Oncology CME

Each year, an estimated 170,000 cases of prostate cancer are diagnosed. Although early prostate cancer may be cured with surgery or radiation therapy, more than 50% of men will experience recurrence after definitive treatment. The use of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) for intermediate-risk, high-risk, and recurrent prostate cancer has greatly increased in the last 15 years, extending 10-year survival by nearly 25% compared with observation alone. New treatment options for advanced prostate cancer have further improved survival and increased the number of patients living with non-metastatic and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (nmCRPC and mCRPC). Despite the established improvements in survival associated with hormonal treatments, ADT has been associated with well-characterized negative effects on bone health. Indeed, bone metastases and subsequent skeletal-related events (SREs) are the primary driver of both morbidity and mortality among people with CRPC. In a study of 2234 men aged 65 years or older with a diagnosis of CRPC, 40% experienced SREs over a median follow-up of 10.6 months. Maintaining bone health in patients with CRPC requires routine monitoring and proactive management.

Target Audience:

The following healthcare professionals: urologists, medical and radiation oncologists, primary care physicians, nuclear medicine specialists and radiologists, and endocrinologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and pharmacists who treat prostate cancer; and any other healthcare professionals who commonly care for patients with prostate cancer.

By the end of the session the participant will be able to:

• Recall the relative efficacy and safety of presently available agents used to for bone health and fracture prevention in patients with prostate cancer
• Describe the identification and management of disease and intervention adverse effects on patients
• Using details in a patient case, recommend an appropriate pharmacotherapeutic treatment plan for the purpose of preventing SREs in patients with prostate cancer

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 larger part to earlier detection. Detection at the loco-regional stage is associated with a five-year overall survival (OS) rate of ≥ 85% in contrast to 27% for distant or metastatic breast cancer (MBC).

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 has traditionally conferred a better prognosis. In contrast, the presence the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) is associated with a more negative prognosis. Finally, there remains a basal-like group lacking in those markers, miscellaneously labeled triple-negative (TNBC), with some cancers observed to be more aggressive, but with the overall population similar in prognosis to hormone-positive breast cancer, owing to TNBC’s heterogenous nature.

Target Audience:

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

By the end of the session the participant will be able to:

• Describe the prognostic and treatment implications of TN status in the diagnosis and treatment of MBC.
• Describe treatment options presently available for TN MBC, including safety, and apply them to patient cases using evidence-based medicine.
• Describe emerging treatment options presently available for TN MBC, their mechanisms of action and safety, and anticipated place in therapy.
• Discuss barriers patients with TN MBC experience in attempting to access care, including burden of disease and adverse consequences of therapy, and propose ways to ameliorate them.

Earn CME with these new modules on lung cancer which include education on advances in lung cancer treatment, surgical and radiofrequency-ablative techniques, targeted therapies, and immunotherapies. Each takes less than 30 minutes to complete!

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Target Audiences:
Clinicians practicing interventional oncology (IO) or those who are interested in learning more about IO.

Elevate Your Hematology and Oncology CME

The Brigham and Dana-Farber Board Review and Comprehensive Update in Hematology and Oncology is a case-based online CME course focused on improving overall knowledge and clinical competency. Prep for your board exam and stay current on basic principles, changing guidelines and therapeutic strategies. Practice improvement areas featured in the continuing medical education program include:

• Acquired/Congenital Bone Marrow Failure
• Thalassemia/Hemoglobinopathies
• Transfusion Medicine
• New Therapies (Pharmacology)
• Infections of the Immunocompromised
• Hematologic Malignancies (Acute/Chronic Leukemias; Myeloma/Lymphomas)
• Thoracic Oncology (Head/Neck/Lung/Thyroid)
• and many more…

Target Audience: Hematologists

Some recent topics include:
• Cancer Screening in the United States, 2013
• Risk Factors, Pathophysiology, and Treatment of Hot Flashes in Cancer
• American Cancer Society Lung Cancer Screening Guidelines
• The Role of Human Papillomavirus in Nongenital Cancers
• Hypnosis for Cancer Care: Over 200 Years Young
• The Current Status of Robotic Oncologic Surgery
• Oral Complications of Cancer and Cancer Therapy: From Cancer Treatment to Survivorship
• Electronic Patient-Reported Outcome Systems in Oncology Clinical Practice
• Nutrition and Physical Activity Guidelines for Cancer Survivors

Target Audience: Oncologists

There is currently one webcast that offers CME credits:
Online Webcast – Transanal Colo-Rectal Endoscopic Surgery (TACRES) Ta TME in Rectal Cancer by Cecil Approach

Target Audience: Physicians specializing in Hematology/Oncology.

About 40 text-based or case-based-interactive activities concerned with aspects of cancer.

All of these categories offer CME credit: Conference Coverage, Journal Options, Management Series, Treatment Updates, Annual Updates and Interactive Cases.

Not all activities offer CME; look for the term, “CME-certified”.

Target Audience: Oncologists

CME Zone offers various courses in many specialties offering CME Credits. The courses are quick and easy to complete.

Target Audiences: General Surgeons, Oncologists, Various Specialties

Only the webcasts offer CME credit. Of these, 13 are in Oncology; other areas are Hematology (7) and Gastroenterology (6). Many of the webcasts offer multiple modules.

Target Audiences:
Physicians specializing in Hematology, Oncology, or Gastroenterology.