Continuing Education Information
ARTICLE
Managing Hematologic Malignancies: The Balancing Act
Release date: September 15, 2011
Expiration date: September 15, 2012
Estimated time to complete activity: 1.5 hours
Accreditation Information
Statement of Need
As demonstrated by the large number of abstracts presented at the 2010 American Society of Hematology meeting, treatment of hematologic malignancies is an area undergoing a tremendous amount of research with new drugs and new drug combinations. Oncology nurse practitioners (NPs) and clinical nurse specialists (CNSs) caring for patients with hematologic malignancies need to be aware of new treatment options as well as management of potential side effects associated with such therapies. The need for advanced level continuing education (CE) programs in oncology is great. Oncology CE programs for advanced practitioners are sparse, with limited programs offered by the Oncology Nursing Society (ONS) and the Association of Physician Assistants in Oncology (APAO). By providing a selected overview of hematologic malignancies, current treatment regimens, and a synopsis of newer, clinically relevant research trials, advanced practitioners will have a better understanding of the current treatments and their potential impact on managing patients with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), acute myeloid leukemia (AML), follicular lymphoma (FL), and multiple myeloma (MM).
Learning Objectives
At the end of each program participants will be able to:
- Define the unique and common characteristics of the hematologic malignancies MDS, AML, FL, and MM
- Differentiate appropriate diagnostic tests for staging in the diagnosis of each of these hematologic malignancies
- List the possible treatment regimens for each hematologic malignancy according to National Comprehensive Cancer Network guidelines and new research results as appropriate for each malignancy
- Implement appropriate interventions for the management of treatment-related side effects
Audience
This activity is designed for oncology NPs and CNSs interested in learning more about hematologic malignancies and the management of these patients.
Sponsor
This educational activity is jointly sponsored by Medical Education Resources, Inc. (MER) and Avid Education Partners, LLC (AEP).
Accreditation
This program is approved for 1.5 contact hours of continuing education (which includes 0.5 hours of pharmacology) by the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners. Program ID 1107200. This program was planned in accordance with AANP CE Standards and Policies and AANP Commercial Support Standards.
Medical Education Resources is accredited as a provider of continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s Commission on Accreditation.
This CE activity provides 1.5 contact hours of continuing nursing education.
Medical Education Resources is an approved provider of continuing nursing education by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider #CEP 12299, for 1.5 contact hours.
Method of Participation
There are no fees for participating in and receiving credit for this activity. During the period September 15, 2011, through September 15, 2012, 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 Medical Education Resources, 1500 W. Canal Court, Bldg B, Littleton, CO 80120-6404 or fax to 720-449-0217.
A statement of credit will be issued only upon receipt of a completed activity evaluation form and a completed posttest with a score of 70% or better. Statements of credit will be mailed to you within 5 weeks.
Disclosure of Conflicts of Interest
MER and AEP insure balance, independence, objectivity, and scientific rigor in all our educational activities. In accordance with this policy, MER identifies conflicts of interest with its instructors, content managers, and other individuals who are in a position to control the content of an activity. Conflicts are resolved by MER to ensure that all scientific research referred to, reported, or used in a CME activity conforms to the generally accepted standards of experimental design, data collection, and analysis. MER and AEP are committed to providing its learners with high-quality CME activities that promote improvements or quality in health care and not the business interest of a commercial interest.
The faculty reported the following financial relationships with commercial interests whose products or services may be mentioned in this CME activity:
Elizabeth Bilotti, MSN, RN, APN, OCN®, reported a financial interest/relationship in the form of: Consulting Fees, Celgene, Merck, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company; Speaker’s Bureau, Celgene, Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company
Jean A. Ridgeway, MSN, APN, NP-C, AOCN®, reported a financial interest/relationship in the form of: Speaker’s Bureau: Celgene, MGI Pharma (Eisai)
Sandra Kurtin, RN, MS, AOCN®, ANP-C, reported a financial interest/relationship in the form of: Speaker’s Bureau: Celgene, Novartis
Amy Goodrich, MSN, CRNP, has no financial relationships to disclose
The content managers reported the following financial relationships with commercial interests whose products or services may be mentioned in this CME activity:
Cass Hammond, RN, MSN, CRNP, has no financial relationships to disclose
Julie Johnson, PharmD, has no financial relationships to disclose
Disclaimer
The content, opinions, and views presented in this educational activity are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of MER, AEP, and/or Celgene, Cephalon Oncology, and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company. The authors have disclosed if there is any discussion of published and/or investigational uses of agents that are not indicated by the FDA in their presentations. Before prescribing any medicine, primary references and full prescribing information should be consulted. Any procedures, medications, or other courses of diagnosis or treatment discussed or suggested in this activity should not be used by clinicians without evaluation of their patient’s conditions and possible contraindications on dangers in use, review of any applicable manufacturer’s product information, and comparison with recommendations of other authorities. The information presented in this activity is not meant to serve as a guideline for patient management.
Acknowledgment of Commercial Support
This educational activity is supported by grants from Celgene, Cephalon Oncology, and Millennium: The Takeda Oncology Company.