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Med. Pr. 2003;54(3)

HEALTH EFFECTS OF OCCUPATIONAL EXPOSURE TO CYTOSTATICS IN MEDICAL PERSONNEL IN THE LIGHT OF COMPULSORY PROPHYLACTICS: A CROSS-SECTIONAL STUDY (p. 229-236)

OCENA SKUTKÓW ZDROWOTNYCH ZAWODOWEJ EKSPOZYCJI NA CYTOSTATYKI U PERSONELU MEDYCZNEGO W śWIETLE OBOWIĄZUJĄCEJ PROFILAKTYKI: BADAN

Jolanta Walusiak1, Ewa Wągrowska-Koski2, Cezary Pałczyński1 1 Z Kliniki Chorób Zawodowych i Ośrodka Alergii Zawodowej i środowiskowej 2 Z Przychodni Chorób Zawodowych Instytutu Medycyny Pracy im. prof. J. Nofera w Łodzi

Abstract

The aim of the study was to evaluate health effects of occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs. The study group comprised 104 cytostatic-exposed health care workers employed in departments of chemotherapy;the control group consisted of 103 non-exposed workers employed in wards where cytostatics were not used.
A questionnaire survey and routine laboratory assays (morphology, liver and kidney tests) were performed in all subjects.
The exposed subjects reported hair loss significantly morefrequently than controls (50.6% vs. 10.7%, respectively). Moreover,serious congenital defects were more frequent in the study group than in controls (4/84 pregnancies vs. 1/169 pregnancies, respectively).
In conclusion, the results of the study didnot reveal any significant differences in routinely performed tests between the subjects exposed to cytostatics and controls. This may be due to low sensitivity of laboratory tests or to the absence of health effects induced by antineoplastic drugs. Because of an increased frequency of congenital effects, women who plan conception should not be exposed to cytostatics or at least this group of women should use any possible individual protectors at work.

Key words

cytostatics, occupational exposure, health effects