourth one that's in there. So, all these mechanisms impact the T cell in our immune system. The T cell is traditionally responsible for protecting our body from harmful things like ...
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    34 m
  • Episode 402: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Head and Neck Cancer

    Episode 402: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Head and Neck Cancer
    Feb 13 2026
    "It's important to clarify that most patients will experience and at least some side effects—and often several. So prevention really means reducing severity, complications, and long-term impact rather than avoiding side effects altogether. This process starts before radiation begins and continues throughout the treatment and includes dental evaluation, baseline swallowing assessments, and thorough patient education," ONS member Astrid Amoresano, RN, OCN®, lead oncology nurse specialist at New York Proton Center in New York, NY, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about side effects of radiation for head and neck cancer. 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 February 13, 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 radiation side effects in people with head and neck cancer. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ episodes: Cancer Symptom Management Basics series Episode 301: Radiation Oncology: Side Effect and Care Coordination Best Practices Episode 128: Manage Treatment-Related Radiodermatitis With ONS Guidelines™ ONS Voice articles: Highly Localized, Precision Radiation Therapies Require Nurses to Drive Care Coordination, Patient Education IMRT Shows Similar Quality-of-Life Outcomes to Proton Therapy in Head and Neck Cancer How to Handle Even the Worst Radiation Therapy Side Effects ONS book: Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education (fifth edition) ONS courses: ONS/ONCC® Radiation Therapy Certificate™ ONS Oncology Symptom Management Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: The Role of Advanced Practice Providers in Radiation Oncology in 2025 Systematic Review of Malnutrition Risk Factors to Identify Nutritionally At-Risk Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Effects of a Nurse-Initiated Telephone Care Path for Pain Management in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy Radiation-Induced Skin Dermatitis: Treatment With CamWell® Herb to Soothe® Cream in Patients With Head and Neck Cancer Receiving Radiation Therapy ONS Radiation Learning Library ONS Symptom Intervention Resources ONCC: Radiation Oncology Certified Nurse (ROCN™) American Cancer Society CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians article: American Cancer Society Head and Neck Cancer Survivorship Care Guideline Cancer Survivors Network: Head and neck cancer Head and neck cancer resources Radiation therapy resources American Society of Radiation Oncology National Cancer Institute: Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) 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 "Many tumors in the region are very radiosensitive, and radiation can be used either as definitive treatment or after surgery to reduce the risk of reoccurrence, but in many cases, radiation is combined with chemotherapy to improve local control. Because so many vital structures are located in this small complex area, radiation allows us to treat the cancer while minimizing the need for extensive or disfiguring surgery." TS 2:40 "The most common acute side effects of head and neck radiation: effects to the mouth, the throat, the skin, and the energy level. Patients often experience a mucositis, pain or sore throat, difficulty swallowing, dry mouth, or thick saliva, and taste changes. Skin irritation and redness in the treatment field is also common and can progress to dry and moist desquamation. Fatigue is another frequent side effect and tends to build as treatment progresses. Emotional and psychological distress are also very common in this patient population and can have an impact on daily function and quality of life. Side effects usually develop gradually, often beginning in the second and third week of radiation and may be more severe or have an earlier onset in patients receiving concurrent chemotherapy." TS 4:02 "Pain management is essential so patients can continue eating and drinking. Supporting the energy level and maintaining hydration are also key, as fatigue and dehydration can significantly worsen other...
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    25 m
  • Episode 401: Multiple Myeloma Treatment Considerations for Oncology Nurses

    Episode 401: Multiple Myeloma Treatment Considerations for Oncology Nurses
    Feb 6 2026
    "You also want to deal with patient preferences. We do want to get their disease under control. We want to make them live a long, good quality of life. But do they want to come to the clinic once a week? Is it a far distance? Is geography a problem? Do they prefer not taking oral chemotherapies at home? We have to think about what the patient's preferences are to some degree and kind of incorporate that in our decision-making plan for treatments for relapsed and refractory myeloma," 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 treatment considerations. 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 February 6, 2027. Ann McNeill has disclosed a speakers bureau relationship with Pfizer. This financial relationship has been mitigated. 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 treatment of multiple myeloma. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.ONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 398: An Overview of Multiple Myeloma for Oncology Nurses Episode 395: Pharmacology 101: Monoclonal Antibodies Episode 372: Pharmacology 101: Proteasome Inhibitors ONS Voice articles: Effective Care Transitions Are Essential for New Multiple Myeloma Treatments New Multiple Myeloma Treatments Present New Challenges in Side Effect Management Reduce Racial Barriers and Care Inequities for Black and African American Patients With Multiple Myeloma ONS Voice FDA approval alertsONS Voice oncology drug reference sheets: Belantamab mafodotin-blmf Daratumumab Motixafortide Selinexor Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Journey of a Patient With Multiple Myeloma Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation Optimizing Transitions of Care in Multiple Myeloma Immunotherapy: Nurse Roles Oncology Nursing Forum article: Facilitators of Multiple Myeloma Treatment: A Qualitative StudyONS books: Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation: A Manual for Nursing Practice (third edition) Multiple Myeloma: A Textbook for Nurses (third edition) ONS course: ONS Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation™ONS Huddle Cards: Financial Toxicity Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation (HSCT) Monoclonal Antibodies ONS Hematology, Cellular Therapy, and Stem Cell Transplantation Learning LibraryAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO)–Ontario Health: Treatment of Multiple Myeloma Living GuidelineInternational Myeloma Foundation: Clinical Trials Fact SheetsClinical Trial SupportResource Library Multiple Myeloma Research Foundation resource: Treatments for 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 "Typically for our first-line therapies, we use certain classes of drugs and some of them are proteasome inhibitors like bortezomib and carfilzomib. We also have IMiDs or immunomodulatory agents like thalidomide, lenalidomide, and pomalidomide. We have monoclonal antibodies, anti-CD38 monoclonal antibodies. Of course, we can never talk about treatment for myeloma without mentioning dexamethasone. It is an integral part of our treatment regimen. Most of our frontline therapies now are not just a single agent. They're not even doublets anymore. Typically, they're triplet therapies. And now in 2026, it's leaning more toward quadruplet therapies. By that, I mean you're taking a proteasome inhibitor, an immunomodulatory drug, dexamethasone, and an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody all together to present patients with a good chance their induction therapy will lead to a good chance of them responding to treatment." TS 4:25 "[With] myeloma labs, there should be some indication after each cycle of therapy that the treatment is working. So, you don't have to do a whole myeloma panel, but maybe getting a monoclonal protein spike, maybe getting a free light chain assay, or maybe an immunoglobulin G or immunoglobulin A level, just to see if the treatment is working. So, those labs are crucial to determine whether the therapies are working. And again, the lab improvements usually correlate with the clinical presentation of the patient." TS 11:01 "There are active clinical trials ongoing with drugs like cell mods...
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    37 m
  • Episode 400: Pharmacology 101: Radioimmunoconjugates

    Episode 400: Pharmacology 101: Radioimmunoconjugates
    Jan 30 2026
    "Radioimmunoconjugates work through a dual mechanism that combines immunologic targeting with localized radiation delivery. The monoclonal antibody components bind to specific tumor-associated antigens such as CD20, expressed on malignant B cells. Once found, the attached radioisotope delivers beta radiation directly to the tumor, causing DNA damage and cell death," Sabrina Enoch, MSN, RN, OCN®, CNMT, NMTCB (CT), theranostics clinical specialist at Highlands Oncology in Rogers, AR, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about radioimmunoconjugates. Music Credit: "Fireflies and Stardust" by Kevin MacLeod Licensed under Creative Commons by Attribution 3.0 Earn 0.25 contact hours of nursing continuing professional development (NCPD) by listening to the full recording and completing an evaluation at courses.ons.org by January 30, 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 in the history of, the mechanism of action of, and the use of radioimmunoconjugates in the treatment of cancer. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.ONS Podcast™ episodes: Pharmacology 101 series Episode 377: Creating and Implementing Radiopharmaceutical Policies and Procedures Episode 301: Radiation Oncology: Side Effect and Care Coordination Best Practices Episode 298: Radiation Oncology: Nursing's Essential Roles ONS Voice articles: Interprofessional Collaboration Reduces Time to Neutropenia Antibiotic Administration 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 Telehealth Has Value During Radiotherapy, Patients Say ONS Voice oncology drug reference sheets: Lutetium Lu 177 dotatate Lutetium Lu 177 vipivotide tetraxetan Radium 223 dichloride Sodium iodide-131 Strontium chloride Sr-89 ONS books: Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Manual for Radiation Oncology Nursing Practice and Education (fifth edition) ONS courses: ONS/ONCC® Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Certificate™ ONS/ONCC® Radiation Therapy Certificate™ Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Radiopharmaceutical Safety: Making It Easy Targeted Radionuclide Therapy: A Theranostic Approach to Cancer Therapy ONS Huddle Cards: Radiobiology Radiopharmaceuticals ONS Learning Libraries: Immuno-OncologyRadiation ONS Symptom Interventions for Prevention of BleedingDrugs@FDA package inserts 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 "Radioimmunoconjugates are a specialized subset of radiopharmaceuticals designed to combine the specificity of monoclonal antibodies with the cytotoxic power of radiation. ... Early development focused on B-cell malignancies, particularly non-Hodgkin lymphoma." TS 1:51 "An important concept for nurses to understand is the crossfire effect, where radiation can affect nearby tumor cells, even though not every cell expressed has the target antigen. This helps explain why these agents can be effective even in heterogeneous tumors." TS 3:40 "At present, 90 Y-ibritumomab tiuxetan is the only radioimmunoconjugate approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in clinical use. Historically, iodine-131 tositumomab played a major role in establishing these therapy classes, but it's also useful to contrast radioimmunoconjugates with other radiopharmaceuticals, such as iodine-131 therapies, which a lot of places do at this time, used for thyroid diseases, or radium 223, used for metastatic prostate cancer. Unlike those agents, radioimmunoconjugates rely on antibody-mediated targeted rather than physiologic uptake or bone affinity." TS 4:55 "I just try to explain to [patients] that radiation exposure is like being next to a flame. The further you are away, the less heat you get, the less exposure you get. These patients can be radioactive for three days, seven days—it just depends on how fast they excrete it through their bodies with half-life exposure." TS 9:33 "While only one agent is currently approved, the principles established by radioimmunoconjugates continue to guide development for newer targeted radiopharmaceuticals. Emerging agents aim to improve targeting, reduce toxicity, and expand indications beyond hematologic malignancies. This ...
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    14 m
  • Episode 399: National Hazardous Drug Exposure Registry

    Episode 399: National Hazardous Drug Exposure Registry
    Jan 23 2026
    "The United States does not have a national cancer registry. We have a bunch of state registries. Some of those registries do collaborate and share information, but the issue is the registries that do exist typically do not report cancer by occupation. So, we cannot get our arms around the potential work-relatedness of the health outcome given the current way the state registries collect information. What we're trying to set up, is a way to make what is currently an invisible risk, visible," ONS member Melissa McDiarmid, MD, MPH, DABT, professor of medicine and epidemiology and public health director of the division of occupational and environmental medicine at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about the University of Maryland School of Medicine Hazardous Drug Safety Center Exposure Registry. 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 23, 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 in the incidence of hazardous drug exposure and the tracking and reporting of healthcare worker exposures. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD.University of Maryland School of Medicine Hazardous Drug Safety Center Exposure Registry information sheetONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 330: Stay Up to Date on Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Episode 308: Hazardous Drugs and Hazardous Waste: Personal, Patient, and Environmental Safety Episode 209: Updates in Chemo PPE and Safe Handling ONS Voice articles: Hazardous Drug Surface Contamination Prevails, Despite More Diligent PPE National Hazardous Drug Exposure Registry Safeguards Oncology Professionals NIOSH Releases Its 2024 List of Hazardous Drugs Safe Handling—We've Come a Long Way, Baby! Strategies to Promote Safe Medication Administration Practices Surfaces in Patient Bathrooms Often Contaminated With HDs, Despite Use of Plastic-Backed Pads ONS books: Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs (fourth edition) Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Quick Guide™ ONS course: Safe Handling BasicsClinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Hazardous Drug Exposure: Case Report Analysis From a Prospective, Multisite Study of Oncology Nurses' Exposure in Ambulatory Settings Personal Protective Equipment Use and Surface Contamination With Antineoplastic Drugs: The Impact of the COVID-19 Pandemic Sequential Wipe Testing for Hazardous Drugs: A Quality Improvement Project The Use of Plastic-Backed Pads to Reduce Hazardous Drug Contamination Oncology Nursing Forum articles: Ensuring Healthcare Worker Safety When Handling Hazardous Drugs Factors Influencing Nurses' Use of Hazardous Drug Safe Handling Precautions Other ONS resources: ONS Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Quick Guide Introduction to Safe Handling Huddle Card Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs Learning Library Hematology/Oncology Pharmacy Association (HOPA) course: Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) List of Hazardous Drugs in Healthcare Settings, 2024 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 "We thought that in order to answer some of the unclear questions about health risk, we would set up an exposure registry, in this case, for oncology personnel who handle the drugs. This would then create a cohort that we could ask questions to. For example, we could try to characterize whether there is a cancer excess in this group. Or characterize the reproductive abnormalities in excess that people are experiencing." TS 6:21 "It's sort of counterintuitive that the healthcare industry, whose mission itself is care of the sick, is a high-hazard industry. We typically think about the risk as being from infectious diseases, and certainly we've all lived in our practice lifetime through some examples of that. Even before COVID-19, some of us were doing preparation for Ebola and that sort of thing. So, we're kind of used to that. But the hazards that you kind of grew up with, we've routinized or normalized handling group one, human carcinogens, which a number of these drugs are—it's just something we ...
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    40 m
  • Episode 398: An Overview of Multiple Myeloma for Oncology Nurses

    Episode 398: An Overview of Multiple Myeloma for Oncology Nurses
    Jan 16 2026
    "[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 pageInternational Myeloma Foundation homepageMyeloma 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 ...
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    44 m
  • Episode 397: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Ototoxicity

    Episode 397: Cancer Symptom Management Basics: Ototoxicity
    Jan 9 2026
    "Referring patients to audiology early on has shown dramatic reduction in hearing loss or complications because the audiologist can really see where were they at before they started chemotherapy, where were they at during, if they get an audiogram during their treatment. And then after treatment, it's really important for them to see an audiologist because this is really a survivorship journey for them. And as nurses, the 'so what': We are the first line of defense," ONS member Jennessa Rooker, PhD, RN, OCN®, director of nursing excellence at the Tampa General Hospital Cancer Institute in Florida, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS®, manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during a conversation about ototoxicity in cancer care. 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 January 9, 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 management of ototoxicity after chemotherapy treatment. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS Podcast™ Cancer Symptom Management Basics series ONS Voice articles: Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Cisplatin Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Carboplatin Oncology Drug Reference Sheet: Oxaliplatin FDA Approves Sodium Thiosulfate for Cisplatin-Associated Ototoxicity in Pediatric Patients ONS book: Clinical Manual for the Oncology Advanced Practice Nurse (fourth edition) American Cancer Society resources: 4 Causes of Hearing Problems for Cancer Survivors Cancer Survivors Network American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) Hearing Loss: An Under-Recognized Side Effect of Cancer Treatment Embedded Ear Care: Audiology on the Cancer Treatment Team American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Annual Meeting abstract: Innovative Infusion Center Assessments of Chemotherapy-Induced Neurotoxicities: A Pilot Study Supporting Early and Routine Screenings as Part of Survivorship Programs Children's Oncology Group supportive care endorsed guideline: Prevention of Cisplatin-Induced Ototoxicity in Children and Adolescents With Cancer: A Clinical Practice Guideline Ear and Hearing article: Roadmap to a Global Template for Implementation of Ototoxicity Management for Cancer Treatment International Ototoxicity Management Group (IOMG) IOMG Wikiversity page Shoebox hearing assessments World Health Organization initiative: Make Listening Safe 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 "At different pitches, the eardrums move faster or slower, signaling the inner ear, or the cochlea—the thing that looks like a snail in the pictures. The cochlea has fluid and hair cells inside of it that receive movements from the eardrum. The hair cells change the movement into electrical signals that actually go to the auditory nerves or the cranial nerve VIII." TS 2:15 "Ototoxicity is an umbrella term for some sort of exposure to a toxin that causes damage to the inner ear. These toxins can be in the environment, such as loud or different noises, or they can be from medications, including antibiotics or commonly cancer treatments, such as radiation chemotherapy. Some common chemotherapies can be platinum-based chemotherapies like cisplatin or carboplatin. And then what patients are experiencing if they have ototoxicity can be hearing loss." TS 3:15 "The hypothesized mechanism of action is that the chemicals like the platinum compound in cisplatin … that platinum compound travels through our bloodstream. Since chemotherapy is systemic, it'll go to the inner ear, and it gets stuck there by binding to the cellular DNA in that cochlea, or that snail-looking image. That initiates the release of the reactive oxygen species, which are really trying to help clean it out, but releases such high levels that it ends up causing damage to those inner ear hairs. These inner ear hairs cannot regenerate themselves, so then they're permanently damaged. And remember we said that those hairs send electrical signals to the brain that recognize sound. So that function is permanently gone once those hair cells are damaged." TS 7:10 "I definitely think this is a huge interdisciplinary collaborative effort. As nurses and advanced providers, we're ...
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    38 m
  • Episode 396: Nursing Considerations From the ONS/ASCO Extravasation Guideline

    Episode 396: Nursing Considerations From the ONS/ASCO Extravasation Guideline
    Jan 2 2026
    "We proposed a concept to the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), recognizing that extravasation management requires significant interdisciplinary collaboration and rapid action. There can occasionally be uncertainty or lack of clear guidance when an extravasation event occurs, and our objective was to look at this evidence with the expert panel to create a resource to support oncology teams overall. We hope that the guideline can help mitigate harm and improve patient outcomes," Caroline Clark, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, OCN®, EBP-C, director of guidelines and quality at ONS, told Chelsea Backler, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, AOCNS®, VA-BC, oncology clinical specialist at ONS, during a conversation about the ONS/ASCO Guideline on the Management of Antineoplastic Extravasation. 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 January 2, 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 management of antineoplastic extravasation. Episode Notes Complete this evaluation for free NCPD. ONS/ASCO Guideline on the Management of Antineoplastic ExtravasationONS Podcast™ episodes: Episode 391: Pharmacology 101: Antibody–Drug Conjugates Episode 335: Ultrasound-Guided IV Placement in the Oncology Setting Episode 145: Administer Taxane Chemotherapies With Confidence Episode 127: Reduce and Manage Extravasations When Administering Cancer Treatments ONS Voice articles: Access Devices and Central Lines: New Evidence and Innovations Are Changing Practice, but Individual Patient Needs Always Come First New Extravasation Guidelines Provide Recommendations for Protecting Patients and Standardizing Care Standardizing Venous Access Assessment and Validating Safe Chemo Administration Drastically Lowers Rates of Adverse Venous Events This Organization's Program Trains Non-Oncology Nurses to Deliver Antineoplastic Agents Safely ONS books: Access Device Guidelines: Recommendations for Nursing Practice and Education (fourth edition) Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Guidelines and Recommendations for Practice (second edition) Clinical Guide to Antineoplastic Therapy: A Chemotherapy Handbook (fourth edition) ONS courses: Complications of Vascular Access Devices (VAD) and IV Therapy ONS Fundamentals of Chemotherapy and Immunotherapy Administration™ ONS Oncology Treatment Modalities Clinical Journal of Oncology Nursing articles: Chemotherapy Extravasation: Incidence of and Factors Associated With Events in a Community Cancer Center Standardized Venous Access Assessment and Safe Chemotherapy Administration to Reduce Adverse Venous Events Oncology Nursing Forum article: Management of Extravasation of Antineoplastic Agents in Patients Undergoing Treatment for Cancer: A Systematic ReviewONS huddle cards: Antineoplastic Administration Chemotherapy Immunotherapy Implanted Venous Port ONS position statements: Administration (Infusion and Injection) of Antineoplastic Therapies in the Home Education of the Nurse Who Administers and Cares for the Individual Receiving Antineoplastic Therapies ONS Guidelines™ for Extravasation ManagementONS Oncologic Emergencies Learning Library ONS/ASCO Algorithm on the Management of Antineoplastic Extravasation of Vesicant or Irritant With Vesicant Properties in AdultsAmerican Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO) Podcast: Management of Antineoplastic Extravasation: ONS-ASCO Guideline 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 focus of this guideline was specifically on intravenous antineoplastic extravasation or when a vesicant or an irritant with vesicant properties leaks out of the vascular space. This can cause an injury to the patient that's influenced by several factors including the specific drug that was involved in the extravasation, whether it was DNA binding, how much extravasated, the affected area, and individual patient characteristics." TS 1:48 "The panel identified and ranked outcomes that mattered most with extravasation. Not surprising, one of the first was tissue necrosis. Like, 'How are we going to prevent tissue necrosis and preserve tissue?' The next were pain, quality of life, delays in cancer treatment: How is an extravasation going to delay cancer ...
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