As cancer programs seek new ways to improve coordination of molecular testing, hear how precision medicine stewards can streamline testing processes to improve efficiency and improve the patient experience. In this episode, CANCER BUZZ speaks with Melissa Cruz-Tanner, LPN, OPN-CG, and manager of Patient Navigation Services and the newly created Molecular Processing Department at Astera Cancer Care in New Jersey about their journey from development to approval of a new molecular processor role to support precision medicine testing.

“The period of wait time [for test results] causes so much trauma to the patient—the anxiety of not knowing. With us implementing the molecular team in our practice, it allowed us to have a realistic timeline on when we could tell the patients their results would be in. It also allowed us more diversity in test selection [i.e., the ability to select specific vendors or test types based on precise timelines for processing], thus cutting the time and access to treatment and improving the overall patient experience.” – Melissa Cruz-Tanner, LPN, OPN-CG

This vodcast was developed in connection with the ACCC education program Precision Medicine Stewardship and was made possible with support by AstraZeneca and Blueprint Medicines.

Guest:

Melissa Cruz-Tanner, LPN, OPN-CG

Manager of Patient Navigation and Molecular Processing

Astera Cancer Care

East Brunswick, NJ

Additional Reading/Sources

· Precision Medicine Stewardship (accc.org)

· Precision Medicine Trends: Stewardship is on the Rise

· Precision Medicine Stewards: The Next Step in Personalized Medicine

· Academy of Oncology Nurse & Patient Navigators