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Immunotherapy has changed the landscape of oncology, particularly in advanced metastatic disease, where the chance of prolonged remission is now measured in years or even into the early decades in some cancers.

In patients undergoing radiation therapy for painful bone metastases, results from a multicenter randomized trial suggest that pain management education may reduce pain intensity. According to data presented at the 2017 Palliative and Supportive Care in Oncology Symposium, controlled pain, which was defined as a pain score lower than 5 (out of 10), was reached faster and by more patients with the addition of nurse-led pain education compared with standard of care. However, no significant differences were found between the groups in quality of life.

A recent survey by Consumer Reports shows that nearly 90% of Americans would prefer to die at home, focused on comfort, and yet, two-thirds of Americans over the age of 65 years end up dying in a healthcare setting, intubated, and in considerable pain.

Emerging pharmacologic therapies used for the treatment of oncology are being developed and approved at an accelerated rate.

On behalf of all of us at the Journal of Oncology Navigation & Survivorship (JONS) and the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+), I wish you all a happy and healthy New Year.

Social media represent important resources for parents to engage with experts and peers over survivorship health. The authors of this study examined the social media use and perceptions in the context of unmet needs for survivorship information of parents of young and adolescent childhood cancer survivors.

AONN+ leaders Cheryl Bellomo and Danelle Johnston discuss the importance of collecting data from the newly-established 35 AONN+ metrics then analyzing and reporting the findings to create best practices.

Shannon Miller – 7-time Olympic medalist and ovarian cancer survivor – encourages navigators at the eighth annual meeting of AONN+ saying just as an athlete doesn’t win an Olympic gold medal alone, a patient doesn’t beat cancer alone. It takes a team to succeed, and navigators are a vital part of that team.

Although there historically has been a gap in the literature regarding the key areas that measure the success of navigation programs, the Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators (AONN+) evidence-based oncology navigation metrics are making strides in closing that gap.

Navigating patients through the complexities of breast cancer is a unique challenge, but cross-collaboration between breast patient navigators and oncology nurse navigators can make a world of difference in improving patient care.