Podcast · Health

The ONS Podcast

by Oncology Nursing Society · English · Health

Where ONS Voices Talk Cancer Join oncology nurses on the Oncology Nursing Society's award-winning podcast as they sit down to discuss the topics important to nursing practice and treating patients with cancer. ISSN 2998-2308

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 34 min
Latest: 9 Oct 2026
Language: English

Latest episode

9 Oct 2026 · 28 min

Episode 436: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Hypersensitivity Reactions

"The most important thing related to hypersensitivity reactions is that there is often a potential for rapid progression, and that's what makes these reactions an oncologic emergency. The patients may have symptoms that are mild, and that quickly can progress to respiratory compromise, hypertension, cardiovascular issues, or anaphylaxis. Early recognition is so important, so we don't want to wait for our patient to become hypotensive or significantly hypoxic before we identify that they're having a serious reaction," ONS member Christina Matousek, DNP, RN, OCN ® , patient education…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S1 · E435 · 2 Oct 2026 · 36 min
Episode 435: An Overview of Hodgkin Lymphoma for Oncology Nurses
"The accumulation of these malignant and reactive cells, that's what causes the lymph nodes to get big. That's why they grow. And that's why the classic presentation is persistent, painless, enlarged lymph nodes. So when we think of the pathophysiology of Hodgkin lymphoma, there are really two processes contributing to the presentation: One is the physical effects of enlarging lymph nodes or the involved organs. The second is the systemic inflammatory response generated by it and its surrounding immune environment," ONS member Victoria Krogg, DNP, APRN-CNP, AOCNP ® , nurse practitioner at…
S1 · E434 · 25 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Episode 434: Oncology–Psychiatric RN Collaboration to Support Psychosocial Health
"Nurses are the front line. Oncology nurses see their patients almost all day. If you're noticing that anxiety is causing significant distress or anxiety is disrupting a patient's ability to concentrate during medical conversations or decision-making—anytime you're seeing significant distress or disruption to functioning, that's a pretty good indicator that referral to a psychiatric nurse and psychiatric care could be very helpful for that patient," Amber Altidor, DNP, APRN-FPA, PMHNP-BC, assistant professor at Rush University College of Nursing and psychiatric nurse practitioner at Optimal…
S1 · E432 · 18 Sep 2026 · 34 min
Episode 433: Cancer Treatments for Noncancer Indications: Chemotherapy/Immunotherapy
"Unlike our cancer indications where we use these medications often to activate the immune system to target cancerous cells, in noncancer indications, the goal is really to either suppress an overactive immune or inflammatory cells or modulate the immune system. Immune modulation by use of chemotherapy and immunotherapy can help reduce abnormal inflammation, decrease autoantibody production, and also can alter T-cell and B-cell activity," ONS member Kelsey Miller, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BC, OCN ® , clinical nurse specialist in oncology and infusion therapy at Reading Hospital in West Reading, PA,…
S1 · E432 · 11 Sep 2026 · 32 min
Episode 432: Long-Term Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Considerations for Oncology Nurses
"It's a chronic disease. It never goes away for some people, and so therefore it has these periods of remission where it's really quiet and well controlled. Then there can be periods of flares where you're actively engaged in treatment or it's impacting other pieces. There's this feeling patients have of, 'When am I going to have that flare?' You know, this anticipatory anxiety of, 'When are things going to be done differently?' or 'When do I need to change?'" ONS member Caitlin Murphy, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP ® , chief nurse practitioner at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, told…
S1 · E431 · 4 Sep 2026 · 19 min
Episode 431: Oncologic Emergencies 101: Urinary Obstruction
"Think about all the important things our kidneys do for the body. Those things are compromised. If we have excess buildup of toxins and waste in the body, you're having problems with fluid reabsorption. Then you have also problems with electrolytes not being balanced. Then in turn, you have ongoing shutdown of systems. So the cardiopulmonary system gets compromise. Your circulatory system then gets compromised. And then all the things in the body that depend upon ongoing circulatory flow are then causing major resets in the system that need to be addressed," ONS member Brenda S. Nettles,…
S1 · E430 · 28 Aug 2026 · 34 min
Episode 430: Leadership Unlocked: Is It Your Time to Serve?
"If you are considering board service, I would say take the leap. Start with your local chapter. It will give you some valuable skills that will help prepare you when you are applying for your national level. And I always say, if you want to do it, just do it because what's the worst that can happen? They can say no, but that doesn't mean that you will never serve on a board. I always tell people delayed is not denied," Cassandra Green, DNP, RN, OCN ® , ONS member and past president of the Oncology Nursing Certification Corporation (ONCC) Board of Directors, told Evelyn Wempe, DNP, MBA,…
S1 · E429 · 21 Aug 2026 · 36 min
Episode 429: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: CNS Cancers
"They're really worried that radiation is going to be painful. So they come in for that first day of treatment very anxious. With our patients with brain cancer, we're using the masks on the table, and those masks are very tight and hold their heads very, very still. So they'll be very worried about being claustrophobic. We may start out the first day or two with a little bit of [lorazepam]. And they'll come to me and they'll say, 'This really hasn't been as bad as I thought it was going to be,'" ONS member Catherine McCluskey, BSN, RN, OCN ® , ROCN™, radiation oncology staff nurse at Atrium…
S1 · E428 · 14 Aug 2026 · 49 min
Episode 428: Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treatment Considerations for Oncology Nurses
"Measurable residual disease is where I think the terminology fits best in that, it is intended to measure the amount of cancer cells that are present in the blood or bone marrow at the time the sample was collected. We can identify one cancer cell in a million. Where that can be really valuable is when we start to think about the duration of treatments and the response to some of our treatments," ONS member Caitlin Murphy, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP ® , chief nurse practitioner at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS ® , TCTCN ™ , oncology clinical…
S1 · E427 · 7 Aug 2026 · 29 min
Episode 427: Pharmacology 101: Resistance Pathways
"A good way of thinking about this is this is the survival of the fittest clone. There could be a portion of a cancer that naturally has some resistance or ability to survive a particular drug. And over time, as the other cells around it are dying off, that particular clone is able to replicate and continue to survive in the face of that drug therapy and eventually take over as being the fittest clone. At that point, we're often seeing disease progression," Danielle Roman, PharmD, BCOP, manager of clinical pharmacy services at the Allegheny Health Network Cancer Institute in Pittsburgh, PA,…
S1 · E426 · 31 Jul 2026 · 42 min
Episode 426: Tools to Support Patients and Nurses Through Medical Trauma in Oncology
"When people with PTSD [post-traumatic stress disorder] get quite avoidant—and that can be expressed in so many different ways—the implications can be really profound. I think an important invitation to oncologists and oncology nurses and primary care providers who care for people battling cancer is let's explore what's underneath these avoidant behaviors. Is it a very practical thing? Or is it that underneath this avoidant behavior is really profound fear?" James C. Jackson, PsyD, research professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS…
S1 · E425 · 24 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Episode 425: How AI Can Help Healthcare Organizations Improve the Cancer Experience
"In oncology specifically, where care is complex, artificial intelligence (AI) can really synthesize large volumes of clinical information, flag risks such as treatment complications, and support adherence to evidence-based pathways. For nurses specifically, this enables them more time for direct patient care, clinical judgment, and care coordination, and really practice to the top of their license while reducing repetitive time and administrative tasks," Jenn Frith, DNP, RN, OCN ® , NE-BC, associate vice president of clinical operations at Duke Cancer Institute in Durham, NC, told Jaime…
S1 · E424 · 17 Jul 2026 · 48 min
Episode 424: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Cancers of the Pelvis
"Think about what organs lie in the radiation field, and anything that lies in that radiation field is likely going to have some potential temporary—hopefully temporary—side effects. If you think about the pelvis, the things that live in there are the bladder, urethra, some bowel, rectum, reproductive organs, skin, some lymph nodes. And so, all of those things could potentially have associated side effects," ONS member Kayla Kafka-Peterson, BSN, RN, ROCN™, nurse navigator and leader in the brachytherapy and peri-anesthesia programs at UCLA Health, in Los Angeles, CA, told Lenise Taylor, MN,…
S1 · E423 · 10 Jul 2026 · 30 min
Episode 423: Pharmacology 101: Interaction Pathways
"When we think of drug interactions, specifically, the National Cancer Institute actually defines this as a change in the way a drug acts in the body when taken with certain other drugs, herbals, or foods or when taken with certain medical conditions. Drug interactions may cause the drug to either be more or less effective or cause effects on the body that are not expected," Carissa Ganihong, PharmD, BCOP, oncology and bone marrow transplantation clinical pharmacist at Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS ® , manager of oncology…
S1 · E422 · 3 Jul 2026 · 48 min
Episode 422: An Overview of Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia for Oncology Nurses
"What I appreciate about our patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) or small lymphocytic leukemia is the consideration that they receive a cancer diagnosis, and the best thing for them to do is actually nothing. There is a large population of patients that we don't recommend any type of treatment. We recommend that they establish care with an oncologist and that they have a relationship with those care teams," ONS member Caitlin Murphy, DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, AOCNP ® , chief nurse practitioner at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, MA, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS ® , TCTCN ™…
S1 · E421 · 26 Jun 2026 · 41 min
Episode 421: Medical Trauma in Oncology
"There are a huge array of medical dynamics that people endure, and when they leave a lasting impact, a word that we don't use widely enough is the word 'trauma.' There's an entire category of phenomena in the medical arena that are, in fact, traumatic. One way we know that these experiences are traumatic is that we know that huge portions of people who experience things like cancer do indeed develop problems like [post-traumatic stress disorder]," James C. Jackson, PsyD, research professor at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville, TN, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS…
S1 · E420 · 19 Jun 2026 · 43 min
Episode 420: Long-Term Myelodysplastic Syndrome Considerations for Oncology Nurses
"We typically think of the disease progressing for our higher-risk patients because many of them already start with increased blasts or a lot of dysplasia. And they have these chromosomal variants that make them prone to evolving into acute myeloid leukemia (AML). With them, we can anticipate that they are going to progress to AML. And that's what we're trying to prevent. It's kind of like a biologic evolution and not a switch," ONS member Sara Tinsley-Vance, PhD, APRN, AOCN ® , nurse practitioner and quality-of-life researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, told Lenise Taylor, MN,…
S1 · E419 · 12 Jun 2026 · 44 min
Episode 419: Pharmacology 101: Immunomodulators
"Until immunomodulators, patients [with myeloma] did not have a great overall survival rate. But when we introduced lenalidomide, we started seeing our patients have life expectancies between five and seven years—which was unheard of prior to these immunomodulators going forward. I think it's promising and allows patients to have quality of life versus therapy of life," ONS member Daniel Verina, DNP, RN, ACNP-BC, nurse practitioner for the multiple myeloma program at Mount Sinai Medical Center in New York, NY, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS ® , TCTCN ™ , oncology clinical specialist at…
S1 · E418 · 5 Jun 2026 · 29 min
Episode 418: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Colorectal Cancer
"Radiation therapy is often extremely well tolerated in colorectal cancer. Technology has really changed things. But location of the tumor can affect side effects, such as radiation dermatitis. If a patient has a low-lying tumor, if it's less than six centimeters from the anal verge, the patient is likely to have some skin reaction. It's good to be proactive if that's the case," ONS member Lorraine Drapek, DNP, FNP-BC, AOCNP ® , nurse practitioner in the Department of Radiation Oncology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS ® , manager of…
S1 · E417 · 29 May 2026 · 35 min
Episode 417: Pharmacology 101: Oncolytic Viral Therapy
"There are a lot of specifics that nurses need to keep in mind as they are administering this herpes simplex modified virus to patients because accidental exposure is of concern both to the patient, to their family members, as well as to healthcare workers. I always recommend nurses wear personal protective equipment, such as a gown, safety glasses, gloves, and/or a face shield," Heidi Finnes, PharmD, RPh, BCOP, director of clinical ambulatory practice at Mayo Clinic and assistant professor of pharmacy at Mayo Clinic Alix School of Medicine in Rochester, MN, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN,…
S1 · E416 · 22 May 2026 · 22 min
Episode 416: Cancer Treatments for Noncancer Indications: Radiation
"When you have benign conditions, we're actually treating 3 gray, so a significant difference [versus doses of 60 gray for brain cancer]. Typically, when you treat at a high dose, the goal is to destroy tissue, like cancer tissue or cancer cells. But when we give a low dose, the goal is actually to modulate inflammation. And what it does is it slows down those inflammatory cells or those cells that release the chemicals that cause pain and inflammation," Amanda Meyer, DNP, APRN, CNP, family nurse practitioner in the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN, told…
S1 · E415 · 15 May 2026 · 31 min
Episode 415: Myelodysplastic Syndrome Treatment Considerations for Oncology Nurses
"We want to make sure that we discuss the details of the treatment and what treatments there are, whether it's an oral drug, whether it's a subcutaneous injection or an IV injection, [the patient's] potential for responding, whether this treatment is curative or supportive, and what the number of visits are. All of those different pieces of information that go into the decision-making process are really important," ONS member Sara Tinsley-Vance, PhD, APRN, AOCN ® , nurse practitioner and quality-of-life researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center in Tampa, FL, told Lenise Taylor, MN, RN, AOCNS ® ,…
S1 · E414 · 8 May 2026 · 14 min
Episode 414: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Lung Cancer
"Skin reactions, such as redness, dryness, and just irritation of the skin, can occur. Since we're irradiating the lung, we can also cause a cough, and that's due to the inflammation from the radiation. Patients can also get esophagitis if the tumor that we're treating is close to the midline of the chest near the esophagus. And probably the most common side effect that we see is fatigue," ONS member Amy MacRostie, RN, OCN ® , radiation oncology nurse at St. Charles Cancer Center in Bend, OR, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS ® , manager of oncology nursing practice at ONS, during…
S1 · E413 · 1 May 2026 · 42 min
Episode 413: Intrarenal Administration for Upper Urothelial Tract Disease: The Oncology Nurse's Role
"We thought, from a nursing standpoint, 'What is our goal for doing this?' What we wanted was first, education of the patient. Can we successfully educate the patient to prepare them? Can we alleviate as much anxiety as possible so that they feel comfortable coming in and having this done? The second goal is to preserve kidney function throughout the treatment. To date, we've been successful with that. And the third goal is to complete treatment without infection," ONS member Chris Amoroso, BSN, RN, OCN ® , registered nurse at Fox Chase Cancer Center in Philadelphia, PA, told Jaime Weimer,…
S1 · E412 · 24 Apr 2026 · 35 min
Episode 412: Pharmacology 101: Cytokines
"They are small, powerful little nuggets. They are actually small signaling proteins that our immune cells use to communicate. They really help regulate immune activation or inflammation and even the growth and survival of immune cells. When cytokines are used therapeutically in oncology, they help to stimulate immune cells such as T cells or natural killer cells to better recognize and attack cancer cells," Maribel Pereiras, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, clinical pharmacy specialist at the John Theurer Cancer Center of Hackensack University Medical Center in New Jersey, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN,…
S1 · E411 · 17 Apr 2026 · 34 min
Episode 411: An Overview of Myelodysplastic Syndrome for Oncology Nurses
"Not every patient with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) is going to progress and die. Only 10%–20% of them will evolve into acute myeloid leukemia. And not all of them need blood transfusions. Some present with low platelet count. It's not just people who are anemic that have MDS—it's different depending on what type of MDS they have. These are averages. We're giving you statistics based on averages, and you're an individual, so we want to treat you as an individual," ONS member Sara Tinsley-Vance, PhD, APRN, AOCN ® , nurse practitioner and quality-of-life researcher at Moffitt Cancer Center…
S1 · E410 · 10 Apr 2026 · 42 min
Episode 410: The Evidence for the Environment's Impact on Cancer Outcomes
"Cancer and environmental disasters in particular, but the worsening of our environment, are really things that are great equalizers. And we recognize that we're all kind of in this world together. We can really face these issues on a more human level. I think always recognizing that if we look at something, we think, 'Well, that doesn't relate to me or that problem is it really isn't my problem'—it sure is," ONS member Margaret "Peggy" Rosenzweig, PhD, CRNP-C, AOCNP ® , FAAN, ONS scholar-in-residence and distinguished service professor of nursing and Nancy Glunt Hoffman Chair in Oncology…
S1 · E409 · 3 Apr 2026 · 30 min
Episode 409: An Overview of Interventional Oncology for Nurses
"Interventional oncology has really evolved into an important component of modern cancer care and is often described now as the fourth pillar alongside medical, surgical, and radiation oncology. The specialty now encompasses a broad spectrum of image-guided procedures that support from cancer diagnosis, treatment, to effectively managing symptoms that are caused by the disease. In other words, what we're seeing is that across the continuum of care, IO is playing a vital role," ONS member Evelyn P. Wempe, DNP, MBA, APRN, ACNP-BC, AOCNP ® , CRN, NEA-BC, executive director for advanced practice…
S1 · E408 · 27 Mar 2026 · 34 min
Episode 408: Radiation Site-Specific Side Effects: Breast Cancer
"A side effect patients might experience is lymphedema. This is an increased buildup of lymphatic fluid in the tissues, either in the breast or in the arm and hand of the affected side. It's quite problematic for women. They might feel self-conscious. It might feel uncomfortable that the arm feels like it's throbbing or heavy. Clothing may not fit quite right. So we're always on the lookout for lymphedema," Maria Fenton-Kerimian, APRN, AOCNP ® , nurse practitioner at Weill Cornell Medicine in New York, told Jaime Weimer, MSN, RN, AGCNS-BS, AOCNS ® , manager of oncology nursing practice at…
S1 · E407 · 20 Mar 2026 · 49 min
Episode 407: Pharmacology 101: CAR T-Cell Immunotherapy
"You want to try to act quickly and be able to know what the pathways are for appropriate escalating when a patient is having symptoms that are reflective of cytokine release syndrome (CRS) or neurotoxicity. These toxicities are very manageable and treatable when recognized early. To summarize, choosing the right patient, knowing the toxicity profile for each product, and acting early is really what helps to prevent severe outcomes with chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T-cell therapy," Maribel Pereiras, PharmD, BCPS, BCOP, clinical pharmacy specialist at the John Theurer Cancer Center at…

About The ONS Podcast

The ONS Podcast is a English health podcast from Oncology Nursing Society. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Oncology Nursing Society
Language: English
Category: Health
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 34 min
Latest episode: 9 Oct 2026
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1298224806

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