
Survivorship Care Plans – What does the future hold?
Posted June 24th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
If you are following the proposed Commission on Cancer (CoC) changes to the survivorship standard, you know they have drafted changes that would make providing survivorship care plans (SCP) unnecessary for accreditation, though they still recommend their use. While implementing SCP use in clinics has proven challenging for some centers, others have had great successes. We […]

Fear: The Unwanted Passenger
Posted June 18th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
Author’s note: I wrote this piece a few years back but, of course, it still speaks to me. Probably always will. You might feel the same. I visited my dermatologist the other day. “Fifteen years!” she said. So long ago, yet sometimes so close. The thing is, once you have had a diagnosis of cancer […]

Celebrating National Cancer Survivors Day
Posted June 2nd, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
Every year, on the first Sunday in June, we recognize National Cancer Survivors Day (NCSD). It’s a day to celebrate the strength and resilience of survivors and caregivers and to provide inspiration to those facing a new diagnosis. It is a reminder that life after cancer can be fulfilling, rewarding and inspiring. A few years ago […]

“I hope that someday you will be as great a nurse as Barb”
Posted May 28th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
I’m sure that many nurses have those experiences they never forget – I do too. But for me, one of the most memorable events wasn’t really an event but the words of a patient early on in my career. Her words have stuck with me for 25+ years, long after I have forgotten her name […]

In Celebration of National Nurses Week
Posted May 1st, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
You may have heard the Washington Senator’s comments about nurses playing cards a few weeks back. I rolled my eyes, as I know many other nurses did as well, knowing this couldn’t be farther from the truth. But my first thought was, I guess it is lucky for her that she has never been in […]

Happy 25th Birthday OncoLink!
Posted March 7th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
Can it really be 25 years already? When I was finishing up nursing school in 1994, computers were a novelty. I still researched my school papers using the card catalogue and email was just starting to gain popularity. In a small office at the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Joel Goldwein was playing around with creating […]

Understanding Cancer Risk Part 6: Cancer Screening Tests
Posted February 8th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
The New Year is a great time to make healthy changes – start the year off with a new attitude, pledge to get more activity, eat better or do something to better yourself. Since we spend all day talking about cancer, we decided to kick off the new year with the goal of helping you […]

Celebrate World Cancer Day with a Commitment!
Posted February 4th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
Every year, on February 4th, the world cancer community comes together to recognize World Cancer Day. This campaign, coordinated by the Union for International Cancer Control, has worked since 2000 to rally the world’s voices to raise cancer awareness and advocate for our governments to do more. The facts about the worldwide toll of cancer […]

Understanding Cancer Risk Part 5: Sun Safety
Posted February 1st, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
The New Year is a great time to make healthy changes – start the year off with a new attitude, pledge to get more activity, eat better or do something to better yourself. Since we spend all day talking about cancer, we decided to kick off the new year with the goal of helping you […]

Understanding Cancer Risk Part 4: HPV Infection
Posted January 25th, 2019
Carolyn Vachani, MSN, RN, AOCN
The New Year is a great time to make healthy changes – start the year off with a new attitude, pledge to get more activity, eat better or do something to better yourself. Since we spend all day talking about cancer, we decided to kick off the new year with the goal of helping you […]