|
 |
Volume 4, Number 12 (December 2007) | |||||
Letter from the Editor |
|||||
707 |
Reflect, review, regroup, and rejoice Wilshire Oncology Medical Group, Inc., La Verne, CA This last edition of our fourth year of Community Oncology offers, as always, articles that will enhance your practice of oncology.
|
||||
Community Dialogue |
|||||
714 |
The head-and-neck cancer registry: a needed national database Although most advances in the treatment of head and neck cancer have come through clinical trials, the degree to which these studies have changed clinical practice—and at what pace—is largely unknown. Enter LORHAN, the Longitudinal Oncology Registry of Head and Neck carcinoma.
| ||||
Community Translations |
|||||
719 |
Deferasirox for chronic transfusional iron overload Orally administerd iron chelator simplifies treatment of excessive iron build-up in patients requiring repeated blood transfusions. | ||||
FROM THE COMMUNITY ONCOLOGIST'S PERSPECTIVE David Lee Outpatient Cancer Center, Charleston Area Medical Center, West Virginia University, Charleston, WV | |||||
FROM THE ADMINISTRATOR'S PERSPECTIVE David Lee Outpatient Cancer Center, Charleston Area Medical Center, West Virginia University, Charleston, WV
| |||||
Medical Management |
|||||
725 |
Helping breast cancer patients adhere to oral adjuvant hormonal therapy regimens Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA; American Cancer Society, Atlanta, GA; CancerCare, New York, NY; Y-ME National Breast Cancer Organization, Chicago, IL; and Drexel University College of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA Considering the importance of adjuvant hormonal therapy to preventing recurrence and death among women with early-stage breast cancer, an effort is being made to improve understanding of adherence issues and to devise strategies to increase adherence. The authors enumerate the reasons for nonadherence to oral adjuvant hormonal therapy regimens, illustrating the difficulties through patient reports. A series of concrete steps are outlined so that healthcare teams can address the barriers to adherence and help patients stick to their regimens. These recommendations may also provide direction for adherence to a broader range of oncology treatments.
| ||||
Economics/Practice Management |
|||||
737 |
Creating a culture of customer service Cancer Centers of Florida, Orlando, FL In today’s competitive environment, one of the keys to building a successful oncology practice is delivering a positive experience for both patients and referring physicians. Positive experiences don’t just happen by themselves; they must be actively cultivated by building a culture of customer service.
| ||||
Managing Side Effects |
|||||
739 |
Trastuzumab and cardiac toxicity: monitoring in the adjuvant setting Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center, West Virginia University School of Medicine, Morgantown, WV Although trastuzumab has been approved for use in patients with metastatic breast cancer, recent trials have shown a significant impact of adding trastuzumab to adjuvant therapy for patients with early breast cancer. A major limiting toxicity for trastuzumab is the potential to precipitate heart failure, particularly after anthracycline-based treatment. We have analyzed the phase III adjuvant trials to generate universal guidelines for trastuzumab treatment in patients with early breast cancer.
| ||||
Psychosocial Oncology |
|||||
748 |
Caring for the whole patient: the Institute of Medicine proposes a new standard of care On October 23, 2007, the Institute of Medicine (IoM) issued a report entitled “Cancer Care for the Whole Patient: Meeting Psychosocial Health Needs.” The report proposes a new standard of care under which “all oncology care providers would systematically screen patients for distress and other problems; connect patients with health care or service providers who have resources to tackle these issues and coordinate care with these professionals; and periodically re-evaluate patients to determine if any changes in care are needed.” To that end, the IoM recommends an evidence-based model that would ensure psychosocial health services are integrated into cancer care and provides specific steps to implement this model, across settings where resources may vary.
| ||||
Focus On |
|||||
733 |
Bendamustine: what’s old is new again Bendamustine (Treanda) was developed during the 1960s in East Germany, where it was used to treat 20,000 cancer patients with a variety of malignancies, including non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), multiple myeloma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), as well as several solid tumors. Now the FDA is considering approving it for US patients.
| ||||
Washington Update |
|||||
746 |
Congress moves to block Medicare restrictions on ESA use Community Oncology Alliance, Washington, DC
| ||||
2007 Annual Index |
|||||
752 |
Author and subject indices
| ||||
© 2007 by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. |
|||||
47 kb