Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team

In recent years, melanoma research has undergone a renaissance. The disease that was once viewed, at least in a metastatic setting, as intractable and untreatable is now revealing its molecular “weaknesses.” The year 2011 was a landmark year for melanoma therapy, with the introduction of two new age...

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Main Author: Hani Steinberg
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2020-01-01
Series:Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.apjon.org/article.asp?issn=2347-5625;year=2020;volume=7;issue=3;spage=250;epage=254;aulast=Steinberg
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author Hani Steinberg
author_facet Hani Steinberg
author_sort Hani Steinberg
collection DOAJ
description In recent years, melanoma research has undergone a renaissance. The disease that was once viewed, at least in a metastatic setting, as intractable and untreatable is now revealing its molecular “weaknesses.” The year 2011 was a landmark year for melanoma therapy, with the introduction of two new agents – the anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody ipilimumab and the BRAF (V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1) inhibitor vemurafenib. These two agents were shown to confer a survival benefit, which was followed by the approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2014, other immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab, were approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. By 2019, the FDA had also approved pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy. Target therapy and immunotherapy are now the standard of care for melanoma patients. Clinical trials are currently ongoing for new neoadjuvant therapies. Rapidly evolving knowledge will perhaps downgrade melanoma to the level of a chronic, manageable disease from the intractable “black cancer,” it was in the past and a disease that struck fear into the hearts of those who were diagnosed. Changes in immunotherapy treatments were followed by a large volume of clinical trials. This situation has resulted in the need for changes in the roles of existing melanoma multidisciplinary team members, including the clinical trials nurse (CTN). The role of the CTN is not suitable for these new conditions. A new role and tasks need to be established, evolving the CTN into an oncology nurse coordinator (ONC). In this article, we have described the role and responsibilities of an ONC and the changes that have taken place within the multidisciplinary melanoma team.
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spelling doaj.art-ee28bbfdf9554097bffb3a06525c174d2023-08-02T01:21:11ZengElsevierAsia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing2347-56252349-66732020-01-017325025410.4103/apjon.apjon_19_20Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma TeamHani SteinbergIn recent years, melanoma research has undergone a renaissance. The disease that was once viewed, at least in a metastatic setting, as intractable and untreatable is now revealing its molecular “weaknesses.” The year 2011 was a landmark year for melanoma therapy, with the introduction of two new agents – the anti-cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) antibody ipilimumab and the BRAF (V-raf murine sarcoma viral oncogene homolog B1) inhibitor vemurafenib. These two agents were shown to confer a survival benefit, which was followed by the approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). In 2014, other immune checkpoint inhibitors, such as pembrolizumab and nivolumab, were approved for the treatment of metastatic melanoma. By 2019, the FDA had also approved pembrolizumab as adjuvant therapy. Target therapy and immunotherapy are now the standard of care for melanoma patients. Clinical trials are currently ongoing for new neoadjuvant therapies. Rapidly evolving knowledge will perhaps downgrade melanoma to the level of a chronic, manageable disease from the intractable “black cancer,” it was in the past and a disease that struck fear into the hearts of those who were diagnosed. Changes in immunotherapy treatments were followed by a large volume of clinical trials. This situation has resulted in the need for changes in the roles of existing melanoma multidisciplinary team members, including the clinical trials nurse (CTN). The role of the CTN is not suitable for these new conditions. A new role and tasks need to be established, evolving the CTN into an oncology nurse coordinator (ONC). In this article, we have described the role and responsibilities of an ONC and the changes that have taken place within the multidisciplinary melanoma team.http://www.apjon.org/article.asp?issn=2347-5625;year=2020;volume=7;issue=3;spage=250;epage=254;aulast=Steinbergclinical trialshadassah medical centerisraeli nursingjerusalemmelanoma nurse coordinator
spellingShingle Hani Steinberg
Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team
Asia-Pacific Journal of Oncology Nursing
clinical trials
hadassah medical center
israeli nursing
jerusalem
melanoma nurse coordinator
title Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team
title_full Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team
title_fullStr Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team
title_full_unstemmed Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team
title_short Oncology Nurse Coordinators in Clinical Trials – Shaking up the Melanoma Team
title_sort oncology nurse coordinators in clinical trials shaking up the melanoma team
topic clinical trials
hadassah medical center
israeli nursing
jerusalem
melanoma nurse coordinator
url http://www.apjon.org/article.asp?issn=2347-5625;year=2020;volume=7;issue=3;spage=250;epage=254;aulast=Steinberg
work_keys_str_mv AT hanisteinberg oncologynursecoordinatorsinclinicaltrialsshakingupthemelanomateam