Introduction to the law.

Objectives: To provide an introduction to the legal concepts that are involved in negligence suits involving oncology nurses.

Data Sources: Medline, Lexis, Westlaw, legal literature and texts.

Conclusions: To avoid liability and guard against negligence or malpractice suits, the oncology nurse must be aware of the legal responsibilities of each aspect of the nursing role.

Legal issues in the early detection and monitoring of cancer.

Objectives: To identify the legal and ethical issues involved in the detection/monitoring of cancer.

Data Sources: Westlaw, Lexis, Medline, and legal and nursing literature.

Conclusions: The introduction of genetic predisposition to cancer has increased the legal and ethical issues associated with the detection of cancer.