Oncology CME

CME activities of special interest to hematologists and oncologists. Medscape contains a variety of educational formats:

CONFERENCE COVERAGE – Reports of advances presented at major medical conferences; typically includes several tracks with news stories, expert interviews, and in-depth topic overviews.

CLINICAL UPDATE – Comprehensive original review article on scientific advances in a clinical topic.

FAST TRACK CLINICAL UPDATE – Narrowly focused original review article on scientific advances in a clinical topic.

CME-LIVE – Real-time online events with streaming video, synchronized visuals, and interactive questions and answers; archived for 1 year.

CLINICAL BRIEFS – Daily reports of major current medical research articles; 0.25 credits each

JOURNAL CME – Articles selected from a wide selection of peer-reviewed journals.
SPECIAL REPORT CME – Topic-based monthly email newsletter distributed to Medscape’s professional member database by specialty.

INTERACTIVE PATIENT CASES – Original CME activity presented to the physician in an interactive, clinical case-based format. (See especially eMedicine CME Case Presentations.)
CME CIRCLE – Multimedia content certified by other accredited professional education providers, typically from live symposia or monographs, and then posted on Medscape and archived for one year.

Target Audience: Hematologists and Oncologists

The Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine offers various up to date CME activities that offer CME credits.

Topics include:
Neuro-oncology, Cardiovascular Health, Echocardiographic Assessment, and many more.

Target Audience: Various Specialties

The Oncology for Practicing Physicians course is:
• Comprehensive, modularized, interactive, asynchronous and online, with the flexibility to select all or some modules
• Designed, developed, and authored by expert McGill clinicians under the direction of a McGill scientific committee
• Accredited for family physicians Mainpro-M 1 and specialists MOC Section 2 credits
• Based on comprehensive needs assessments
• Supportive of self-directed learning
• Accessible from a variety of electronic devices, including smartphones and tablets
• Providing access to oncology experts through the Ask the Expert feature

Target Audiences:
family physicians, specialists, trainees, medical students, nurses, and other healthcare professionals.

Over 125 text-only courses in a comprehensive variety of hematology and oncology areas. Some recent topics are:
• Comparative Effectiveness Research in Oncology
• Oncology Comparative Effectiveness Research: A Multi-Stakeholder Perspective on Principles for Conduct and Reporting
• Progress in the biological understanding and management of breast cancer associated CNS metastases
• Multicenter Italian Experience in Liver Transplantation for Hepatocellular Carcinoma in HIV Infected Patients
• Prospective Head and Neck Cancer Research: a Four-Decade Bibliometric Perspective
• Role of Postoperative Vitamin D and/or Calcium Routine Supplementation in Preventing Hypocalcemia After Thyroidectomy

Target Audiences: Hematologists, Oncologists

There are many Oncology courses on this site offering between .75 – 1 CME credits.

Topics covered include:
Cancer Pain Management, Hodgkins Lymphoma, Cancer Immunotherapy, and many more.

Target Audience: Hematologists, Oncologists

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL), making up just under a third of NHL cases. In the United States, there are roughly 7 cases of DLBCL per 100,000 patients per year. The pathophysiology of DLBCL is complex and not fully understood; but is characterized by a widespread increase of very large, mature B-cells arising from various gene mutations. DLBCL is heterogenous group of tumors and includes many diverse subtypes based on location, presence of other cells within the tumor, and whether the patient has other related illnesses. Advanced age, immunodeficiency, and Epstein-Barr virus are associated risk factors for DLBCL. The disease is considered an AIDS-defining malignancy, marking the point at which an HIV infection is considered AIDS. Diagnosis of DLBCL is made by a tissue biopsy, and morphology and immunophenotyping play a crucial role in determining which subtype of DLBCL a patient has.

This learning activity has been designed to bring HCPs’ knowledge of present and emerging strategies for treatment and management of DLBCL up to date and to improve their competence and performance in treating it.

Target Audience:

Hematologists and oncologists; physician assistants, nurse practitioners,  pharmacists who practice in oncology, and any other HCPs with an interest in or who clinically encounter patients with DLBCL.

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. Whereas generics are virtually identical replicas of conventional medications, biosimilars are not the same as the original product – a practically unavoidable outcome because of the considerably large molecular structure that biologics mimic. The literature suggests that learning activities focused on the evolving landscape of biosimilars, which are germane to the therapeutic area because of their potential role in cost containment. Both the FDA and medical literature independently affirm the need for clinician education on biosimilars, including: Comparative efficacy; adverse event rates and management (potential concerns have included immunogenicity); regulatory guidance on interchangeability and substitution – including prescribers retaining some degree of ability to intervene in a product’s substitution at the dispensing stage; and cost considerations.

Given the rapid expansion of these product types and the presence of gaps in the area of hematologic malignancies and oncologic and supportive care therapies, this activity has been designed to bring HCPs’ knowledge of biosimilar products in those areas up to date and to improve their competence and performance in employing them in practice.

Target Audience:

The following healthcare professionals: Hematologist-oncologists and 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 hematologic malignancy or oncologic disease states who may receive treatment with biosimilars.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States with over 235,000 new cases diagnosed and representing a quarter of all cancer deaths at a rate of 132,000 annually. While smoking contributes to 82% of lung cancer deaths, nonsmoking-related lung cancer deaths still fall in the top ten causes of cancer deaths and represents a growing proportion of cases. Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is the most common type of lung cancer diagnosed, accounting for approximately 80% of patients diagnosed. Despite clear guidance on surveillance for disease in individuals at high risk, late diagnosis is a fundamental obstacle to improving lung cancer outcomes. 55% of NSCLC cases are diagnosed after metastasis, at which point the two- and five-year survival rates are 20% and 6.1%, respectively, whereas patients diagnosed with local disease experience survival rates of 81% and 61.4%, respectively. Treatment decisions are influenced by disease stage, histology (squamous vs. non-), and the tumor’s molecular features (e.g., PD-L1, EGFR, ALK, BRAF, NTRK, ROS1), although patient factors like performance status and comorbidities should also inform the development, optimization, and personalizing of individual treatment plans. First-line therapy for patients with advanced-stage NSCLC who are anti-programmed-death 1 (PD-1) positive is immunotherapy with a targeted monoclonal antibody. Targeted therapies are also preferred over platinum-based doublets as first-line therapy in patients whose tumors have targetable genetic mutations. The care plan need take into account management of adverse events from therapy, which may result in treatment delays, increased morbidity, or contribute to treatment failure.

Target Audience:

HCPs specializing in: Oncology, pulmonology, and pathology; 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 advanced NSCLC.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Advances in ALL management has led to considerable improvements in outcomes over the past several years, with modern-day treatment leading to remission rates of up to 99% and cure rates of about 90% in children with ALL. However, achieving these high rates of response require multiple phases of treatment, including induction, consolidation, interim maintenance, delayed intensification, and maintenance therapy. 

Chemotherapy was previously the standard of care in this setting but is associated with considerable toxicities. Novel, less toxic options are available or being studied for children who have relapsed after treatment as are new pharmacotherapies specific to patients with Philadelphia chromosome–positive disease and novel formulations of asparaginase. Helping the clinician discern the role of each of the first- and subsequent-line novel therapies based on the most up-to-date research merits continuing education programming in ALL. Indeed, a survey of oncology providers revealed that 86% indicated that added professional guidance would be helpful in incorporating more recent therapies into care.

And despite the inclusion of newer agents in pediatric ALL guidelines, a survey of oncologists and other providers who treat patients with the condition found that 40% of respondents had never prescribed, dispensed, or administered them. Challenges include lack of expertise and management of side effects. Furthermore, recently published guidelines, therefore, also inherently suggest a gap in medical practice and justify the need for educational programming.

Target Audience:

HCPs specializing in: pediatric hematology-oncology, hematology, oncology, pathology, and those who otherwise commonly care for or clinically encounter pediatric patients with ALL.

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

In this online, self-learning activity:

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy of the lymphocytes, and while the true cause is unknown, associated factors are thought to include: radiation, genetics, viral infections, and the human immunodeficiency virus. Myeloma is most common of the hematologic malignancies after non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with an incidence of over 34,000 and an annual mortality rate of over 12,000. The peak incidence age of MM is at about 70 years of age, and the disease occurs twice as commonly in African Americans as it does in whites.

Goals of care in MM are prolonging survival rates and improving quality of life, and treatment begins with induction and post-induction therapy, followed by hematopoietic stem cell transplant or maintenance therapy in patients ineligible for transplant. Relapse is indicated by any of several clinical signs, including new soft tissue plasmacytomas, hypercalcemia, renal insufficiency, anemia, new bone lesions, or hyperviscosity related to serum paraprotein.

Target Audience:

Hematologists and 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 RRMM.