Congress Abstracts 2003

94

NURSING PRIMER ON CANCER VACCINES: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW TO EDUCATE YOUR PATIENTS. Susan King, MS, RN, OCN^®, Genitope Corporation, Redwood City, CA; and Terri O’Brien, RN, BS, OCN^®, Rush Cancer Institute, Chicago, IL.

For most of us, our exposure to vaccines has been as a way to prevent disease. However, in a variety of cancers, vaccine therapy is being investigated as a way to prevent disease recurrence.

Recently, scientists have gained a wealth of knowledge about the biology of tumors and a better understanding of the immune system’s role in cancer. This knowledge has allowed investigators to develop vaccines that use the patient’s immune system to fight disease.

A recent PDQ search revealed 33 vaccine trials currently being conducted. This indicates how important it is that oncology nurses be prepared to discuss vaccine therapy intelligently and educate patients on the topic.

It is important to know that there are several different approaches to making these vaccines. There are patient-specific cancer associated proteins used to make idiotype vaccines. These vaccines use tumor-associated immunoglobulins that produce vaccines composed of large proteins. Advances in molecular techniques allow investigators to mass-produce immunoglobulin proteins to produce patient-specific idiotype vaccines.

There are also naked DNA and DNA fusion vaccines. Disease-associated genes are used to make these vaccines. Dendritic cells may also be used in vaccines to help stimulate the immune system to identify and kill cancer cells.

In order for us to adequately educate outpatients about these vaccines, we need to become more educated ourselves. Some of this can be done through on-the-job training, but it is often difficult to find the time for such education in our busy schedules. It is often equally difficult to identify someone who can explain topics such as this without our eyes glazing over or us becoming overwhelmed with information that is too detailed or complex for us to understand without some other background.

This presentation will provide the participant with a basic understanding of vaccines, including basic molecular biology and immunology. The information presented should allow nurses to discuss vaccine therapy with patients and may stimulate participants to seek to learn more about vaccine therapies.