Melanoma Care Options™: Oncology Nursing Update

Bridging Available Treatments to Best-Case Outcomes in Melanoma

Faculty:
Rosemary Giuliano, ARNP, MSN
Surgical Hospitalist
Department of Surgery
Morton Plant Mease Health Care
New Port Richey, Florida

John M. Kirkwood, MD
Director, Melanoma and Skin Cancer Center Professor
Vice Chairman for Clinical Research
University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Kathleen Madden, FNP-BC, AOCNP
Family Nurse Practitioner
Melanoma/Sarcoma/Medical Oncology Group
NYU Clinical Cancer Center
New York, New York

1. Interested in reading the publication and earning CME credits online? Click here to register, click here to download the publication and click here to take the CME test and evaluation on line.

2. Just want to download the publication? Click here to download the publication. You can always print out and fax the CME information to us later.

Continuing Education Information

Instructions for Participation:

• Read the case presentations and comments in the newsletter
• Fill out the CNE test and evaluation online or complete the posttest questions and evaluation form at the end of the newsletter, and fax or mail them to our office

To receive up to 1.5 CNE credits for this activity:

• Within 4 weeks of successful completion, a certificate will be mailed to the address provided
• 70% of your posttest answers must be correct for you to receive a certificate of credit

Target Audience:

This activity has been designed to meet the educational needs of nurses involved in the management of patients with melanoma.

Statement of Need/Program Overview:

The oncology nurse is the bridge between available treatments and best-case outcomes for patients with melanoma. While the surgeon or medical oncologist is guiding the overall course of therapy for the patient with diagnosed disease, the oncology nurse typically spends more time educating and caring for the patient. He/she is often the sentry monitoring the patient s overall health and response to therapy. Since melanoma therapy can be associated with challenging adverse events, the nurse has a special role in ensuring that patients stay on therapy. To do so, he/she must have a firm understanding of the science behind the therapies (in terms of markers of efficacy and mechanisms/timing of toxicity) and the tricks of the trade. In addition, the advanced practice nurse may be in the position to prescribe therapy, monitor for drug interactions, and manage the adverse events in these patients.

Learning Objectives:

After completing this activity, the participant should be better able to:

• Define management strategies to improve adherence to available therapeutic regimens
• Define the role of the oncology nurse in educating patients at various stages of melanoma progression in order to improve adherence to available therapeutic regimens
• Compare and contrast available medical treatment options for the management of melanoma
• Describe the epidemiology of melanoma and the impact of prevention strategies

Continuing Education Credit:

This educational activity is co-provided by The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing and PharmAdura, LLC.

1.5 contact hours of Continuing Nursing Education will be granted by the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing. The University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center s Commission on Accreditation.

This activity is supported by an educational grant from Schering-Plough Corporation.

Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest:

The faculty has been asked to disclose any relationship to companies producing pharmaceuticals, medical equipment, or other relevant products or services, which might be germane to the content of this activity.

The planners and managers reported the following financial relationships or relationships to products or devices they or their spouse/life partner have with commercial interests related to the content of this CE activity:

Contributing Authors:

Rosemary Giuliano, ARNP, MSN is a member of the Speakers Bureau for Schering-Plough Corporation, Topo Target, and Genomic Health, and is a consultant for Topo Target.

John M. Kirkwood, MD has received research support from Schering-Plough Corporation, Berlex, and Pfizer Inc., is a member of the Schering-Plough Corporation Speakers Bureau, and is a consultant to Eleos Inc.

Kathleen Madden, FNP-BC, AOCNP has no relationships with companies who manufacture products used in the treatment of the subjects under discussion.

Planners:

Lisa Marie Bernardo, PhD, MPH, RN has no relationships with companies who manufacture products used in the treatment of the subjects under discussion.

Michael Coco, PhD has no relationships with companies who manufacture products used in the treatment of the subjects under discussion.

Denise Frontin has no relationships with companies who manufacture products used in the treatment of the subjects under discussion.

Nancy Lucas has no relationships with companies who manufacture products used in the treatment of the subjects under discussion.

Method of Participation:

There are no fees for participating and receiving CE credit for this activity. During the period September 2008 through September 2009, participants must 1) read the learning objectives and faculty disclosures; 2) study the educational activity; 3) complete the posttest by recording the best answer to each question in the answer key on the evaluation form; 4) complete the evaluation form; and 5) mail or fax the evaluation form with answer key to: PharmAdura, 523 Rt. 303, Orangeburg, NY 10962; Fax: 845-398-5108.

Disclaimer:

The information presented in this CNE activity represents the views and opinions of the individual presenters, and does not constitute the opinion or endorsement of, or promotion by, the University of Pittsburgh School of Nursing Continuing Education or PharmAdura, LLC. Reasonable efforts have been taken intending for educational subject matter to be presented in a balanced, unbiased fashion and in compliance with regulatory requirements. However, each participant must always use his/her own personal and professional judgment when considering further application of this information, particularly as it may relate to patient diagnostic or treatment decisions including, without limitation, FDA-approved uses and any off-label uses.

Release Date: September 2008
Expiration Date: September 30, 2009
Estimated time to complete: 1.5 hours