Cancer genetics nursing: impact of the double helix.

PURPOSE/OBJECTIVES: To describe the impact of genetic information on oncology nursing practice and to identify roles for oncology nurses in the field of cancer genetics.

DATA SOURCES: Published articles, abstracts, books, and clinical experience.

DATA SYNTHESIS: Oncology nurses in all areas of practice are affected by the recent explosion of genetic information. The identification of genetic mutations associated with increased risk for certain cancers and subsequent development of cancer predisposition testing have created a tremendous need for health care professionals who can explain and interpret genetic information.

CONCLUSIONS: Oncology nurses already have many basic skills essential in the management of genetic information. An area in which oncology nurses may have the most to offer is in helping patients who carry a genetic predisposition to cancer understand the cancer surveillance and risk-management options available to them. Oncology nurses will be on the forefront in helping patients understand what this information means to them and how to apply it to their lives.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING PRACTICE: As we enter the 21st century, the advances in genetic information and the impact of the Human Genome Project will change oncology nursing as we know it. Oncology nurses will be expected to assess and interpret genetic and nongenetic cancer risk as an integrated whole, including genetic risk factors, environmental and lifestyle risk factors, and the interaction of the two. The challenge will be to make this complex information meaningful to patients as they make choices to manage their own cancer risk.