Genetic cancer risk assessment for PA practice.

The roles of cancer genetics and risk assessment as areas of medicine are rapidly evolving. Genetic cancer risk assessment (GCRA) has begun to penetrate patient care for providers in all specialties and areas of expertise. To provide comprehensive patient care and thorough risk evaluation, physician associates/assistants (PAs) should have a fundamental understanding of the role of GCRA as it pertains to their patients' overall health and medical management.

Development of a Standardized Bone Marrow Procedure Training and Competency Toolkit for Advanced Practice Providers in a Large Community Oncology Practice.

Bone marrow procedures are a common diagnostic tool utilized in hematology/oncology and can be completed in the office by trained clinicians. Currently, there are limited guidelines for appropriate training and competency for bone marrow procedures performed by advanced practice providers (APPs) in a community oncology practice setting. The need to create a standardized training and competency protocol for APPs in this setting was recognized.

Bosutinib treatment for Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias.

The SRC-ABL inhibitor bosutinib is one of the five tyrosine kinase inhibitors currently approved for the treatment of Philadelphia chromosome-positive leukemias. Bosutinib has shown activity against all phases of resistant chronic myeloid leukemia that do not harbor the T315I or V299L ABL kinase domain mutations. Bosutinib is overall well tolerated; transient diarrhea is the most common side effect.

Tools to optimize the functionality of a leukemia clinical trial team.

A multidisciplinary approach offers efficiency and quality care by delegating tasks according to individuals' expertise. However, increasingly stringent regulatory requirements, albeit essential for successful conduct of clinical trials, have magnified the workload of research teams. We describe tools that have efficiently addressed regulatory requirements and facilitated the conduct of clinical trials.

Managing chronic myeloid leukemia: a coordinated team care perspective.

Treatment of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) has seen dramatic progress in recent years with the development of tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). To take maximum advantage of therapy with TKIs, compliance and good understanding of monitoring response to therapy are essential. We established a team that included a hematologist, a physician assistant (PA), and a nurse who work closely with a social worker, a pharmacist, and a research coordinator to assist patients throughout their journey with CML.