Women exposed to chemotherapy drugs or sterilising agents at work are twice as likely to miscarry as their colleagues who do not handle these chemicals, research suggests.
In a study of almost 7500 US nurses who were pregnant between 1993 and 2002, one in 10 had a spontaneous abortion at 20 weeks’ gestation or earlier.
However, this rate doubled among nurses who were regularly exposed to chemotherapy drugs or sterilising agents for more than one hour a day.
Exposure to chemotherapy drugs was associated with first-trimester miscarriages, whereas exposure to sterilising agents was associated with miscarriages between 12 and 20 weeks.
“Recognised as teratogenic and mutagenic, antineoplastic agents act on rapidly proliferating cells and are therefore of particular concern for a developing fetus,”...
This site is intended for Registered Medical Practitioners.
To make the most of Oncology Update, you need to be logged in.