ONS Connect - October 2008 - (Page 14)

Ly says that proton therapy is a desirable treatment option that has few side effects. Goetsch says that a big barrier to genomic testing is insurance coverage, but testing actually may result in a cost savings for insurers. But by looking at the whole genome of a cell, we may eventually be able to learn more about prognosis, the possible benefits of treatments, and identify those patients with a higher risk of complications. “With genomics, we will have a better sense of who really needs treatment, how much they need, and what side effects they are at high risk for,” Goetsch says. “It will be so helpful to figure these things out in advance, as opposed to what we need to do now— give the same treatments to everyone and make some people very sick without helping them. A big barrier right now is lack of insurance coverage, but hopefully this will improve when the testing is shown as a cost savings. Look at the example of how we used to manage febrile neutropenia before growth factors—everyone had to be hospitalized until Medicare realized it was less expensive to prevent the problem in patients who were at risk.” Goetsch continues, “It’s the role of nurses to keep patients informed—we are the translators, the interpreters. Any patient can search for something on the Internet, but they need us to help them understand what information is good and what’s not. All of this new genomic knowledge is great, but there’s still so much that is not yet known. We have to let people know that there are studies out there that will help to answer more of our questions. Nurses need to spread the word and refer patients to those studies so we can figure out the best new treatments that are effective and have the fewest side effects.” ✱ de Jong, F.A., Kehrer, D.F., Mathijssena, R.H., Creemers, G.J., de Bruijn, P., van Schaik, R.H., et al. (2006). Prophylaxis of irinotecan-induced diarrhea with neomycin and potential role for UGT1A1*28 genotype screening: A doubleblind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Oncologist, 11(8), 944–954. Human Genome Management Information System. (2008). About the Human Genome Project. Retrieved August 6, 2008, from http://www .ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/ project/about.shtml National Cancer Institute Office of Cancer Genomics. (n.d.) Brief guide to genomics. Retrieved August 6, 2008, from http://ocg .cancer.gov/resources/guide.asp Join the ONS Cancer Genetics SIG The mission of the Cancer Genetics Special Interest Group (SIG) is to provide a forum for the networking, education, and professional growth of nurses in cancer genetics to improve genetic services. Educational activities hosted by the Cancer Genetics SIG include presentations at ONS Congress and Institutes of Learning. They have also developed an expanded directory of Cancer Genetics SIG members to facilitate networking. To foster personal and professional development, the Cancer Genetics SIG provides a formal mentoring program for oncology nurse professionals. For more information or to enroll in the mentoring program, visit www.3creekmentoring .com/ONS to begin the process. For more information about joining the Cancer Genetics SIG, visit its Virtual Community at http://cancergenetics.vc.ons.org. 14 OctOber 2008 Contributing Editor Kristen L. Fessele, RN, MSN, APN-C, AOCN®, is the associate director for Human Research Services and an advanced practice nurse in the Breast Service at the Cancer Institute of New Jersey in New Brunswick. ONS CONNECT http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/project/about.shtml http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/project/about.shtml http://www.ornl.gov/sci/techresources/Human_Genome/project/about.shtml http://ocg.cancer.gov/resources/guide.asp http://ocg.cancer.gov/resources/guide.asp http://www.3creekmentoring.com/ONS http://www.3creekmentoring.com/ONS http://cancergenetics.vc.ons.org

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ONS Connect- October 2008 Contents Editor's Note Just In Up Front You Tell Us Up Close &�Professional Web Connect Five-Minute In-Service Capitol Connection Caregiver Care Straight Talk New Treatments, New Hope Working for You Calendar of Events Staying on Top

ONS Connect - October 2008

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