25th Cancer Nursing & Nurse Practitioners Conference

Clinical research in oncology means walking through the future in cancer treatment and care. Oncology nursing has acquired over the years expertise in cancer care, detecting and helping in the management of adverse events (AE) as well as participating in the field of advisory and advocating for cancer patients. Main objectives in oncology clinical trials are safety and efficacy, accomplishing regulatory rules and principles of Good Clinical Practice (GCP). New research pathways reveal new treatments, new toxicities and new standards of care. Informing and educating patients and care givers in the environment of clinical research is the principal reason to design an Oncology Clinical Research Nurse Consulting (OCRNC). Improving treatment compliance, training patients and care givers how to report side effects or any AE and how to manage them, are target for the OCRNC. In addition, the information received from patients, description of AE and the concomitant medication registry will be necessary for medical investigators to grade events and relate them to the study drug or not. The purpose of

this communication is to highlight the importance of the work of the oncology nurse in the clinical research setting and his/her role in informing and educating patients to preserve safety, adherence and compliance under the GCP rules. Oncology patients are part involved in the treatment decision making and a well-performed clinical trial is a way to honor their altruistic and voluntary contribution to the development of treatments and the progress of medicine and the society in general. Quality of data in clinical research requires not only a rigorous physical patient assessment, also a careful and empathic listening of both social and emotional issues, giving crucial information for final results of the study. Patients will be the main source of information in the clinical research context.