A Practical Approach to the Diagnosis and Treatment of Anemia in Cancer Patients
The decision regarding the best treatment option for cancer patients with anemia is dependent on many factors including the presence of symptoms, etiology of anemia, chemotherapy treatment intent and patient comorbidities. While red blood cell (RBC) transfusion is best for symptomatic patients requiring an immediate boost in hemoglobin levels, consideration of erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA) therapy and/or iron supplementation may be warranted for the long-term management of anemia in high-risk patients or in asymptomatic patients with comorbidities. The risks and goals associated with each treatment modality should always be discussed with the patient prior to treatment. Therefore, increased education and awareness of these risks and goals will help minimize post-transplant complications, maximize patient communication and ensure the delivery of optimal care.
Target Audience
This educational program is designed to meet the educational needs of oncology nurses who manage patients with cancer.
Learning Objectives
Following this activity, participants should be able to:
- Describe the diagnostic approach for determining the etiology of anemia
- Identify appropriate therapeutic interventions based on the etiology of anemia
- Provide examples of the advantages and disadvantages of RBC transfusion, oral iron, and IV iron therapy
Laura J. Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCN
UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center
NCCN Medical Education Disclosure Policy
It is the policy of NCCN that every 12 months, all faculty, moderators, activity planners and all internal planning staff participating in NCCN continuing education activities are expected to disclose any financial relationships with a commercial interest as defined by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME) Standards for Commercial Support. In addition, all faculty presentations have been reviewed for adherence to the ACCME’s Standards for Commercial Support (the provider develops activities/educational interventions independent of commercial interests [SCS 1, 2 and 6] by experts on the topics).
Per the ACCME Standards for Commercial Support, individuals who do not disclose relevant financial relationships will be disqualified from involvement in the CE activity as a content developer, planner, or presenter. A complete list of individuals’ relationships with external entities is available upon request.
Definitions
NCCN continuing education considers financial relationships to create a “conflict of interest” when an individual has both a financial relationship with a commercial interest and the opportunity to affect CE content about the products or services of a commercial interest with which he/she and/or a spouse or partner has a financial relationship.
NCCN continuing education considers “relevant financial relationships” as financial relationships in any amount occurring within the past 12 months that create a conflict of interest. NCCN does not set a minimal dollar amount for relationships to be significant. Inherent in any amount is the incentive to maintain or increase the value of the relationship.
Faculty Disclaimers
All faculty for this continuing education activity are competent in the subject matter and qualified by experience, training, and/or preparation for the tasks and methods of delivery.
Faculty presentations may include discussion of off-label use. Faculty will disclose that the use in question is not currently approved by the FDA per the product labeling.
Faculty Disclosures
The faculty listed below discloses the following relevant financial relationships:
Laura J. Zitella, MS, RN, ACNP-BC, AOCN
Daiichi- Sankyo Co.: Honoraria
Merck & Co., Inc. : Honoraria
Salix Pharmaceuticals: Consulting Fee
NCCN Staff Disclosures
The NCCN Activity Planning staff listed below discloses no relevant financial relationships:
Melissa Esplen; Mark A. Geisler; Kristina M. Gregory, RN, MSN, OCN; Kristin Kline Hasson; Rose Joyce; Karen Kanefield; Lisa Perfidio, MS; Shannon Ryan, CMP; Kathy Ann Smith, CHCP; Sarah Weinstein
The NCCN Clinical staff listed below discloses no relevant financial relationships:
Lenora Pluchino, PhD
In support of improving patient care, National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) is jointly accredited by the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education (ACCME), the Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE), and the American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC), to provide continuing education for the healthcare team.
Nurses
NCCN designates this educational activity for a maximum of 1.0 contact hour.
Available Credit
- 1.00 ANCC contact hours
- 1.00 Participation
Price
Required Hardware/software
To complete this activity, users will need:
- A device with an Internet connection
- One of the two latest versions of Google Chrome, Mozilla Firefox, or Safari (Internet Explorer is no longer supported)
- Adobe Flash Player and/or an HTML5 capable browser for video or audio playback
- Adobe Reader or other PDF reader software for certificate viewing/printing