The genotoxic risk in health care workers occupationally exposed to cytotoxic drugs—A comprehensive evaluation by the SCE assay

Abstract

Present study aimed at an integral assessment of sister chromatid exchange (SCE) frequencies in the health care workers occupationally exposed to cytostatics. The results of 500 individual analyses were evaluated. Drug handling practice was investigated in parallel and the results showed that cytostatics are mostly prepared outside hospital pharmacy (98%) and mainly handled by nurses (96%). Mean frequency of SCE was 5.63 ± 2.28, while HFC represented 9.65% of the cells analysed. Both values were higher compared to previously established control values for Croatian population. The duration of exposure, profession, age, gender, smoking habit, medical exposures, and simultaneous exposure to other occupational mutagens significantly contributed to SCE and HFC values. The usefulness both biomarkers in the assessment of cytogenetic damage is confirmed. Since current practice in Croatian hospitals does not include regular monitoring of workplaces, to ensure maximal occupational safety, a surveillance on exposed health care workers, including periodic biomonitoring, is recommended.

Keywords:

• Cytotoxic drugs
• occupational exposure
• sister chromatid exchanges
• lymphocytes
• genotoxicity

Acknowledgments

The authors gratefully acknowledge the cooperation of all the volunteers who participated in this study. This investigation was supported by the Institute for Medical Research and Occupational Health as well as the Croatian Ministry of Science, Education and Sports (No. 022-0222148-2137). The authors declare that there are no conflicts of interest.

Notes

∗Based on the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC).