Target Audience
The target audiences for this educational activity are generalist nurses and pharmacists, oncology nurse specialists (including advanced practice nurses and physician assistants), and clinical and oncology pharmacists who provide care to patients with colorectal cancer across a variety of practice settings.
Activity Rationale and Purpose
According to 2006 Cancer Facts and Figures, the colon and rectum were identified as the third most common sites for new cancer and cancer-related death for both sexes. With 148,610 new cases and 55,170 deaths estimated to occur in 2006, it is important that oncology specialists and nononcology clinicians who share in the care of oncology patients base their practice on current knowledge of clinical practice guidelines. Application of recommended stage-related treatments, safe administration of chemotherapeutic regimens, timely implementation of supportive care guidelines, and evidence-based management of drug side effects and toxicities in daily practice helps maximize treatment benefit.
This educational activity provides an update on the current status of colorectal cancer (CRC), including epidemiology, early detection, and survival trends. The latest chemotherapeutic and supportive care advances in CRC are addressed. The overall purpose is to provide oncology professionals with information on state-of-the-art treatment for CRC to assist them in educating, supporting, and caring for patients.
Reflecting changing clinical practice and increased complexities in delivering basic and advanced cancer treatments in keeping with current clinical practice guidelines, this program offers 3 separate lecture options geared to
- Generalists: nurses and pharmacists who are new to oncology practice or who provide general care to patients with cancer
- Oncology nurse specialists, including advanced practice nurses and physician assistants
- Clinical pharmacists and oncology pharmacists
Learning Objectives
Choose the lecture best suited for your target audience.
Generalist Lecture:
Understanding Fundamental Concepts in CRC Disease Prevention, Diagnosis, and Treatment
After participating in this activity, participants should be able to
- Explain the concept of relative risk and the difference between modifiable and unmodifiable risk factors when counseling internal medicine adult patients about recommended colorectal cancer (CRC) risk prevention strategies and screening behaviors
- Apply CRC diagnostic staging information to guideline-based multimodal treatment recommendations
- Develop a chemotherapy side effect education plan for the patient with colon cancer using the clinical process
- Modify the patient’s multidisciplinary side effect treatment plan to include prevention and treatment strategies for oral mucositis, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and neutropenia related to recommended adjuvant chemotherapy regimens
Specialist Lecture:
Building on Fundamental Concepts in CRC Diagnosis, Staging, Treatment, and Side Effect Management
After participating in this activity, participants should be able to
- Analyze presenting signs and symptoms of colorectal cancer (CRC) in terms of differential diagnosis, diagnostic testing, and staging procedures
- Link the initial diagnostic stage (II/III and IV) of CRC with the corresponding guideline-based chemotherapy regimen(s)
- Evaluate current and emerging pharmacologic and nonpharmacologic supportive care strategies for preventing and reducing major treatment-related side effects, such as hypersensitivity reaction, neutropenia, and peripheral neuropathy
Pharmacy Lecture:
Expanding Pharmaceutical Care in the Management of CRC
After participating in this activity, pharmacists should be able to
- Describe obstacles to patient compliance with chemotherapeutic regimens and recommend supportive care strategies to optimize treatment
- List special preparation instructions for selected agents and identify potential incompatibility and stability issues
- Explain how changes in reimbursement affect the selection of agents and the setting for delivery of care
When choosing among continuing education activities, clinicians should select those that are appropriate for their educational needs. Participants in educational activities have the implied responsibility to use the newly acquired information to enhance patient outcomes and their own professional effectiveness. Clinicians should reflect on this activity and its applicability to their own patient population, and then identify and implement appropriate practice changes.
Continuing Education
Statement of Credit. Participants who successfully complete this activity (including completion and submission of the evaluation form) will be issued a statement of credit via e-mail or US mail within 4 weeks.
Nurses.
This activity for 1.2 contact hours is provided by the Meniscus Educational
Institute. The Meniscus Educational Institute is accredited as a provider of
continuing nursing education by the American Nurses Credentialing Center’s
Commission on Accreditation.
Provider approved by the California Board of Registered Nursing, Provider No. 13164, for 1.2 contact hours.
Pharmacists. This educational activity is sponsored by the Meniscus
Educational Institute. The Meniscus Educational Institute is accredited by the
Accreditation Council for Pharmacy Education (ACPE) as a provider of continuing
pharmacy education. The ACPE Universal Program Number assigned to this program,
for 1.0 contact hour
Request More Information
For more information, e-mail CRCSCHEDULE@meniscus.com. There is no fee for this activity.
Download a Brochure
To download a printable brochure about this educational program, click on the “Brochure” link below.
Brochure (946 KB)
(Adobe Acrobat Reader
4.0 or later required)
Meeting Schedule
Request a Meeting
The educational lecture series entitled Colorectal Cancer: Expanding Treatment Options is now complete. We will be providing a new lecture series entitled Colorectal Cancer: Pathway to Survival beginning Fall 2007.
If you are interested in participating in this new series, please leave your contact information below. We will place you on the waiting list and contact you when we begin booking these meetings.
E-mail: CRCSCHEDULE@meniscus.com
Thank you.
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Provided by Meniscus Educational Institute, a division of Meniscus Limited |
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Supported by an educational grant from sanofi-aventis U.S. |
Colon 3D image reprinted with permission from Horton et al. RadioGraphics. 2000;20:419-430.