Understanding bodywork for the patient with cancer.

The goal of this article is to increase oncology nurses' understanding of common bodywork modalities and the current research about them in the oncology setting. Bodywork is a broad term that incorporates massage and energy modalities. Eleven modalities are described. In addition, issues related to safety, licensure, making referrals, and nurses' and bodyworkers' roles are discussed. Better knowledge will increase oncology nurses' abilities to assess and guide patients' bodywork choices and facilitate discussions with patients, physicians, and bodyworkers to ensure that patients with cancer are receiving safe and effective care.

Osmotic blood-brain barrier modification for the treatment of malignant brain tumors.

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is a physiologic barrier that protects the brain from toxic substances, including most of the chemotherapeutic agents used today. The BBB may be partly responsible for the poor efficacy of chemotherapy for malignant primary or metastatic brain tumors. A technique of osmotic modification of the BBB, known as BBB disruption (BBBD), is used to increase the delivery of chemotherapy to the brain. This article discusses the technique of osmotic opening of the BBB, the national BBBD program, the role of nurses in the care and management of patients undergoing BBBD treatment, outcomes of this technique with a variety of brain tumors, and the future directions of the BBBD program.