Biospecimen collection, processing, and analysis: new challenges for oncology nurses.

OBJECTIVES

To provide an overview of emerging applications for and challenges associated with biospecimen collection for evaluating personalized disease risk and/or treatment response in cancer clinical trials.

DATA SOURCES

Published nursing and medical literature.

CONCLUSION

Blood- and tissue-based biomarkers are increasingly utilized to identify the molecular signatures of disease that can inform the determination of a course of treatment in a very precise manner. There are challenges for the oncology nurse related to specimen collection, processing, analysis, and translation to precision treatment.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE

It is important for nurses to have appropriate training and a working understanding of the procedures for biospecimen collection and how biospecimen analyses can inform precision assessment of risk and prognosis.