Onco-Nurse Academy™: Evolving HER2 Treatment Approaches Across Tumor Types

Release Date: May 26, 2021
Expiration Date: May 26, 2022

Activity Overview

HER2 amplification has been increasingly recognized as a frequent abnormality in not only lung and gastric cancer, but also gastroesophageal and colorectal cancers. HER2 genetic testing is essential for determining which oncology patients will benefits from treatment with HER2-targeted agents; however, HER2 testing guidelines vary among the different tumor types. The utilization of HER2-targeted agents for the treatment of these cancers has increased. Novel HER2-targeted agents include the monoclonal antibodies trastuzumab, pertuzumab, and margetuximab; the antibody-drug conjugates ado-trastuzumab emtansine and fam-trastuzumab deruxtecan; and the tyrosine kinase inhibitors lapatinib, neratinib, and tucatinib. Importantly, each of these drug families is associated with different adverse events and, therefore, requires individualized monitoring as well as mitigation and treatment strategies.

This Community Practice Connection™ program provides an in-depth review of some of the key highlights from the Oncology Nurse Society’s Annual Conference, held in April 2021. This unique and engaging multimedia activity is ideal for the community-based clinician and focuses on the practical aspects managing patients with HER2-positive breast, gastrointestinal, colorectal, and lung cancer, putting recent clinical trial data into clinical context. The program is designed for those who did not attend the live meeting and to help reinforce learnings for those who did.

Acknowledgement of Commercial Support

This activity is supported by educational grants from AstraZeneca and Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.

Target Audience

This educational program is directed toward nurses and other health care professionals who treat patients with cancer.

Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion of this activity, you should be better prepared to:

• Explain the mechanistic rationale that informs the application of HER2-directed therapy in cancer care
• Discuss recent safety and efficacy data pertaining to the use of HER2-directed therapies for the treatment of breast, lung, and gastrointestinal cancers
• Devise strategies to promptly identify, mitigate, and manage treatment-related toxicities in patients with cancer being treated with HER2-directed therapies
• Determine effective counseling strategies to assist patients’ understanding of the rationale for their cancer treatment plan and management of treatment-related toxicities

Faculty, Staff, and Planners’ Disclosures

The staff of Physicians’ Education Resource^®, LLC have no relevant financial relationships with ineligible entities.

Co-Chairs

Ian Krop, MD, PhD
Associate Chief, Division of Breast Oncology
Senior Physician
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Associate Professor of Medicine
Harvard Medical School
Boston, MA

Disclosures: Grant: Genentech/Hoffmann-LaRoche, Pfizer; Consultant: AstraZeneca, Daiichi Sankyo Inc, Genentech/Hoffmann-La Roche, MacroGenics, Seagen; Other: Novartis Pharmaceuticals, Merck & Co (Data Safety Monitoring Boards with honoraria).

Elahe Salehi, NP
Director, Advanced Practice Nursing
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Boston, MA

Disclosures: no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Faculty

Kelley A. Rone, DNP, AGNP-C
Advanced Practice Nurse
Gastrointestinal Oncology Division of Hematology and Oncology
Mayo Clinic
Phoenix, AZ

Disclosures: no relevant financial relationships with ineligible companies.

Beth Sandy, MSN, CRNP
Thoracic Oncology Nurse Practitioner
Abramson Cancer Center
Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA

Disclosures: Speaker’s Bureau: AstraZeneca, Merck & Co, Takeda Pharmaceutical Company.

PER^® mitigated all COI for faculty, staff, and planners prior to the start of this activity by using a multistep process.

Off-Label Disclosure and Disclaimer

This activity may or may not discuss investigational, unapproved, or off-label use of drugs. Learners are advised to consult prescribing information for any products discussed. The information provided in this accredited activity is for continuing education purposes only and is not meant to substitute for the independent clinical judgment of a healthcare professional relative to diagnostic, treatment, or management options for a specific patient’s medical condition. The opinions expressed in the content are solely those of the individual faculty members and do not reflect those of PER^® or any company that provided commercial support for this activity.