Nurses at Risk for Accidental Exposure to Chemo Drugs, University of Michigan Study

Accidental exposure to highly toxic chemotherapy drugs is common among cancer nurses in the United States, a new study finds. Researchers surveyed 1,339 oncology nurses in one state who work in outpatient chemotherapy infusion centers and found that nearly 17 percent said their skin or eyes had been exposed to the drugs. In the United States, about 84 percent of chemotherapy is delivered in outpatient clinics. Accidental chemotherapy exposure can harm the nervous and reproductive systems and increase the risk of blood cancers, according to the study authors, from the University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center.