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Authors

Anna Skripnik Lucas RN, BSN, DNC and Kathryn Ciccolini RN, BSN, OCN, DNC are highly specialized oncodermatology research nurses working at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center. Privy to exclusive knowledge, skill, expertise and access to the unique patient population, Anna and Kathryn are clinical experts in both fields. Both Kathryn and Anna are professionally and academically interlaced with various organizations and are points of contacts for several journals. Anna has earned her MSN as a Family Nurse Practitioner at Pace University and is pursuing her doctorate of nursing practice (DNP) at Duke University in oncodermatology. Kathryn is also earning her MSN as an Adult Acute Care Nurse Practitioner at New York University and plans to earn her DNP specializing in oncodermatology.

Oncodermatology and the Nursing Specialist

Patients with hormone receptor (HR)-poisitive, HER2-low or -ultralow metastatic breast cancer (MBC) who were treated with Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd; Enhertu) tended to have less deterioration in physical/role functioning and pain compared with those who were treated with a treatment of physician’s choice (TPC), according to data presented at the 2024 

European Society for Medial Oncology (ESMO) Congress

Findings were discovered via an analysis of patient-reported outcomes (PROs) on quality of life from the DESTINY-Breast06 trial (NCT04494425). Data showed a similar median time to deterioration (TTD) overall between the 2 arms in the intent-to-treat (ITT) population and the HER2-low subgroup, but differences in some symptoms. The median time to pain deterioration showed the most significant improvement for T-DXd at 22.0 months (95% CI, 17.2-not reached) vs 6.3 months (95% CI, 4.8-9.6) for TPC (HR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.39-0.65).

“The global health/QOL was observed over 31 weeks for both arms. The QOL scores did not change from the baseline to a clinically significant degree,” Xichun Hu, MD, PhD, of the department of medical oncology in Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center and professor in the department of oncology at Shanghai Medical College at Fudan University in Shanghai, China, said in his presentation. “Time to deterioration in QOL was similar with the 2 treatment arms. T-DXd reduced the risk of clinically meaningful deterioration in pain by 49%.”

The multicenter, open-label, randomized phase 3 DESTINY-Breast06 trial investigated the HR+, HER2-low population, defined as HER2 immunohistochemistry [IHC] 1+ or IHC 2+/in situ hybridization [ISH]-negative, as well as in patients with HR+, HER2-ultralow disease, defined as HER2 IHC 0 with membrane staining. The prior lines of therapy received by patients in this study included at least 2 lines of endocrine therapy with or without targeted therapy for MBC or those who had disease progression within 6 months of starting first-line endocrine therapy and CDK4/6 inhibitor therapy for MBC or recurrence within 24 months after starting adjuvant endocrine therapy.

Patients were randomly assigned on a 1:1 basis to receive 5.4 mg/kg T-DXd every 3 weeks or TPC chemotherapy including capecitabine, nab-paclitaxel, or paclitaxel.

In the primary analysis of the trial, investigators reported that it met its primary end point of progression-free survival per blinded independent central review (BICR) assessment with T-DXd showing 13.2 months compared with 8.1 months for TPC (HR, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.51-0.74; 

The patient-reported outcomes were assessed for both the ITT population (n = 436 for T-DXd and n = 430 for TPC) and the HER2-low group (n = 359 and n = 354, respectively).1 The median duration of treatment was 11.0 months with T-DXd vs 5.6 months with TPC chemotherapy. The European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer QLQ-C30 oncology-specific questionnaire and the QLQ-BR45 breast cancer­–specific questionnaire were assessed at baseline, every 3 weeks until the end of treatment, and then every 3 weeks until second progression or death.

The QLQ-C30 evaluated Global Health Status (GHS)/QOL, physical, emotional, role, social, and cognitive functional scales, and symptom scales. Hu reported that overall GHS/QOL were maintained over 31 weeks with T-DXd and TPC in the ITT population, with a mean baseline GHS score of 69.51 and 65.88, respectively. With a mean change of 10 points from baseline being considered meaningful, neither arm showed any significant shifts over time with 65.8% compliance in the T-DXd arm and 69.8% in the TPC arm. Median time to deterioration in GHS/QOL was 11.3 months (95% CI, 8.3-14.7) for T-DXd and 10.5 months (95% CI, 7.7-13.3) for TPC (HR, 0.93; 95% CI, 0.73-1.18).

In terms of pain, T-DXd significantly reduced the risk of deterioration per QLQ-C30. It also reduced risk of deterioration in several other outcomes including physical functioning (HR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.56-0.92), role functioning (HR, 0.75; 95% CI, 0.60-0.94), emotional functioning (HR, 0.71; 95% CI, 0.53-0.95), and fatigue (HR, 0.76; 95% CI, 0.61-0.93). T-DXd was worse than TPC in nausea/vomiting (HR, 1.60; 95% CI, 1.28-2.02), appetite loss (HR, 1.33; 95% CI, 1.05-1.69), and constipation (HR, 1.74; 95% CI, 1.34-2.27).

The QLQ-BR45 evaluated multi-item scores including skin mycosis symptoms, body image, sexual functioning, arm symptoms, and breast symptoms. The TPC arm showed a clinically meaningful deterioration based on this measure, reaching a 10-point adjusted mean change from baseline at approximately 7 weeks and continuing to show 10 or more points difference through 31 weeks. However, the T-DXd arm did not differ significantly from baseline. “Among the components in the BR45 questionnaire, clinically meaningful deterioration of skin and mucosal system was observed with TPC, but not with T-DXd,” said Hu.

He emphasized that with a duration of treatment approximately double that of TPC, T-DXd maintained QOL as well as delaying time to deterioration in some areas. “Gastrointestinal [GI] symptoms reported by patients who receiving T-DXd highlight the importance to implementing antiemetic prophylaxis in the clinic. Further investigation of the effect of antiemetic prophylaxis on GI symptoms and associated QOL in patients receiving T-DXd is warranted,” said Hu.

He added that the GI adverse events reported in the QOL data “did not appear to be detrimental to overall preservation of QOL and were consistent with the safety profile reported by study investigators.”

“PRO results describing patients’ perspective further support T-DXd as a new therapeutic option following 1 or more endocrine-based therapies for patients with HER2-low and HER2-ultralow, HR+ MBC,” he concluded.

1. Hu X, Curigliano G, Yonemori K, et al. Effects of trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) vs choice of chemotherapy (TPC) on patient-reported outcomes (PROs) in hormone receptor-positive, HER2-low or HER2-ultralow metastatic breast cancer (mBC): Results from DESTINY-Breast06. Presented at: 2024 ESMO Congress; September 13-17, 2024; Barcelona, Spain. Abstract LBA22.

2. Curigliano G, Hu X, Dent RA, et al. Trastuzumab deruxtecan (T-DXd) vs physician’s choice of chemotherapy (TPC) in patients (pts) with hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-low or HER2-ultralow metastatic breast cancer (mBC) with prior endocrine therapy (ET): primary results from DESTINY-Breast06 (DB-06). 

 2024;42(suppl 17):LBA1000. doi:10.1200/JCO.2024.42.17_suppl.LBA1000

Trastuzumab deruxtecan improved time to deterioration for pain and other categories, in patients with HER2 low/ultralow breast cancer.

T-DXd Outranks Treatment of Physicians’ Choice in QOL for HR+/HER2-Low/Ultralow MBC

The FDA approved inavolisib (Itovebi) plus palbociclib (Ibrance) and fulvestrant for the treatment of endocrine-resistant, 

-mutant, hormone-receptor (HR)-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer that is determined by an FDA-approved test. The indication is specifically for patients who experienced recurrence on or after adjuvant endocrine therapy.

The approval is based on findings from the randomized, double blind INAVO120 trial (NCT04191499), which included 325 patients whose disease progressed within 12 months of completing adjuvant endocrine therapy and who did not have prior systemic therapy for locally advanced or metastatic disease.

Researchers defined primary endocrine resistance as relapse within the first 2 years of adjuvant endocrine therapy, while secondary endocrine resistance was relapse while on adjuvant endocrine therapy after 2 or more years or relapse within 12 months of completing endocrine therapy.

Patients were randomly assigned 1:1 to receive an oral dose of either 9 mg of inavolisib or a placebo once per day, alongside 125 mg of daily palbociclib and 500 mg of fulvestrant administered on days 1 and 15 during cycle 1, followed by day 1 of every 28-day cycle thereafter. Participants continued treatment until disease progression or unacceptable toxicity.

The primary end point of the trial was progression-free survival (PFS) per RECIST version 1.1. Median PFS was 15.0 months (95% CI, 11.3-20.5) in the inavolisib arm and 7.3 months (95% CI, 5.6-9.3) in the placebo arm (hazard ratio, 0.43; 95% CI, 0.32-0.59; 

Secondary end points were overall survival (OS), investigator-assessed objective response rate (ORR), and duration of response (DOR).

Median DORs were 18.4 months (95% CI, 10.4-22.2) and 9.6 months (95% CI, 7.4-16.6), respectively. Meanwhile, the ORR was 58% (95% CI, 50%-66%) in the inavolisib-containing arm and 25% (95% CI, 19%-32%) in the placebo arm.

An interim analysis of OS did not reach statistical significance but was supportive of the overall benefit risk assessment with the addition of inavolisib, reducing the risk for death by 36% (hazard ratio, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.43-0.97).

The most common adverse events (including laboratory abnormalities) that occurred in 20% or more of patients were: decreased neutrophils, decreased hemoglobin, increased fasting glucose, decreased platelets, decreased lymphocytes, stomatitis, diarrhea, decreased calcium, fatigue, decreased potassium, increased creatinine, increased ALT, nausea, decreased sodium, decreased magnesium, rash, decreased appetite, COVID-19 infection, and headache.

FDA news release. FDA approves inavolisib with palbociclib and fulvestrant for endocrine-resistant, PIK3CA-mutated, HR-positive, HER2-negative, advanced breast cancer. October 10, 2024. Accessed October 10, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/drugs/resources-information-approved-drugs/fda-approves-inavolisib-palbociclib-and-fulvestrant-endocrine-resistant-pik3ca-mutated-hr-positive

Inavolisib plus palbociclib and fulvestrant was approved for the treatment of PIK3CA-mutant, HR-positive, HER2-negative locally advanced or metastatic breast cancer. 

FDA Approves Inavolisib Regimen for PIK3CA-mutated, HR+, HER2— Breast Cancer 

Pregnant patients with breast cancer tend to have favorable prognoses and low adverse obstetric and perinatal outcome risks, according to data from 3 studies that assessed risk factors associated with higher cancer incidences in Swedish women. Findings were outlined in a news release from Karolinska Institutet.

Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica

 found that pregnancy-associated cancer (PAC) rates increased by age, with women ages 15 to 19 at the lowest for PACs (5.3 cases per 100,000) and women ages 40 to 44 at the highest risk (63.5 cases per 100,000).

 Additionally, preterm deliveries were more common among women with PAC during pregnancy (30.6%) vs all deliveries (5.3%) or PAC within 1 year following delivery (8.1%).

Investigators of this study found that crude incidence rates of pregnancy-associated cancer increased significantly from 21.3 per 100,000 between 1980 and 1984 to 38.2 per 100,000 from 2010 to 2014. Additionally, crude incidence increased over all time periods and trimesters, most notably first-year post-delivery. Significant associations were observed between both increasing maternal age and later trimesters and pregnancy-associated cancer rate.

Immigrant background was significantly associated with lower pregnancy-associated cancer rates for any tumor type (incidence rate ratio [IRR], 0.76; 95% CI, 0.64-0.91; 

 = .0025), but not for breast cancer (IRR, 0.88; 95% CI, 0.60-1.29; 

 = .5071). Additionally, smoking was significantly associated with a higher pregnancy-associated cancer risk (IRR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.07-1.54; 

 = 0.0069), most notably for cervical cancer (IRR, 2.32; 95% CI; 1.52-3.54; 

Investigators utilized Swedish birth and cancer registers from 1973 to 2017 to identify all cases of women with pregnancy-associated cancers ages 15 to 44 in the population-based cohort study. The study only included first occurrences of cancer in each woman and in the group of women without cancer, only deliveries free of maternal cancer history were included.

Of deliveries among women with breast cancer evaluated in another study published in 

, 42.6% were planned preterm (relative risk [RR], 67.1; 95% CI, 33.2%-135.6%), and 8.3% were spontaneous preterm (RR, 3.8; 95% CI, 2.0-7.5).3 Additionally, although cesarean section and induced delivery were more common among this patient population, breast cancer was not associated with higher risks for maternal pregnancy complications. Furthermore, no pregnant women with breast cancer experienced gestational diabetes, pre-eclampsia, or stillbirth.

In this study, women diagnosed with cancer during pregnancy were identified in the Swedish Cancer and Medical Birth Registers between 1973 and 2017. Births with maternal breast cancer were matched with 10 births from cancer-free women by age, calendar year, and birth order.

Findings from a different study published in 

 show that although no significant differences in estrogen receptor (ER)–negative status were found in patients diagnosed with breast cancer during the first trimester (42%) and comparators (32%), second trimester diagnoses were associated with higher ER-negative status (62%).

 Furthermore, tumors in patients with diagnoses in the third trimester were larger, had more distant metastases, and were more often ER-negative vs comparators (54% vs 32%); they were also more likely to be luminal HER2 (22% vs 18%) or HER2-positive (22% vs 9%).

Additionally, mortality rates were higher for pregnancy-associated breast cancer than matched comparators. Disaggregated by trimester, the first trimester mortality rate was like that of matched comparators; 18.6 per 1000 person-years (95% CI, 6.0-57.8) vs 19.1 per 1000 (95% CI, 18.4-19.9). However, second and third trimester diagnoses were associated with significantly higher mortality rates; 42.0 (95% CI, 26.5-66.7) and 37.1 (95% CI, 24.9-55.3) per 1000, respectively.

In this study, the Swedish Cancer Register was used to identify women ages 18 to 44 diagnosed with invasive breast cancer from 1992 to 2018. Women with breast cancer diagnosed during pregnancy or with a postpartum diagnosis were matched 1:2 by year and age to comparators diagnosed with breast cancer not associated with pregnancy.

1. Increasing incidence of cancer during pregnancy, yet maternal and perinatal risks are low. News release. Karolinska Institutet. Published August 22, 2024. Accessed October 23, 2024. https://tinyurl.com/55chhb4f

23. Lundberg FE, Stensheim H, Ullenhag GJ, et al. Risk factors for the increasing incidence of pregnancy‐associated cancer in Sweden – a population‐based study. 

2024;103(4):669-683. doi:10.1111/aogs.14677

3. Lundberg FE, Gkekos L, Rosriguez-Wallberg KA, Fredriksson I, Johansson ALV. Risk of obstetric and perinatal complications in women presenting with breast cancer during pregnancy and the first year postpartum in Sweden 1973–2017: a population‐based matched study. 

2024;103(4):684-694. doi:10.1111/aogs.14555

4. Gkekos L, FE Lundberg, Humphreys K, Fredriksson I, Johansson ALV. Worse histopathology and prognosis in women with breast cancer diagnosed during the second trimester of pregnancy. 

 2024;9(4):102972. doi:10.1016/j.esmoop.2024.102972

While pregnancy-associated cancer risks increased with age, breast cancer during pregnancy tended to not impact obstetric risk. 

Breast Cancer May Not Affect Pregnancy Outcomes 

Up to 75% of women being treated for breast cancer report that they have experienced sexual dysfunction; however, there is a lack of patient-provider communication about these issues.

, Michelle Taylor, ANP, discusses the importance of having these discussions about sexual health, and remedies that oncology nurses and advanced practice providers can recommend for patients experiencing these effects.

“The shift comes when you just try [to have these discussions]. Then next time you have the conversation, it’s a little easier,” Taylor, a nurse practitioner for adult patients at Dignity Health Cancer Institute at St. Joseph’s in Phoenix, AZ, said. “Sometimes even if you don’t know what advice to give to that woman, just being heard is something that is often very important.”

: Why is sexual health important in women with breast cancer?

 When you're a breast oncology-specific [health care provider], you have a large population, typically, of women, between the age of 40 and 60, and they're working, they're in relationships. It's just not something that's talked about enough.

I think vaginal health specifically should be talked about more, because whether someone is engaging in intercourse or not, we know that vaginal dryness can be tied to things like more frequent [urinary tract infections], more frequency of urination, and incontinence. These can be pretty debilitating side effects. No, it's not a grade 3 diarrhea that's requiring emergent intervention, but it is a major quality-of-life issue.

Is there a specific type of cancer treatment that affects vaginal and sexual health?

The truth of the matter is, depending on which literature you're looking at, nearly 85% of men and women can experience sexual side effects from any modality of treatment for cancer therapy, including traditional IV chemotherapy, certainly these oral medications and even things like radiation and surgical intervention.

Sexual dysfunction occurs mainly in the breast cancer setting, as we are lowering estrogen levels, even when it's not a direct medication that does this, such as [goserelin acetate [Zoladex]) injections or an aromatase inhibitor. There is ovarian suppression that comes from chemotherapy, for example.

What are common sexual adverse effects from breast cancer treatment, and are there ways to treat them?

So, the first mechanism is typically vaginal dryness, and that can be layering on top of an already existing vaginal dryness. And then [there are] physical effects of stenosis of the vaginal canal, making intercourse uncomfortable, and also just simply the reduction in libido. There’s body dysmorphia that can happen to a woman who has gone through breast surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, so the physical changes that can happen as well.

So there's many layers to sexual health in this setting. And I think that there are ways to help curb some of this. A lot of the women are coming in with those existing symptoms already, and then we're exacerbating them.

Teaching a woman up front, being comfortable yourself, having those uncomfortable conversations once you let a woman know that you're here and willing to talk about really anything that they're experiencing [is important], I think they become more comfortable sharing those things. We tend to recommend proactive moisturization with things as simple as coconut oil, which is very safe for external moisturization, as well as lubrication for intercourse, but there are also products that contain hyaluronic acid that are vaginal moisturization products that are very easy to use overnight.

I can go on and on about this. It's a personal passion of mine, based on what we see our women experience here, but it is something that all oncology nurses should be aware of, no matter what setting they're working in.

Hernández-Blanquisett A, Quintero-Carreño V, Álvarez-Londoño A, et al. Sexual dysfunction as a challenge in treated breast cancer: in-depth analysis and risk assessment to improve individual outcomes. 

A nurse practitioner discusses how breast cancer treatment can impact sexual health, and how nurses and APPs can guide patients through these effects. 

Sexual Health During Breast Cancer: ‘Just Being Heard Is Important’

Oncology research nurses play an integral role in collecting data and assessing for adverse events throughout a clinical trial, which, in turn, can lead to their support in the development of new cancer therapies.

 spoke with Amanda Woolery, BSN, RN, supervisor of the Center for Innovative Cancer Therapy program at Ochsner Health in Louisiana, to learn more about her role as an oncology research nurse supervisor, how she works with other members of the care team, and the challenges she faces.

What is the primary focus of an oncology research nurse?

The primary focus is to collect the data throughout the clinical trial. So we’ll collect blood, administer medication, and review lab work. We use critical thinking as nurses to assess any adverse events that the patient may have with the treatment or any toxicities that they’re having that can affect them.

How does an oncology research nurse differ from a traditional nurse?

Traditional oncology nurses care for these oncology patients by administering FDA-approved therapies, managing the symptoms, and providing nursing care for the oncology patient. The big difference is that research nurses are collecting that data that will hopefully lead to new FDA-approved treatments.

Can you describe a typical day in your role? What are some of the key responsibilities and tasks that are involved?

Before I began my new supervisor role, a typical day was always screening patients for trials. So if we had a patient who was getting treatment that day, I’d go with the patient to see the doctor or the NP [nurse practitioner] on that trial. We’d go over any new medications that the patient may be on, any [adverse] effects that they may be experiencing, and then the doctor and I would sign the orders. 

From there, I’d bring the patient to the infusion center. And then usually there is a task list that I would prepare for the infusion nurse of protocol-specific things that may need to be done, whether it’s labs that have to be drawn at certain times, or vital signs that have to be done at a certain time. Then that sheet would go to the infusion nurse for them to be able to get those things done at the appropriate time. And from there, while that patient is in infusion, whatever I have to get ready for the next day, I’ll start prepping for...[the] patients that I have the next day.

How do you balance the demands of patient care with research protocols?

The big key in research is being prepared and following that study protocol to a T. This is something that I did before I became a supervisor, and I teach all my team members the same way. For any new study that [is] coming up, always prepare ahead, get your cheat sheets ready, get your checklists, and have all that ready, so when you have that first patient, you’re ready to roll. And every patient after that, it’s replicated. And that’s the key to balancing it, to be thoroughly prepared.

How do you communicate complex medical information about clinical trials to patients and their families? What challenges do you encounter when doing so?

Here at Ochsner, we do a good job educating our patients. Our oncologists and NPs are highly, highly involved from the start. They’ll present the trial to the patient, explain the medications involved, and then we’re involved in that aspect too. During that visit, we’re there.

We always use basic terminology that everyone understands. Cancer doesn’t discriminate. So anybody can get cancer, you don’t have to be in the medical field. Our consents are written in a way where anybody can read and understand them.... You just don’t know who’s going to walk in the door, somebody who maybe hasn’t graduated high school, maybe only has some [college coursework]. You even have some medical people who come in who are diagnosed with cancer, but, maybe, their whole career, they were an anesthesiologist or a podiatrist, and they lack that oncology background. We utilize ChemoCare.com, which is very patient friendly. The sponsor will give us pamphlets sometimes, and then we make sure [patients] understand every single thing before they even sign the consent. We’ll email it to them beforehand, if they want us to do that. That way, they can come in with their questions. They can also take it home, if they want to have other family members look at it. And then we’ll set them up to come back with the consent at that time. Throughout the whole process, we’re constantly teaching them; we’re constantly educating them.

What is your role in data collection and management for research studies?

Everything that we do, the tasks that we perform, is set forth by every trial, by every protocol. So they’re going to dictate what we have to do, whether it’s labs, EKGs [electrocardiograms], quality-of-life questionnaires, [or] reconciling oral medications with pill counting or a pill diary. We follow the latest version of the protocol to ensure accuracy. With the infusion, we do the cheat sheet, and then anytime there’s something that we may question, we’ll email the sponsor to understand, to clarify whatever question we may have. And we’ll also have proof of that. We’ll keep that documentation, whether we save it in a personnel file or print it out. That way, if something comes up later in the life of the study—and we’ve had that happen—2 years later that question [comes up], and we’re like, wait a second, we clarified this. We emailed you. This is a clarification. And then that way, we have that proof there of whatever clarification that we need.

Does a research nurse typically work on 1 trial or several trials at a time?

We work on several trials [simultaneously]. When I first started in oncology research [at Ochsner]—there is a little back- story with that—we were just research. Then I started here, and they were starting to grow and wanted to form the early-phase section. So I was hired for that. We started opening some trials. And then we kind of did a split. So you have your late-phase group and your early-phase group.... In the early-phase group, how it was originally, I was in charge of breast, lung, melanoma, and did some BMT [bone marrow transplant] studies. A lot of the studies in the early phase are what we call basket trials. So you can have breast, lung, melanoma, colorectal, and pancreatic, all in one.

We changed that last year, right before I became supervisor, to where everybody owns so many specific trials. So in our program, we have research nurses, and we have research coordinators. The nurses will get more of the complicated trials where the patients may get admitted with ICANS [immune effector cell–associated neurotoxicity syndrome], infusion-related reactions, things like that, which require more of the nurse. I think right now, each of my employees has 4 or 5 trials that they’re lead on. But everybody is backup on everything in case somebody leaves, somebody goes on vacation, etc.

How do you collaborate with other health care professionals such as oncologists, pharmacists, and data managers to ensure the success of research projects?

From the beginning, whoever is going to be involved in this study is going to be involved from the start. No medications are prescribed or administered to a patient until we talk to that doctor or the [NP]. The oncologists are very, very involved from the time of consent. When we’re finding these patients, they know about it, we’re talking with them. One thing I hear when I’m on calls with studies with other sites [is that] the oncologist may not physically be there. Ours are physically here with us...they’re right down the hall from us, we talk to them every day. So they’re highly involved. We communicate a lot through emails and messages within the Epic system. We put sticky notes on their desk, things like that.

Pharmacists, too, they’re also in it from the start, they’re aware of when an appointment is via Outlook appointments that we create with each visit. Everyone who is involved with the appointment is going to be on that Outlook invite. So [between] the pharmacists, the lab techs, the data coordinator, [and] any backup research coordinator, we cover all of our bases, and everybody knows what’s going on all the time. Communication is definitely key.

What opportunities for professional development are available to oncology research nurses?

We recently partially partnered about a year ago with MD Anderson [Cancer Center]. So through that partnership, there are numerous trainings and classes that they offer online. The coordinators are also able to attend local oncology conferences. Ochsner hosts an annual one, as well as a conference called the Cancer Advocacy Group of Louisiana Conference. They help write laws that help Louisiana cancer patients.

This year, we were able to send 2 of our coordinators to the ASCO [American Society of Clinical Oncology] Annual Meeting. Their response from that was that they learned so much. The plan is to send research coordinators every year. Also, there are the educational dinners that are [hosted by] the pharmaceutical representatives, and things like that.


So there is a lot that they’re able to do for education. Plus, our doctors are really good at educating. Any time [our oncology research nurses] have questions about something, they just go to them, and they’ll answer whatever it may be, whether it’s about a certain type of cancer or a certain protocol or drug or drug regimen... and they’ll easily answer any questions that they have.

An oncology research nurse balances patient care with rigorous data collection, emphasizing communication and collaboration to advance cancer research.

Kathryn Ciccolini

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