Oncology Nursing Showdown: Advanced Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma Edition

STATEMENT OF NEED

An estimated 77,240 new cases of non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) are diagnosed each year in the United States. A number of disease subtypes exist, including follicular lymphoma (FL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). An indolent, difficult-to-treat B-cell malignancy, FL comprises approximately 22% of all cases of NHL. Currently, allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplant is the only curative therapeutic modality for relapsed/refractory FL. However, the risk for comorbidities and secondary cancers limits the use of this treatment upfront, and further research is required to keep the remission rate among FL patients high and durable. CLL, which represents approximately 37% of all adult leukemias in the United States, is considered primarily a disease of older patients, with a median age at diagnosis of 70 years. With the treatment of older patients complicated by comorbidities such as diabetes and heart disease, the prevalence and mortality of CLL are expected to increase in the coming decade in conjunction with the aging population.

TARGET AUDIENCE

Oncology nurses, nurse practitioners, clinical nurse specialists, and other health care professionals involved in the treatment of patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL), including follicular lymphoma (FL) and chronic lymphocytic leukemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma (CLL/SLL).

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Upon completion of this activity, participants should be able to:

1.) Evaluate guideline recommendations for the management of individual patients with advanced NHL
2.) Assess emerging efficacy and safety data on novel therapies for advanced NHL
3.) Apply strategies to manage adverse events and optimize treatment experiences for patients receiving novel therapies for advanced NHL

FACULTY

Amy L. Goodrich, RN, MSN, CRNP-AC (Chairperson)
Nurse Practitioner
Johns Hopkins Kimmel Cancer Center