Safety Standards Enhanced for Nontraditional Chemotherapy
New protocols help ensure patient safety when chemotherapy is administered outside of dedicated oncology wards.
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?
Expert guidance has outlined safety strategies for administering specialized chemotherapy in settings like interventional radiology and surgical departments. As treatment delivery shifts beyond traditional oncology units, these measures aim to standardize care for patients receiving regional therapies.
Why it matters
Chemotherapy administration is increasingly occurring in non-oncology areas where staff may lack specific training for high-risk antineoplastic agents. Implementing rigorous safety protocols is critical to protecting both patients and clinicians in these procedural settings.
Professional guidelines presented at the ONS Bridge 2026 meeting detail standardized safety protocols for specialized routes, including hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy which requires precise heating between 40 and 43 degrees Celsius.
The players
Tiffany Kurtz
An oncology expert with 22 years of experience who presented on chemotherapy administration safety at the ONS Bridge 2026 meeting.
Summa Health
The healthcare institution where Tiffany Kurtz maintains her professional affiliation.
The details
Nontraditional chemotherapy involves delivering drugs directly to the target area, such as intravesical therapy for the bladder, intrathecal injections into the cerebrospinal space, or hepatic arterial infusion. Because these routes bypass typical systemic delivery, safety depends on site-specific policies, mandatory staff competency assessments, and stringent spill management. Specialized training is required for methods like transarterial chemoembolization and intraventricular reservoirs, which carry unique risks compared to standard infusion.
Timeline
The ONS Bridge 2026 virtual meeting took place on September 15-16, 2026.
This report was published on September 24, 2026.
Health Landscape
Modern oncology care is decentralizing, moving complex treatments from dedicated wards into interventional radiology and surgical theaters. The presentation updates existing ONS professional standards by addressing the risks associated with this shift in chemotherapy delivery.
If you are scheduled for a specialized procedure involving regional chemotherapy, feel empowered to ask your care team about the specific training and safety protocols they follow for your treatment route. It is always appropriate to confirm that your providers are following current best practices for site-specific drug delivery.
The takeaway
The expansion of chemotherapy into non-traditional departments requires a shift toward rigorous, site-specific safety protocols. Patients should prioritize receiving care at facilities that maintain standardized competency assessments for all staff handling antineoplastic agents.
Further reading
For more information on managing specialized treatments and current clinical guidelines, explore the Cancer section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Oncology Nurse Advisor.
Live Poll
Should all nurses in non-oncology hospital units receive mandatory, standardized chemotherapy safety training?
