Oncology biomarkers: discovery, validation, and clinical use.

Objectives: To discuss the discovery, validation, and clinical use of multiple types of biomarkers.
Data Sources: Medical literature and published guidelines.
Conclusion: Formal validation of biomarkers should include both retrospective analyses of well-characterized samples as well as a prospective clinical trial in which the biomarker is tested for its ability to predict the presence of disease or the efficacy of a cancer therapy.
Implications for Nursing Practice: Biomarker development is complicated, with very few biomarker discoveries leading to clinically useful tests. Nurses should understand how a biomarker was developed, including the sensitivity and specificity before applying new biomarkers in the clinical setting.
(Copyright © 2012. Published by Elsevier Inc.)