CANCER BUZZ

While remote monitoring platforms have been used effectively throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to reduce the burden on patients and healthcare facilities around the country, Vanderbilt Ingram Cancer Center in Nashville, Tenn., has been using the technology in a different capacity—with its patients on CAR T-cell therapy. To avoid a lengthy inpatient stay, these patients are seen daily in Vanderbilt's outpatient clinic and then monitored virtually 24/7 at home or—for those who must travel to receive treatment—at their temporary lodging. The remote technology alerts cancer program staff of any significant changes in clinical status that would initiate a hospital admission.

Guest:

Brittney M. Baer, BSN, RNPatient Care CoordinatorVanderbilt University Medical Center

Resources:

Bringing CAR T-cell Therapy to Community Oncology Overview

CAR T-cell Practice Profile – Fox Chase Cancer Center

CAR T-cell Practice Profile – Billings Clinic Cancer Center

Gap Analysis: Bringing CAR T-cell Therapy to Community Oncology

IO Insight: Telemedicine and Cancer Care

Increased use of oral therapies means more freedom for patients with cancer, but also can lead to increased risks. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Tammy Smith, Family Nurse Practitioner for INOVA Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, VA, and Dr. Pearman Parker, Assistant Professor for the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences in Little Rock, AR. Hear how to educate patients and their caregivers about the risks and benefits to oral therapies for breast cancer. This is the second episode in a three-part series on breast cancer.

Tammy R. Smith, FNP

Family Nurse Practitioner

INOVA Fairfax Hospital

Falls Church, VA

Pearman Parker, PhD, MPH, RN, PMH-BC

Assistant Professor

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences

Little Rock, AR

Resources:

• Addressing Challenges in Oral Therapies for HR+, HER2- Breast Cancer
• Resource Library for HR+, HER- Breast Cancer
• Evolving Standards of Care for Advanced HER2+ Breast Cancer
• Metastatic Breast Cancer Project

Validated screening tools for malnutrition help to improve a patient's quality of life. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Dr. Christina Bowen, Chief Well-being Officer for Vidant Health in Greenville, NC, Dr. Egidio Del Fabbro, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of Palliative Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA and Kelay Trentham, registered dietician, nutritionist, and administrative fellow for the MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, WA. Hear about how to implement validated screening tools into your cancer program. This is the third episode in a three-part series on malnutrition in cancer care.

Christina Bowen, MD

Chief Well-being Officer

Vidant Health

Greenville, NC

Egidio Del Fabbro, MD

Professor of Internal Medicine

Director of Palliative Medicine

Medical College of Georgia

Augusta, GA

Kelay Trentham, MS, RDN, CSO, FAND

Senior Operations Specialist

MultiCare Health System

Tacoma, WA

Resources:

• Making the Business Case for Hiring a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
• "Prescribing" Exercise and Nutrition in Cancer Care
• Supporting Cancer Survivors in Making Healthful Lifestyle Changes
• That's My Farmer: A Research-Based Nutrition & Wellness Program
• Telehealth: Connecting Patients with Nutrition Services
• A Quality Improvement Nutrition Program
• Nutrition: The 7th Vital Sign

Cancer and its treatment impact patients in many ways, beginning before a diagnosis and lasting long through survivorship. One, often overlooked, side effect of cancer—whether it be from surgical, medical, or radiation treatment—relates to patients' sexual health. Hear how one Iowa-based program is addressing the sexual health gap in cancer care by supporting oncology professionals in having these conversations and referring patients to allied professionals as needed.

Guest:

Erin Sullivan-WagnerA survivor of cancer, life coach for cancer survivors, and co-founderAll of Me

Resources:

• All of Me: Bridging the Sexual Health Communication Gap in Cancer Care
• Fertility Preservation for Women with Cancer
• Pursuing Quality Cancer Care for Sexual and Gender Minority Patients
• Cancer Care Considerations for Sexual and Gender Minority Patients
• Improving Fertility Preservation Discussions for Adolescent and Young Adult Male Oncology Patients

Many cases of malnutrition are underdiagnosed and undertreated. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Dr. Christina Bowen, Chief Well-being Officer for Vidant Health in Greenville, NC, Dr. Egidio Del Fabbro, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of Palliative Medicine at the Medical College of Georgia in Augusta, GA and Kelay Trentham, registered dietician, nutritionist, and administrative fellow for the MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, WA. Hear about malnutrition detection processes and the use of validated screening tools. This is the second episode in a three-part series on malnutrition in cancer care.

Christina Bowen, MD

Chief Well-being Officer

Vidant Health

Greenville, NC

Egidio Del Fabbro, MD

Professor of Internal Medicine

Director of Palliative Medicine

Medical College of Georgia

Augusta, GA

Kelay Trentham, MS, RDN, CSO, FAND

Senior Operations Specialist

MultiCare Health System

Tacoma, WA

Resources:

• Making the Business Case for Hiring a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
• "Prescribing" Exercise and Nutrition in Cancer Care
• Supporting Cancer Survivors in Making Healthful Lifestyle Changes
• That's My Farmer: A Research-Based Nutrition & Wellness Program
• Telehealth: Connecting Patients with Nutrition Services
• A Quality Improvement Nutrition Program
• Nutrition: The 7th Vital Sign

For more than a decade, the United States healthcare system has been warned of an impending oncologist shortage that is projected to occur as the population continues to age and the demand for cancer services increases. As integral members of the cancer care team, advanced practice providers (APPS) play a pivotal role in the rapidly evolving oncology ecosystem, bolstering access to quality care. Allowing APPs (e.g., nurse practitioners and physician assistants) the privilege to sign anti-cancer treatment orders not only improves access to high-quality cancer care, it can also free up physician time to see more new patients and streamline clinic workflow.

Guest:

Archana Ajmera, MSN, ANP-BC, AOCNP Advance Practice Provider Supervisor University of California San Diego Moores Cancer Center

Resources:

• A Virtual Summit to Define the Role of Oncology Advanced Practitioners in Equitable Cancer Care Delivery: Executive Summary
• [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 63: Advanced Practitioners' Role in Research
• [MINI-PODCAST] Ep 65: Integrating Advanced Practitioners into Research
• An APP-Physician Model Improves Risk Stratification and Palliative Care
• Expediting Cancer Treatment Through a Rapid Access APP-Led Diagnostic Clinic
• Filling the Gap: APP Utilization to Meet Care Needs in Oncology

In the summer of 2020, staff at The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute in Columbus, Ohio, realized that many patients experiencing symptoms for cancer and those who needed further evaluation to reach a diagnosis were now actively avoiding the hospital given the COVID-19 pandemic. The underlying concern: the global pandemic might result in more patients presenting with late-stage disease that could have been diagnosed earlier. To fill this care gap, The James Cancer Hospital opened a new set of front doors to its facility—The James Cancer Diagnostic Center—where patients can be evaluated, diagnosed, and treated all under one roof.

Guest:

Raquel Reinbolt, MD Medical Director The Ohio State University Comprehensive Cancer Center – James Cancer Hospital and Solove Research Institute

Resources:

• Rapid Access Diagnostic Clinic Expedites Cancer Treatment
• 2022 ACCC Innovator Award Details
• ACCC 39th National Oncology Conference
• ACCC Forms Alliance to Improve Cancer Care Continuum
• Genetic Counseling in Cancer Care
• Bridging the Gap: Early Detection of cancer for the Medically Underserved

This podcast is part of a special series on the 2022 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this content, visit ACCC's Innovator Award website.

It's common for cancer programs and practices to struggle with timely treatment education, consent gathering, and adherence tracking, especially when an oral oncolytic is prescribed. These challenges are due in part to older solutions that are no longer benefiting all patients equally. To better address these concerns, Baptist Health South Florida, Miami Cancer Institute in Florida turned to technology solutions that were already being used by the health system and that were well understood by their healthcare teams and patients. By using these technologies and implementing existing staffing resources, Miami Cancer Institute staff are providing high-quality cancer care without having to dip deeper into its operating budget.

Guest:

Morgan Nestingen, MSN, APRN, AGCNS-BC, NEA-BC, OCN, ONN-CG Director of Nursing Services, Patient Intake and Navigation Baptist Health South Florida, Miami Cancer Institute

Resources:

• Improving Oral Oncolytic Compliance with Technology
• 2022 ACCC Innovator Award Details
• ACCC 39th National Oncology Conference
• Care Coordination: The Role of Pharmacy to Help Manage Patients with Cancer on Oral Oncolytics
• Leveraging Pharmacy Informatics to Standardize Pharmacists' Review of Oral Oncolytics for Hospitalized Patients
• Defining the Role of Oncology Advanced Practitioners
• Improve Oral Oncolytic Workflow and Reduce Treatment Delays with a Pharmacist Collaborative Practice Agreement

This podcast is part of a special series on the 2022 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this content, visit ACCC's Innovator Award website.

Ochsner Health, Ochsner Cancer Institute in Louisiana implemented a program—Chemotherapy Care Companion—to identify and meet oncology patients' needs in real time. By remotely monitoring those on intravenous or oral anti-cancer treatment, providers can discover and address the issues patients may experience during and after treatment appointments, including fluctuations in vitals. Since implementation, Chemotherapy Care Companion has decreased patients' healthcare costs by preventing emergency department (ED) visits and hospitalizations and improved their overall satisfaction.

Guest:

Erin Pierce, MSN, APRN, FNP-CNurse PractitionerOchsner Health, Ochsner Cancer Institute

Resources:

• Chemotherapy Care Companion: An Oncology Remote Patient Monitoring Program
• 2022 ACCC Innovator Award Details
• ACCC 39th National Oncology Conference
• Telehealth Success Stories: Remote Symptom Monitoring Using Patient Reported Outcomes
• Remote Home Monitoring of Patients with Cancer During the COVID-19 Pandemic

This podcast is part of a special series on the 2022 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this content, visit ACCC's Innovator Award website.

Weight loss and malnutrition can be caused by the effects of cancer, such as malabsorption, or adverse effects from cancer therapies. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Kelay Trentham, registered dietitian, nutritionist, and administrative fellow for the MultiCare Health System in Tacoma, Washington, and Christie Mangir, patient advocate and breast cancer survivor. Hear how malnutrition affects people with cancer in different ways, even impacting cancer treatment plans. This is the first episode in a three-part series on malnutrition in cancer care.

Kelay Trentham, MS, RDN, CSO, FAND

Senior Operations Specialist

MultiCare Health System

Tacoma, WA

Christie Campo Mangir, MS

Assistant Director, Education Programs

Association of Community Cancer Centers

San Francisco, CA

Resources:

• Making the Business Case for Hiring a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist
• "Prescribing" Exercise and Nutrition in Cancer Care
• Supporting Cancer Survivors in Making Healthful Lifestyle Changes
• That's My Farmer: A Research-Based Nutrition & Wellness Program
• Telehealth: Connecting Patients with Nutrition Services
• A Quality Improvement Nutrition Program
• Nutrition: The 7th Vital Sign