Cytostatic drugs, intended to treat cancers, contain molecules that are potentially carcinogenic to healthy cells. ANSES warns of the risk incurred by professionals who handle them regularly.
- 92,000 employees are said to be exposed to these potentially carcinogenic substances.
- These substances are difficult to replace given their therapeutic importance.
- ANSES recommends extending the risk assessment to other drugs, not just cancer drugs.
Necessary but potentially dangerous drugs. The National Health Security Agency (ANSES) warns professionals exposed to cytostatic drugs, used in the treatment of cancer. “Due to their mechanisms of action, cytostatics are likely to exhibit carcinogenic properties for healthy cells“, specifies the agency in a communicated.
What are the uses of cytostatic drugs?
These drugs stop cell proliferation and are used in chemotherapy. “In human medicine as in veterinary medicine, in health establishments, in hospitals or not: medical care at home, hospices, nursing homes, veterinary clinics, etc., indicates ANSES. In hospitals, they can also be used in departments other than oncology units, such as rheumatology, immunology, dermatology or even gynecology.“
An evolution of the regulatory framework…
If they treat patients, these drugs expose caregivers to potentially carcinogenic substances. To take these risks into account, ANSES, at the request of the Directorate General for Labour, included 18 active ingredients of anti-cancer drugs with IFrench decree establishing the list of carcinogenic substances, mixtures or processes. “Unlike products used in an industrial environment, European regulations do not require the user to be warned of the dangerous nature of drugs via specific labeling.declares Henri Bastos, Scientific Director of Health and Work at ANSES, in the press release. By proposing to include work involving exposure to these 18 substances in the French decree, we are contributing to the development of the regulatory framework for better protection of exposed professionals.“
… to better protect caregivers
ANSES issues several recommendations to achieve this. First, the “exposure circumstances” must be determined: do people handle the drugs during transport, packaging, administration to patients or in the form of waste? “You have to pay attention to the entire exposure chain, from the preparation of drugs and their administration to the contamination of personnel by the patient’s excreta (sweat, vomit) or even the treatment of laundry or wastes”, adds Henri Bastos. The agency then recommends training professionals in the risks involved in exposure to these substances, by teaching them, for example, techniques for removing contaminated gloves. Finally, it recommends setting up a monitoring of the exposure of exposed employees.
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