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Caring for older adults with cancer receiving chemotherapy may present a number of challenges. Complications from chemotherapy are more common among older patients, and prevention and early detection of toxicities can improve treatment adherence, decrease costs, and improve treatment outcomes in this population. Over 12 months, 18 older adults with cancer (aged 65 years or older) participated in a quality-improvement project that provided telephone follow-up and intervention after chemotherapy administration; first-time chemotherapy recipients received telephone calls that followed assessment and referral guidelines over 10 days. Several characteristics of patients with increased toxicity were noted, including poor functional status, limited support at home, and significant comorbid disease. Recommendations for identifying patients at high risk are included so that services may be targeted for the most appropriate use of resources.

Cancer cachexia occurs in about 33% of newly diagnosed patients with cancer and may lead to delayed, missed, or decreased treatments. An interdisciplinary team approach to manage cancer cachexia may result in fewer missed treatments and improved outcomes. The palliative care program of an urban community cancer center developed an interdisciplinary clinic to treat cancer cachexia with the goal of using an interdisciplinary approach to improve symptom management, nutrition, function, and quality of life (QOL) for patients with cancer at high risk for malnutrition. The Cancer Appetite and Rehabilitation Clinic team completes medical, nutritional, speech, swallowing, and physical therapy evaluations and then develops an individualized program directed to meet patients' needs and improve overall QOL. Patient outcomes are measured by symptom management and nutritional and functional parameters. Early intervention and aggressive symptom management may improve performance status and overall QOL. Results from this project will be used to expand this innovative program. The process of developing and implementing this clinic may help oncology nurses and other healthcare professionals to improve management of cancer cachexia and overall cancer care.

Cancer is a disease of older adults, and with unprecedented growth in the number of people entering late adulthood, an increasing need exists for specialized services and programs to address the needs of older adults with cancer. Few examples in the literature detail development of a geriatric oncology program. This article describes a pilot project undertaken by a community cancer center to develop a specialized program for older adults with cancer by identifying local demographics and population needs. It also describes a replicable plan for the development of a geriatric oncology program, which demonstrates how nursing can benefit from collaboration with other disciplines such as social work and psychology in service provision.

As a group, oncology nurses are aging, mirroring a large portion of the American public. Many practicing nurses are approaching middle age, and with increased age comes an increased risk for cancer. Many oncology nurses are cancer survivors, and the experience of treating a colleague is becoming more common, but few publications have addressed this topic. Pennsylvania Oncology Hematology Associates (POHA), a private medical oncology practice in Philadelphia, has encountered such a situation. This article captures the experience of one oncology nurse who underwent chemotherapy treatment for breast cancer at her place of employment. She discusses her cancer, chemotherapy treatments, and new level of understanding with patients. Her colleagues also share their reactions to witnessing the survivorship process. The nursing team at POHA has been inspired and humbled by the experience, and patient care has been enhanced. The courage of one individual's journey has demonstrated how a negative situation can be transformed into a positive one.

An intervention with the Scored Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment was implemented at a community cancer center to identify patients with sarcoma at risk for malnutrition. This population usually is not considered to be at nutritional risk because of young age and the site of diagnosis; however, 60% of patients assessed were at risk for malnutrition or were severely malnourished. Nurses and dietitians should be aware of potential nutritional risk in this population and learn about possible interventions.

Outcomes measurement is necessary to evaluate quality of care, increase knowledge about experiences with cancer and therapies, and determine the effectiveness of interventions directed toward improving symptoms and quality of life (QOL) in research and clinical care. Recent attention on outcomes measurement and research in palliative care settings has emphasized the need to incorporate patient-reported outcomes. Unlike other areas of research in oncology, palliative care research is comprised largely of descriptive studies elucidating the process involved with palliative care, with a notable void in well-designed patient-oriented studies employing standard instruments for measuring functional status, QOL, symptoms, and psychosocial well-being. Outcomes programs in practice settings where palliative care is an integral part of clinical services can offer important information about patient experiences across the continuum of care and help to identify patients most likely to benefit from palliative care interventions. Therefore, oncology nurses must be informed about outcome-measurement issues, including ways to select reliable and valid instruments and determine which ones are appropriate for palliative care populations. Content related to the measurement of patient-oriented outcomes is presented to assist nurses in developing outcomes programs in palliative care settings.