Expert Defined Chemotherapy Safety Strategies
Strategies for administering chemotherapy in nontraditional settings were presented at the ONS Bridge 2026 meeting.
Updated on Sept. 24, 2026 in Cancer
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Should all nurses in non-oncology hospital units receive mandatory, standardized chemotherapy safety training?
Tiffany Kurtz presented new safety protocols for administering chemotherapy in specialized non-oncology settings. These approaches address the risks associated with high-risk antineoplastic agents in interventional radiology and surgical departments.
Why it matters
As cancer care expands into non-oncology areas, staff in these environments often lack the specialized training required for high-risk drug handling. These guidelines aim to bridge critical knowledge gaps to ensure patient safety.
Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy requires precise regulation of temperatures between 40 degrees Celsius and 43 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit to 109 degrees Fahrenheit). Expert Tiffany Kurtz cited 22 years of oncology experience in developing these safety frameworks.
The players
Tiffany Kurtz
Tiffany Kurtz is an oncology expert with 22 years of experience who is currently affiliated with Summa Health.
ONS Bridge 2026
ONS Bridge 2026 is a professional virtual conference focused on developments in oncology nursing and patient care.
Summa Health
Summa Health is a healthcare system that serves as the professional affiliation for the presenter.
The details
The presentation highlighted various specialized administration routes including intravesical, intraperitoneal, intrathecal, intraventricular, and hepatic arterial infusion. Essential safety requirements outlined include robust site-specific policies, rigorous staff competency assessments, and strict adherence to personal protective equipment and spill management.
Timeline
The ONS Bridge 2026 virtual meeting took place from September 15-16, 2026.
The article detailing these safety strategies was published on September 24, 2026.
The Big Picture
This guidance follows the standards established by the ONS Bridge 2026 nursing practice framework to unify safety protocols across hospital systems. It updates existing clinical procedures to account for the growing decentralization of high-risk cancer treatments.
Patients undergoing complex procedures like transarterial chemoembolization or intraventricular therapy will benefit from standardized, safer handling by hospital staff. These protocols reduce the risk of accidental exposure and medication errors in non-traditional procedural areas.
The takeaway
Healthcare providers should verify that staff in interventional radiology and surgical areas complete specific competencies for handling antineoplastic drugs. Standardizing these workflows is essential as cancer treatment continues to shift toward multidisciplinary and decentralized care models.
Further reading
For additional context on oncology standards, visit the Cancer section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Oncology Nurse Advisor.
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Should all nurses in non-oncology hospital units receive mandatory, standardized chemotherapy safety training?
