CME: Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC): Highlights from the 2016 American Society for Clinical Oncology: Take-Aways, Emerging Practice Changes, and Barriers to their Implementation

ACCREDITATION EXPIRED: July 16, 2018

Activity Description / Statement of Need:

About non-small cell lung cancer and the importance of relating breaking conference research presented at annual conferences:

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States with between 210,000 and 228,000 new cases diagnosed and over 157,000 deaths annually. While surgery in eligible candidates and early detection provide the best chances for cure, there are many patients who must be treated by alternative modalities, including those with advanced disease.  Increasingly now, research is uncovering the role of biomarkers and genetic mutations in aiding not only the prognosis of NSCLC, but also its management.  They have given rise to targeted therapies that mechanistically alter cellular signaling pathways in a manner that suppresses angiogenesis and oncologic disease progression.

The importance of staying up to date becomes increasingly important as time goes on.  One systematic review of the literature found that healthcare professionals who have been out of school for a longer period of time are at a higher risk for declining professional performance.

Annual meetings of large, national, professional societies offer an opportunity for healthcare professionals to get a first glimpse at study results that have the potential to impact practice as provide a forum for an exchange of ideas and practices between thought leaders and less distinguished practitioners.  The 2016 American Society for Clinical Oncology Annual Meeting (ASCO 2016) is no exception.  Nevertheless, as with every meeting, many professionals from both the community and health-system settings alike will be unable to attend the conference for a variety of reasons, justifying the creation of educational programming that summarize the major findings presented at the meeting.

Research suggests that the proposed format of this learning activity – online, enduring education – is an ideal format.  One study found that the diffusion of new medical and practice by traditional means is both slow and faces geographical barriers.  It stands to reason that such barriers are significantly reduced or completely obviated by the transmission of information by media that no few barriers in the present-day U.S.: Internet, television, radio, or other electronic media.  Moreover, a major meta-analysis conducted on behalf of the U.S. Department of Education found that, overall, “students in online learning conditions performed modestly better than those receiving face-to-face instruction.”

This program is intended to be one of a series of several, one-hour learning activities, each focused on a specific cancer type, all of which are designed to bring healthcare providers up to date in their treatment of neoplastic disease, taking current evidence into account.

This program has been designed to bring healthcare professionals’ knowledge of breaking findings in the treatment of NSCLC up to date and to enhance their competence and performance in caring for patients with NSCLC.

Target Audience:

Healthcare professionals specializing in: oncology; nurse practitioners, physician assistants, nurses, and pharmacists who specialize in oncology; and any other healthcare professionals who otherwise regularly treat patients with NSCLC.

Commercial Support Disclosure: This program is supported by an educational grant from ARIAD Pharmaceuticals

Release Date: July 16, 2016 -- Expiration Date: July 16, 2018

Faculty: Mark Socinski,

Agenda

Learning Objectives

Accreditation

Faculty Disclosure and Resolution of COI

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System Requirements