CANCER BUZZ

Association of Community Cancer Centers

CANCER BUZZ features fresh perspectives on hot topics in oncology care delivery. CANCER BUZZ is where stakeholders from the front lines of care to the C-suite, from research to the registry, from chairside to benchside, talk about top-of-mind questions and real-world impact. read less

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Examining Shared Decision-Making in Bladder Cancer Care

Examining Shared Decision-Making in Bladder Cancer Care

Bladder cancer cases continue to rise regardless of treatment advances. In addition, disparities in bladder cancer persist, especially with respect to race. There is a documented connection between patient demographics and the impact on health outcomes. ACCC launched the Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care project to help cancer centers apply evidence-based health literacy and shared decision-making principles and strategies to reduce disparities in bladder cancer care. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Mary W. Dunn, MSN, RN, OCN, NP-C, Adult Nurse Practitioner of Urology and Medical Oncology at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS, Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of California in San Francisco, California. Listen as we discuss best practices in health literacy, shared decision-making for bladder cancer care, disparities experienced by female patients, and educational resources being developed through the Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care initiative. “Phase 1 analysis of the Bladder Cancer Care Initiative found major gaps in guideline concordant care of all bladder cancer patients, particularly populations that are already facing disparities.” Samuel L. Washington III “I think when you're dealing with something that is as delicate and difficult and potentially traumatic as a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, ensuring that the patient knows that their voice matters in the treatment decision making process is huge, and incorporating their goals of care…” Mary W. Dunn “When it comes to effective health literacy practices, the first step is really understanding the difference between literacy (how comfortable people are at reading and their reading level) and health literacy, which is almost a separate language of medical jargon and terms. These terms do not correlate or aren’t a 1 to 1 equivalent comparison.” Samuel L. Washington III Mary W. Dunn, MSN, RN, OCN, NP-C Adult Nurse Practitioner, Urology and Medical Oncology UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Chapel Hill, NC Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS Assistant Professor of Urology University of California San Francisco, CA Resources: CancerCare’s shared decision making tool - “What Matters to Me” Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network’s (BCAN) - Treatment Matrix Cancer Support Community ACCC Health Literacy and Clear Communication eCourse AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit This project is supported by EMD Serono and Pfizer.

Examining Shared Decision-Making in Bladder Cancer Care

Examining Shared Decision-Making in Bladder Cancer Care

Bladder cancer cases continue to rise regardless of treatment advances. In addition, disparities in bladder cancer persist, especially with respect to race. There is a documented connection between patient demographics and the impact on health outcomes. ACCC launched the Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care project to help cancer centers apply evidence-based health literacy and shared decision-making principles and strategies to reduce disparities in bladder cancer care. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Mary W. Dunn, MSN, RN, OCN, NP-C, Adult Nurse Practitioner of Urology and Medical Oncology at the UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS, Assistant Professor of Urology at the University of California in San Francisco, California. Listen as we discuss best practices in health literacy, shared decision-making for bladder cancer care, disparities experienced by female patients, and educational resources being developed through the Addressing Disparities in Bladder Cancer Care initiative. “Phase 1 analysis of the Bladder Cancer Care Initiative found major gaps in guideline concordant care of all bladder cancer patients, particularly populations that are already facing disparities.” Samuel L. Washington III “I think when you're dealing with something that is as delicate and difficult and potentially traumatic as a cancer diagnosis and cancer treatment, ensuring that the patient knows that their voice matters in the treatment decision making process is huge, and incorporating their goals of care…” Mary W. Dunn “When it comes to effective health literacy practices, the first step is really understanding the difference between literacy (how comfortable people are at reading and their reading level) and health literacy, which is almost a separate language of medical jargon and terms. These terms do not correlate or aren’t a 1 to 1 equivalent comparison.” Samuel L. Washington III Mary W. Dunn, MSN, RN, OCN, NP-C Adult Nurse Practitioner, Urology and Medical Oncology UNC Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center Chapel Hill, NC Samuel L. Washington III, MD, MAS Assistant Professor of Urology University of California San Francisco, CA Resources: CancerCare’s shared decision making tool - “What Matters to Me” Bladder Cancer Advocacy Network’s (BCAN) - Treatment Matrix Cancer Support Community ACCC Health Literacy and Clear Communication eCourse AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit This project is supported by EMD Serono and Pfizer.

Importance of Clinical Team to Recognize SCLC

Importance of Clinical Team to Recognize SCLC

It is important for the cancer team to be able to recognize what a small cell might look like— such as central location of the tumor, bulky adenopathy generally. Sometimes patients present with unexplained weight loss and/or hemoptysis because of the central location of the tumor. It is important to be able to pick up on risk factors and understand the importance from symptoms to diagnosis and diagnosis to treatment. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Adam Fox, MD, Pulmonologist, Medical University of South Carolina in Charleston, South Carolina. Listen as Dr Fox discusses the importance of recognizing and diagnosing small cell lung cancer (SCLC). “In most patients, while small cell only accounts for 10% to 15% of all lung cancers, almost all patients with small cell lung cancer have a smoking history…” “Fundamentals for anyone with lung cancer is to pick that biopsy site that is going to provide the diagnosis, at least some stage information, and any tissue needed for extra stains (to confirm the diagnosis), or mostly the case for non-small cell lung cancer, biomarker testing for making treatment decisions.” Adam Fox, MD Pulmonologist Medical University of South Carolina Charleston, SC ACCC’s SCLC program is supported by AstraZeneca and G1 Therapeutics. Resources: Cancer Support Community Go2 for Lung Cancer LUNGEVITY Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Leveraging Technology to Develop an Express Symptom Management Program & Prevent Oncology ED Visits

Leveraging Technology to Develop an Express Symptom Management Program & Prevent Oncology ED Visits

This cancer program used a business intelligence-enabled dashboard to collect and analyze data on emergency department (ED) visits, admits, and discharges. These data were then used to improve patient triage and evaluation through development of an Express Symptom Management program. After targeted in-service training and education to clinical teams and patients on utilization of the new program, only 2% of patients needed to be seen in the ED, with the rest receiving symptom management by phone, participating in a virtual clinic visit, and/or coming into the infusion suite for in-person assessment and treatment. Improvement efforts around patient self-management and triage to the Express Symptom Management program also included development of a pre- and post-initial infusion visit via Epic MyChart. Guest: Dana Salcedo, MSN, APRN, NP-C Oncology Nurse Practitioner, Express Symptom Management & Outpatient Infusion Orlando Health Cancer Institute Orlando, Florida “Ultimately our role was to prevent ED admissions, but also to help reduce stress, manage common side effects, and to let patients know they had a resource available to them at a moment’s notice.” This podcast is part of a special series with the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, Oct. 4-6, in Austin Texas. Resources: Deploying Technology Across an Interdisciplinary Team to Improve Oral Oncolytic Compliance Expediting Cancer Treatment Through a Rapid Access APP-Led Diagnostic Clinic An APP-Physician Model Improves Risk Stratification and Palliative Care Reducing ED Visits and Hospital Admissions after Chemotherapy with Predictive Modeling of Risk Factors Utilizing Technology to Identify Patient Co-Morbidities and Reduce Hospital and ED Admissions Right Place, Right Provider, Right Time: Implementing Our 24-Hour Cancer Clinic

Strategies to Address Regional Barriers to Care in CLL

Strategies to Address Regional Barriers to Care in CLL

As geography and regional differences can play a major role in disparities in cancer care, learn how cancer programs can collaborate with local community outreach organizations to improve access to care and support underserved populations. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Farrukh T. Awan, MD, MS, professor of Internal Medicine and director of Lymphoid Malignancies at the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, about their approach to addressing regional barriers to improve care for patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia. “Time to get to appointments, the driving distance, the traffic issues, the cost of travel, housing/lodging, food—I think those are some of the biggest challenges we see in our patients, especially in our part of the country, where distances are huge and traffic can be an issue in major cities…” – Farrukh Awan, MD, MS Guest: Farrukh T. Awan, MD, MS Professor of Internal Medicine Director of Lymphoid Malignancies Program Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center Dallas, TX This podcast was created in connection with the education program A Regional Approach to Advancing Care for Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia. This episode was made possible with support by AstraZeneca, Janssen Oncology, and Pharmacyclics. Additional Reading/Sources · Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) Resources · Multidisciplinary Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Care (accc-cancer.org) · Quality Improvement Case Studies · CLL: Models of Effective Care Delivery · Podcast EP 104: Addressing Regional Challenges to Equitable Care for Patients with CLL · Podcast EP 105: Best Practices in Caring for Patients with CLL in a Post-COVID Era · Podcast EP 57: COVID-19 Challenges: Managing Patients with CLL · Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) (cancer.org) · Addressing Racial Disparities in CLL Care - Patient Empowerment Network (powerfulpatients.org) · CLL Resources - CLL Society

Combatting Caregiver Isolation Through Awareness and Education

Combatting Caregiver Isolation Through Awareness and Education

Isolation is a common concern among caregivers. Studies show that 40% to 70% of family caregivers experience clinical symptoms of depression. The lack of social interaction and stimulation from individuals other than their care recipient, especially when cognitive impairment is present, can be an undeniable trigger for loneliness. Addressing isolation is critical and any way that caregivers can connect with peers, professional support, and friend/colleague support networks is a priority. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Allison Applebaum, PhD, Psychologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY. Listen as Dr. Applebaum discusses combatting the feeling of isolation among caregivers. “…Inevitably all caregivers will experience isolation.” “Many caregivers have it together, they’re on top of everything. They are organized, they are experts at this, but they are falling apart inside. You aren’t going to know if you don’t ask.” Allison Applebaum, PhD Psychologist Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York City, NY Resources: American Cancer Society Cancer Support Community Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center National Alliance for Caregiving This project is supported by EMD Serono.

The Role of the Clinical Trials Navigator

The Role of the Clinical Trials Navigator

Adding a clinical trials navigator to this practice team required a business case that demonstrated return on investment. After a successful onboarding, this navigator is now the point person to help identify patients appropriate for clinical trials and to help busy clinicians with enrollment criteria and trial selection. Guest: Carrie Friedman, BSN, RN, OCN Clinical Trials Navigator Virginia Cancer Specialists, PC “The number of physicians across all our sites that are referring patients for clinical trials has increased…we easily take over 100 referrals a month. Looking forward, we may even need a second navigator who can replicate my role.” This podcast is part of an ongoing series from ACCC’s peer-related journal, Oncology Issues. For a deeper dive into this content, read Friedman’s article, Increasing Clinical Trial Accrual Through Implementation of a Clinical Trials Navigator. ACCC members can access the complete Volume 38, Number 4 issue online. Resources: Just ASK! How One Healthcare System is Operationalizing This Implicit Bias Program to Ensure Equitable Access to Clinical Trials The ASCO-ACCC Joint Initiative to Increase Diversity in Clinical Trials Virtual Navigation to Clinical Trials New Legislation Expands Access to Clinical Trials Older Adults with Cancer & Clinical Trials

Collaborative Care: A Model for Embedding Counseling in Oncology and Palliative Care

Collaborative Care: A Model for Embedding Counseling in Oncology and Palliative Care

Lipson Cancer Institute adapted the University of Washington’s Collaborative Care model to embed counseling services into oncology and palliative care across 6 clinic locations. This model allows patients with cancer to receive counseling for depression, anxiety, and other psycho-social concerns while in active treatment and survivorship, eliminating many barriers to care. Counseling is provided in-person or virtually, ensuring that critical support and mental health care are accessible to all, including patients in rural areas and those who are homebound. Guest: Earon Lehning, LMSW, Collaborative Care Therapist Rochester Regional Health – Lipson Cancer Institute Rochester, New York “When our social work team meets with patients…and identifies a mood concern, they are able to put someone on my schedule within the next 2 days for an intake, compared to [services] in the community where it might take months to connect with a mental health provider.” This podcast is part of a special series with the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, Oct. 4-6, in Austin Texas. Resources: Collaborative Care: A Solution for Increasing Access to Psychosocial Care in Cancer Programs and Practices Oncology Leaders Issue Urgent Call for Mental Health Support Improvements [Podcast] Cancer Care Team Mental Health: Normalizing Helpers Seeking Help Delivery of Psychosocial Cancer Centers Care in Oncology Summit AMCCBS Psychosocial Summit Pre-Read [Blog] Psychosocial Care in Oncology: Advocating for Policy Changes that Improve the Culture of Care [Blog] Psychosocial Care in Oncology: The Impact of Social Determinants of Health Supportive Oncology in Lung Cancer: Program Development for Patients and Care Partners Providing Psycho-Education to Combat Fatigue

Practical Tips for Providers to Empower Caregivers

Practical Tips for Providers to Empower Caregivers

Every day caregivers face emotional, physical, and logistical challenges caring for their loved ones. But what about the toll on the caregivers themselves? Ensuring empowered caregivers involves educating and informing them, engaging them in planning and decision-making, and reassuring them that their role is manageable and worthwhile. Any steps providers can take to combat the invisibility of caregivers is important. This can range from simply acknowledging the caregiver's presence in medical appointments to routing them to caregiver-specific support and services. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Allison Applebaum, PhD, Psychologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY. Listen as Dr. Applebaum discusses practical tips providers can use to support caregiver empowerment. “I think it is quite important for ALL members of the health care team to be able to identify signs and symptoms of distress in caregivers and should know what resources are available in their unique cancer center so they can refer these caregivers or make a suggestion that they speak to a social worker.” “The number 1 tip, is to acknowledge the caregiver’s presence.” Allison Applebaum, PhD Psychologist Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York City, NY Resources: American Cancer Society Cancer Support Community Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center National Alliance for Caregiving This project is supported by EMD Serono.

Standardizing Comprehensive Biomarker Testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Standardizing Comprehensive Biomarker Testing in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

While next-generation sequencing is recommended by the National Comprehensive Cancer Network for biomarker testing for all patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), uptake among community oncology programs and practices is suboptimal. To standardize comprehensive biomarker testing in patients with NSCLC, Oncology Hematology Care, Inc., developed and implemented a 1-year quality improvement (QI) project that included custom data reports and monitoring dashboards to ensure practice-wide adoption and sustainability across multiple clinic sites. After increasing biomarker testing rates from 68% to 92.7%, this QI project is now being scaled across the country through the US Oncology Network, McKesson as a best-practice initiative. Guest: Molly Mendenhall, RN, BSN Director of Quality and Compliance Oncology Hematology Care, Inc. (OHC) Cincinnati, Ohio “[On average] biomarking testing for patients with cancer is less than 50%. But with a shift towards personalized medicine, if we can implement and standardize this testing across the nation, we could provide targeted therapies, which have been shown to improve overall survival and quality of life.” This podcast is part of a special series with the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, Oct. 4-6, in Austin Texas. Resources: [Video] Optimizing Advanced NSCLC Biomarker Testing, Treatment, and Management Virtual Summit Biomarker Testing in Patients with Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer NSCLC Biomarker Testing Roadmap Infographic [Video] Optimizing Biomarker Testing through Precision Medicine Stewardship A Financial Advocate’s Guide to Biomarker Testing Paying for Biomarker Testing [Podcast] Financial Barriers to Biomarker Testing [Podcast] Biomarker Testing Advocacy

There is No One-Size-Fits-All Care Plan for Caregivers

There is No One-Size-Fits-All Care Plan for Caregivers

The rapid evolution of cancer care delivery toward multi-agent regimens, oral and/or combination therapies, and at-home treatment administration has made cancer caregiving extremely complex. The Caregiver Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering provides support to people who are having difficulty coping with the demands of being a caregiver. The purpose of this clinic is to help individuals maximize their ability to provide care to loved ones while attending to their own self-care, needs, and other important responsibilities. Caregivers can receive individual, group, couples, and family therapy sessions, as well as medication management as needed. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Allison Applebaum, PhD, Psychologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY. Listen as Dr. Applebaum discusses the programs and practices in place at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center to support caregivers. “We talk a lot about sitting with uncertainty. So many caregivers struggle with the fact that they can’t plan… they can’t plan for a vacation in six months, they actually can’t plan for the next day sometimes and that is exhausting and quite difficult for caregivers over the long term.” “For many (caregivers) they feel there is so much support around patients, but so very little support for them, and they feel left out (and alone).” Allison Applebaum, PhD Psychologist Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York City, NY Resources: American Cancer Society Cancer Support Community Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center National Alliance for Caregiving This project is supported by EMD Serono.

e-Consults for Immune-Related Toxicities Improve Patient Access and Reduce Costs

e-Consults for Immune-Related Toxicities Improve Patient Access and Reduce Costs

Between 4% to 15% of patients with cancer who are treated with a class of medications called immune checkpoint inhibitors experience immune-related adverse events (irAEs), including hypothyroidism, hyperthyroidism, and insulin-deficient diabetes. Delayed access, diagnosis, and management of irAEs are often causes of preventable hospital admissions in cancer patients. At Duke Cancer Institute, the implementation of electronic-consults for patients experiencing endocrine irAEs improved patient access and reduced healthcare utilization. Time to appointment and hospitalizations were reduced from 61 days to 39 days and from 11% to 2%, respectively. To propel integration and scalability, the next step is to ensure adequate reimbursement from payers for these types of e-consults. Guest: Afreen Shariff, MD, MBBS Director, Duke Endo Oncology Program Associate Director, Cancer Therapy Toxicity Program, Center for Cancer Immunotherapy Duke Cancer Institute Durham, North Carolina “I’ve been a strong advocate to fix the effort and reimbursement mismatch because these are very different from traditional e-consultative services…the acuity of patients is different. The level of expertise that is needed to triage and give recommendations to patients is different…the reimbursement we get through third party-payers is what I call the ‘coffee and bagel’ consult because it really doesn’t do justice to the kind of service we provide.” This podcast is part of a special series with the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, Oct. 4-6, in Austin Texas. Resources: Managing irAEs into Post-Treatment Survivorship Working with Rheumatologists to Manage irAEs Adverse Event Management in the Community-Based Immuno-Oncology Clinic Virtual Toxicity Team Cleveland Clinic Perspective on Managing Immune-related Adverse Events Working with Rheumatologists to Manage irAEs

The Role of Nursing in Post-Pandemic Care of SCLC

The Role of Nursing in Post-Pandemic Care of SCLC

Many patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC) have a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, and adherence challenges due to treatment-related adverse events, stigmatization, and emotional distress. Multidisciplinary care coordination and timely diagnosis are critical to achieve positive health outcomes for this patient population. Nurses play an important role in the direct care of patients. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Robin Atkins, RN, Symptom Management Triage Nurse, Virginia Oncology Associates in Gloucester, VA. Listen as we discuss nursing’s role in the care of patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). “What the patient experience means to them is what the nurse should be listening for, just hearing a list of side effects, hearing a list of concerns, doesn’t really translate into patient-centered care because the nurse becomes very task oriented. Rather, we need to interpret that for the patient in a way that they understand what the interventions mean to them.” Robin Atkins, RN Symptom Management Triage Nurse Virginia Oncology Associates Gloucester, VA Resources: Cancer Support Community Go2 for Lung Cancer LUNGEVITY Lung Cancer Research Foundation

A Model for Demonstrating Sustainable Outreach for Cancer Screening

A Model for Demonstrating Sustainable Outreach for Cancer Screening

For several years, this healthcare system struggled to find a sustainable program to perform outreach to patients with outstanding orders for lung, breast, and colon cancer screenings. A financial analysis of associated expenses, reimbursement, payer mixture, and downstream revenue of these screening efforts demonstrated positive net return on investment, allowing for expansion and implementation of the Population Health Support Services team to perform this task. In 2022, 12 outreach specialists scheduled visits that accounted for 38% of completed lung cancer screenings and 15% of completed breast cancer screenings for this healthcare system. Guest: Michael Gieske, MD Medical Director, Lung Cancer Screening St. Elizabeth Cancer Center “We’ve demonstrated through a financial analysis of our screening programs that colon, breast, and lung cancer screening definitively have a net positive revenue. There’s a return on investment for every lung cancer screen we do, for every mammogram we order, for every colon cancer screening we do. The more [screening] you do, the more volume is generated, and the better business case you make for supporting a screening program.” This podcast is part of a special series with the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, Oct. 4-6, in Austin Texas. Resources: ACCC Spotlights Critical Lung Cancer Screening Needs in Appalachia Appalachian Community Cancer Alliance: Who We Are and What We Can Accomplish PCP Insights Needed to Improve Cancer Screening in Rural Appalachia Oncology Capture of ED Patients with Incidental Radiologic Findings Leveraging a 3D Lung Nodule Educational Tool to Reduce Patient Distress The Role of Population Health Navigators Population Health Navigators: An Innovative Approach for Supporting Underserved Patients

Caregiving: Examining Psychosocial Care for Those Who Experience Distress Due to Their Caregiving Role

Caregiving: Examining Psychosocial Care for Those Who Experience Distress Due to Their Caregiving Role

Caregivers experience higher levels of financial, emotional, and physical health difficulties than non-caregivers and are more likely to suffer from depressive symptoms and mental health problems. The Caregivers Clinic at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center is the first of its kind and provides comprehensive psychosocial care to family members and friends of patients who experience significant distress and burden because of their caregiving role. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Allison Applebaum, PhD, Psychologist, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York City, NY. Listen as Dr. Applebaum discusses the development and dissemination of psychosocial interventions for cancer caregivers, as well as understanding the impact of caregiver psychosocial wellbeing, prognostic awareness, and communication skills on advanced care planning. “So many caregivers feel like they weren’t given a choice to become a caregiver, and often feel disempowered in their caregiving journeys. Through discussions on attitude taking, we can help caregivers connect to the ways in which they can choose to respond to the limitations and losses they face.” Allison Applebaum, PhD Psychologist Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center New York City, NY Resources: American Cancer Society Cancer Support Community Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center National Alliance for Caregiving This project is supported by EMD Serono.

Developing an Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist Role

Developing an Advanced Practice Radiation Therapist Role

Learn how the creation of the first advanced practice radiation therapist (APRT) role in the United States established a new model of inpatient care, elevating the radiation therapy skill set and allowing for intervention at key points along the radiation oncology care pathway. Outcomes include improved quality, efficiency, and time and cost savings toward value-based care. Working in tandem with a rotation of radiation oncologists, the APRT aims to save physician time—and reduce physician burnout—by task-shifting and assuming lower-level responsibilities that support the care of resource intensive patient populations. Samantha Skubish, MS, RT(R)(T) Chief Technical Director, Department of Radiation Oncology Mount Sinai Health System “It’s exciting to think about the opportunities that an advanced practice level of radiation therapy offers to the profession. It gives us the chance to work at the top of our license and even think and start to look at a scope expansion. For the rest of the care team that means improving quality outcomes, improving patient outcomes, and creating a better model for continuity of care.” This podcast is part of a special series with the 2023 ACCC Innovator Award winners. For a deeper dive into this and other content that will help your team reimagine how care is delivered at your cancer program or practice, register today for the ACCC 40th National Oncology Conference, Oct. 4-6, in Austin Texas. Resources: 3D Virtual Reality: Changing the Standard of Care for Cancer Patients and Caregivers Navigating the Unique Financial Challenges of Radiation Oncology Developing and Implementing a Radiation Oncology App to Improve the Patient Experience Improving Care of Advanced Cancer Patients with a Dedicated Palliative Radiotherapy Team A Prospective Peer Review Model for Radiation Therapy

Leveraging Technology to Streamline Biomarker Testing

Leveraging Technology to Streamline Biomarker Testing

As care teams seek new ways to engage and support patients with rare cancers, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Jim Palma, executive director of TargetCancer Foundation, a patient-founded nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting patients living with, and researchers focused on, rare cancers. In this episode, hear about the fully remote TRACK (Target Rare Cancer Knowledge) clinical trial and its unique approach to providing access to biomarker testing for patients in community care settings by leveraging technology. “It [access to biomarker testing] really is one of the biggest challenges that patients with rare cancer face, as well as access to interpretation of results in a way that leads them to the right treatment. So, what we’ve done is developed a [fully remote] clinical trial that offers testing to patients at no cost and eases their ability to enroll in the trial through remote consenting.” – Jim Palma, Executive Director This is the third episode in a podcast series developed in connection with the ACCC education program Emerging Biomarkers: Innovative Therapies for NTRK Gene Fusion Testing and was made possible with support by Bayer. Jim Palma, Executive Director TargetCancer Foundation Cambridge, MA Additional Reading/Sources: · Emerging Biomarkers: A Spotlight on NTRK Gene Fusion Testing (accc-cancer.org) · NTRKers Patient Community & Support (ntrkers.org) · NTRK Gene Fusion Infographic (ntrkers.org) · NTRK fusion-positive cancers and TRK inhibitor therapy

Building Support for Patients with NTRK Gene Fusion-Positive Cancer

Building Support for Patients with NTRK Gene Fusion-Positive Cancer

Building awareness of rare cancers, such as NTRK gene fusion-positive cancers, is critical to improving access to biomarker testing and new treatment options for patients. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Susan Spinosa, president and patient founder of NTRKers, an organization created to support patients with NTRK fusion-positive cancer, about her care journey and the importance of testing for NTRK gene fusions. “What we want to have for every patient who is diagnosed with NTRK is accessibility...We need to test for it…it’s a rare biomarker but in my mind, it should not be rare—the more testing we do the more routine it will become—and my hope is that 5 or 10 years from now, biomarker testing is routine and NTRK is not rare...” – Susan Spinosa, President of NTRKers This is the second episode in a podcast series developed in connection with the ACCC education program Emerging Biomarkers: Innovative Therapies for NTRK Gene Fusion Testing and was made possible with support by Bayer. Susan Spinosa President and Patient Founder NTRKers Additional Reading/Sources: · Emerging Biomarkers: A Spotlight on NTRK Gene Fusion Testing (accc-cancer.org) · NTRKers Patient Community & Support (ntrkers.org) · NTRK Gene Fusion Infographic (ntrkers.org) · NTRK fusion-positive cancers and TRK inhibitor therapy

Critical Conversation Strategies for Patients with AML

Critical Conversation Strategies for Patients with AML

Personalizing care goals to account for a patient’s values, preferences, or circumstances can make a significant difference in share decision-making and treatment planning. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Melissa Kah Poh Loh, MBBCh, BAO, assistant professor of Geriatric Hematology and Oncology at the University of Rochester Medical Center’s Wilmot Cancer Institute about strategies to optimize critical conversations with patients with acute myeloid leukemia. “For older adults with acute myeloid leukemia, the treatment landscape has changed in the last few years…and their [patients’] preferences and goals really make a difference in what we ultimately choose together with patients and family members…incorporating this as part of the conversation is very important.” – Melissa Kah Poh Loh, MBBCh, BAO Melissa Kah Poh Loh, MBBCh, BAO Assistant Professor of Geriatric Hematology and Oncology University of Rochester Medical Center, Wilmot Cancer Institute Rochester, NY This is the second episode of a four-part series developed in connection with the ACCC education program Achieving and Maintaining Better Outcomes for Patients with Acute Myeloid Leukemia. This episode was made possible with support by Bristol Myers-Squibb. Additional Reading/Sources Strategies to Addressing Disparities in Patients with AML · Shared Decision-making in Acute Myeloid Leukemia · Talking about Acute Myeloid Leukemia (Cancer Support Community) · Shared Decision-making: Practical Implementation for the Oncology Team (ACCC)

Treating Small Cell Lung Cancer Through Multidisciplinary Enhanced Supportive Care

Treating Small Cell Lung Cancer Through Multidisciplinary Enhanced Supportive Care

Significant declines in the screening, diagnosis, and treatment of patients with small cell lung cancer have increased challenges that impact patient care. Many patients with small cell lung cancer have a high symptom burden, poor prognosis, adherence challenges due to treatment-related adverse events, stigmatization, and emotional distress. The team at Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute is testing supportive care options with the goal of meeting the needs of all their patients. CANCER BUZZ spoke to Michele Szafranski, MS, RD, CSO, LDN, Registered Dietitian, Susan Yaguda, RN, Manager, Integrative Oncology, and Kathryn F. Mileham, MD, FACP, Chief, Thoracic Medical Oncology at Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health in Charlotte, NC. Listen as we discuss supportive care initiatives such as music therapy through a multidisciplinary care team lens when caring for patients with small cell lung cancer (SCLC). “Started an initiative to identify what some of those missing components may be, what do people most want. We tried to ensure we were aligning our goals with their (patient) goals. And we learned there were many needs, through patients and care providers that may not have been addressed previously.” Kathryn F. Mileham, MD, FACP “In this initiative we really looked for community partners that were well-vetted. Patients had already had strong relationships with some of the lung cancer programs here in town, and so we tried to really partner with them. We got their input about what they think patients needed, (and) what was missing from our offerings that patients could benefit from.” Michele Szafranski, MS, RD, CSO, LDN Kathryn F. Mileham, MD, FACP Chief, Thoracic Medical Oncology Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health Charlotte, NC Michele Szafranski, MS, RD, CSO, LDN Registered Dietitian Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health Charlotte, NC Susan Yaguda, RN Manager, Integrative Oncology Levine Cancer Institute, Atrium Health Charlotte, NC Resources: Cancer Support Community Go2 for Lung Cancer LUNGEVITY Lung Cancer Research Foundation

Medical Hypnosis: A Complimentary Therapy for Patients in Active Treatment

Medical Hypnosis: A Complimentary Therapy for Patients in Active Treatment

Mary B. Battaglia has been practicing clinical hypnosis for 10 years, working with clients to address many different issues like anxiety and stress. She’s supported people with different medical issues, including brain, breast, lung, prostate, and skin cancers. Additionally, Battaglia was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in 2021 and has used medical hypnosis to as a complimentary therapy. By guiding people through hypnosis, Battaglia helps them let go of thoughts by entering the subconscious where their memories and imagination are. Learn how an individual can hold on to traumas, pain, or emotions from their past, as well as how these emotions can all be released via medical hypnosis, therefore, helping in the healing process. Guest: Mary B. Battaglia Certified Clinical Hypnosis and Sound Practitioner, Speaker, and Author Resources: · Medical Hypnosis: Where Cancer & Hypnotherapy Meet · Mind, Body, and Spirit: How Robust Integrative and Complementary Services Can Bring an Entire Cancer Program Together · A Pandemic’s Silver Lining: Building a Collaborative Integrative Therapy Program · Integrating Yoga Therapy into Oncology Care · Safe Essential Oil Practice in Cancer Centers · This Lyrical Life: Music Therapy in Oncology This podcast is part of a special series with ACCC's Oncology Issues journal. For a deeper dive into this content, read Battaglia’s article.