Attacking ‘invisible threat’ that affects cancer care workers

Exposure to chemotherapy can create hazards for nurses, pharmacists as they deliver lifesaving care to patients, but use of protective devices remains low.

Chemotherapy drugs are lifesaving to cancer patients, but these toxic drugs are hazardous to the health care workers who come into contact with them. Despite the risks, many health care workers do not use recommended personal protective equipment such as gloves or gowns when handling chemotherapy. A study from the University of Michigan Rogel Cancer Center sought to improve nurses’ handling of chemotherapy by delivering an educational intervention with quarterly reminders and tailored messages. But despite the strong study design and quality intervention, it did not increase use of protective gear.

“We didn’t really move the needle at all. As a practicing nurse it’s disappointing. We were hoping we could develop a bundled intervention that cancer centers and others can use,” says lead study author Christopher R. Friese, Ph.D., R.N., Elizabeth Tone Hosmer Professor of Nursing and a professor of health management and policy at the University of Michigan.

Exposure to chemotherapy occurs when health care workers inhale vapors or touch contaminated surfaces. Studies have found that nurses who reported handling hazardous drugs had twice the risk of reproductive problems. Other studies report incidences of rare cancers and various respiratory and skin conditions resulting from exposure.

“This is an invisible threat,” Friese says. “It’s unlike the needle stick where you know when you’ve been stuck by a needle. Early on we could understand that a needle stick conveyed serious health risks. With chemotherapy exposure, we don’t have that smoking gun. This is a subtle threat, but it’s a daily threat.”

Read the full story on U-M Health Lab blog. Article and photo courtesy of U-M Rogel Cancer Center.