Free CME

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Myelofibrosis (MF) is a hematologic malignancy characterized by fibrosis buildup in the bone marrow, inadequate hematopoiesis, and splenomegaly. MF is a rare form of cancer, with an incidence of about 0.4 per 100,000 person-years in the United States. MF is the most aggressive form of the Philadelphia-negative, BCR-ABL1 chronic myeloproliferative neoplasms, with a five-year mortality rate of 51%. In patients with other comorbidities at the time of or after diagnosis, such as diabetes, hypertension, pulmonary diseases, or obesity, even greater reductions in lifespan can be expected. It has a considerable effect on patient quality of life and is associated not only with feelings of fear, anger, and grief common of an oncologic diagnosis, but also a gradual loss of ability to perform activities of daily living and hobbies. MF imposes a significant financial burden through direct and indirect costs, and patients who are diagnosed at a younger age often become unemployed as the disease progresses.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: hematologists and oncologists in the community and academic settings; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in oncology; and any other HCPs with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with MF.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Ocular allergy (OA), also known as allergic eye disease, is an ocular surface hypersensitivity disorder resulting from an abnormal immunologic response of the eye to various antigens. It is not a single clinical entity, rather it includes the following conditions with differing hypersensitivity mechanisms, diagnostic criteria, pathogenesis, and management strategies: seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC), perennial allergic conjunctivitis (PAC), vernal keratoconjunctivitis (VKC), atopic keratoconjunctivitis, giant papillary conjunctivitis, and contact dermatoconjunctivitis. OA affects approximately 40% of the global population, with SAC and PAC specifically affecting 15 to 25%. Ocular itch associated with SAC and PAC is the hallmark symptom of the disease. The multifactorial dimensions of OA contribute to economic ramifications in the United States (US) estimated at $2 billion annually in prescriptions, with the costs associated with over-the-counter (OTC) medications projected to be tenfold higher than prescription sales.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: ophthalmologists, allergists, and general practitioners; physician assistants and nurse practitioners in the aforementioned areas of specialty; and any other clinicians involved or interested in the treatment of ocular allergy.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Biosimilar drugs are products meant to be similar in quality, safety, and efficacy to an already licensed reference biotherapeutic product. There has been remarkable growth in the number of commercially available products considered biosimilar by the FDA: over 30 FDA-approved and over 20 launched by one recent count. One therapeutic area of upcoming expansion of approvals is in ocular indications, where there is considerable active research and where available data indicate identical or near-identical rates of efficacy, safety outcomes, and immunogenicity. Biosimilars save the U.S. healthcare system $338 billion annually, a remarkable statistic for medications that are clinically interchangeable, and they are expected to continue to play a role in reducing the burden of healthcare expenditures in an era of heightened cost consciousness.

Target Audience:

The following healthcare professionals: ophthalmologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in ophthalmology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients eye disease.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) is a diverse group of hematologic cancers in which B-cells accumulate in the blood, bone marrow, and lymphatic tissue, constituting as absolute lymphocytosis of mature-appearing lymphocytes with an appropriate immunophenotype. CLL is an indolent disease and often goes undetected for some time. Patients may present clinically with a range of constitutional symptoms usually range from lymphadenopathy, night sweats, weight loss, weakness, and fever. Staging systems take into account a variety of factors, including lymphadenopathy, splenomegaly, hepatomegaly, and the presence and severity of cytopenias, while a patient’s prognosis is impacted by gene mutation status and cytogenetic and chromosomal abnormalities. Both the presentation and progression of CLL vary between patients, although patients diagnosed in advanced or high-risk stages of the disease have a median survival of less than four years.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: Medical oncologists and hematologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in oncology; and other healthcare professionals who commonly encounter patients with CLL.

Sickle cell disease (SCD) is the most common monogenic blood disorder, affecting millions of people worldwide and approximately 100,000 Americans. Although it may be found in various areas of the world, SCD predominantly affects individuals of African or Hispanic heritage. It is caused by the inheritance of b-globin alleles that code for hemoglobin S, resulting in an amino acid substitution in hemoglobin’s b chain and clinical disease. Patients with SCD have impaired circulation, and lysis of the erythrocytes contributes to a chronic inflammatory response, causing severe pain and less efficient oxygen delivery. The hallmark clinical features of SCD are hemolytic anemia and painful vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs), which may lead to emergency department visits, hospitalization, and potentially fatal complications such as acute chest syndrome, stroke, or pneumonia. In one US study, 45% of deaths among people with SCD were related to cardiopulmonary causes, and VOCs alone have been shown to increase the risk of death by 50%. SCD may disrupt employment or school and is associated with a significant reduction in quality of life. This learning activity has been designed to bring HCPs’ knowledge of rationale behind treatment of SCD up to date and to enhance their competence and performance in the condition’s management.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Over a quarter million women and almost 2,700 men in the U.S. are diagnosed with breast cancer each year, and it is the second leading cause of cancer death in women. The prognosis associated with breast has improved in the last few decades due in large part to earlier detection. However, while detection at the loco-regional stage is associated with a five-year overall survival (OS) rate of 90%, patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) may expect five-year OS rates closer to 28%.

Because it is not curable, the goals of care in mBC are: palliation of symptoms, improvement of quality-of-life, and extension of survival. Hormone receptor positivity (HR+) in the absence of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 overexpression (HER2+) has traditionally conferred a better prognosis. In contrast, HER2+ status is associated with a more negative prognosis, as it is associated with an increase in growth signals that are associated with accelerated tumor growth patterns, faster rates of recurrence, and higher mortality rates.

This activity has been designed to bring healthcare professionals’ knowledge of the rationale behind treatment of HER2+ mBC up to date and to improve their competence and performance in treating it.

Target Audience:

Medical oncologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who practice in oncology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with breast cancer.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is an ultra-rare genetic connective tissue disorder characterized by dysregulated chondrogenesis, with heterotopic ossification (HO) being the most typical feature. The global prevalence of FOP is estimated at 1.43 per million individuals, with a U.S. prevalence of 0.88 per million. FOP develops due to a mutation in the ACVR1 gene encoding the active receptor-like kinase (ALK2), with unique presenting symptoms including great toe malformations and the development of swelling in several areas of the body within the first decade of life.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: pediatricians, pediatric orthopedic surgeons, endocrinologists, and medical geneticists; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, and pharmacists who practice in orthopedics, orthopedic surgery, and rheumatology; and any other healthcare professionals with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with FOP.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTR) is a progressive, multisystem, life-threatening disorder characterized by the extracellular deposition of misfolded, insoluble amyloid fibrils. Transthyretin (TTR) is a protein present in human serum whose role is to transport thyroxine and retinol-binding proteins, and it is vital for behavior, cognition, nerve regeneration, and axonal growth. TTR itself is innately amyloidogenic even without the presence of genetic mutations. The hereditary form of ATTR (ATTRv) is passed to offspring through autosomal dominant inheritance and may present as late as mid-adulthood, but its symptoms usually start between the ages of 2 and 10 years. Left untreated, the average life expectancy of ATTR is 3 to 15 years from symptom onset.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: neurologists and hematologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists in the aforementioned areas of specialty; and any other HCPs with an interest in or who may clinically encounter patients with ATTR.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

The WHO defines vaccine hesitancy (VH) as a “delay in acceptance or refusal of vaccines despite the availability of vaccination services.” Despite substantial progress in rates of routine immunization over the decades prior to the most recent one, more recent trends suggest that immunization rates are beginning to plateau. Beyond VH and skepticism, there is also the embrace of outright vaccine rejection or denial fostered by the presence disinformation on conventional and social media platforms including claims that vacines are unsafe or unnecessary. Recent outbreaks of largely eradicated diseases such as measles, mumps, and diphtheria suggest that herd immunity may have suffered, putting those ineligible for vaccination at additional risk of infection. These developments have been attributed in part to VH and denial.

One large group with increasing VH is parents. A 2019 national survey found that approximately 1 in 4 parents reported serious concerns towards vaccinating their children. Another study saw that in up to 35% parents of well-vaccinated children demonstrate VH. Parents may raise issues that many providers feel ill-equipped to answer, due to lack of thorough knowledge of all vaccines or lack of evidence-based communication strategies. Unfortunately, only few evidence-based strategies exist to guide providers in their discussions with vaccine-hesitant parents.

Providers play a crucial role in vaccinating populations, but it is not and should not be their sole responsibility. Clinical practice sites, community organizations, health organizations, and government all contribute to addressing VH. Understanding potential solutions outside the office, such as media campaigns and policy changes, also provide insight into vaccine hesitancy and potential directions for future use.

Target Audience:

The following HCPs: Primary care physicians, pediatricians, and public health professionals; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, nurses, and pharmacists who practice in adult internal medicine and pediatrics; and any other clinicians who commonly encounter patients eligible for protection against vaccine-preventable diseases.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Malignant mesothelioma (MM) is a relatively rare, aggressive cancer that most commonly affects the pleural space (81%) in cases of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), followed by the peritoneum (9%). Over 80% of MPM patients and 33% of patients with peritoneal MM have a documented prior exposure to asbestos or related minerals. It is thought that the inhaled asbestos fibers interact with mesothelial and inflammatory cells, leading to repeatedly prolonged cell cycles and direct DNA damage. There are three distinct histologic subtypes of MPM, but determining subtypes requires expert assessment and suitable biopsies that are not always available, which may lead to delays in the start of treatment.

Target Audience:

HCPs including: Medical oncologists and pulmonologists; physicians assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists specializing in oncology; and other clinicians who are involved in providing diagnostic and therapeutic services for patients with malignant mesothelioma.