In order to study environmental contamination by cytostatic drugs in Portugal hospitals, sampling campaigns were conducted in three hospitals in 2015 (112 samples). Platinum containing drugs and fluorouracil were chosen because both were administered in high amounts. The detection limit was 0.01 pg/cm2 for platinum and 0.1 pg/cm2 for fluorouracil. The results show that spills occur mainly on th...

Occupational exposure to active pharmaceutical ingredients can cause adverse health effects, particularly in personnel working with potent compounds such as steroids or those with the capacity to cause cumulative damage, such as antineoplastic drugs and antibiotics (1). Although omeprazole and other proton pump inhibitors are potentially sensitizing, occupationally acquired cases are rare (2, 3...

Introduction There is an increased perception that current chemotherapeutic drugs have almost reached a ceiling as systemic anticancer therapies. In great part because of their unpredictable side effects, the development of these cytotoxic drugs followed certain patterns and principles that may not necessarily apply to modern molecule-targeted antineoplastic strategies. In the following comment...

Fourteen antineoplastic agents were examined for in vitro antibacterial activity against 101 aerobic and anaerobic bacterial isolates representing indigenous human microflora and selected opportunistic pathogens. Only 5-fluorouracil, mitomycin, and etoposide demonstrated inhibitory effects at achievable plasma concentrations, while the remaining drugs lacked appreciable antibacterial activities.

In the present in vitro study, we examined the effect of the compound β-elemene on the response of KB-C2 cells overexpressing the ABCB1 transporter to specific antineoplastic compounds. The MTT assay was used to determine the effects of β-elemene in combination with other anticancer drugs on ABCB1-overexpressing cancer cell lines. Furthermore, we used [3H]-paclitaxel accumulation, efflux assay,...

BACKGROUND To determine the relationships of potential occupational exposure to antineoplastic drugs with cancer incidence and adverse pregnancy outcomes in a historical prospective cohort study of female registered nurses (RNs) from British Columbia, Canada (BC). METHODS Female RNs registered with a professional regulatory body for at least one year between 1974 and 2000 formed the cohort (n...

Antineoplastic agents directed at nuclear and cytoplasmic targets in tumor cells represent the current mainstay of treatment for patients with disseminated malignant diseases. Cellular uptake of antineoplastics is a prerequisite for their efficacy. Five of six lymphoma cell lines, as well as primary samples from chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients, demonstrated significant expression of...

Antineoplastic agents directed at nuclear and cytoplasmic targets in tumor cells represent the current mainstay of treatment for patients with disseminated malignant diseases. Cellular uptake of antineoplastics is a prerequisite for their efficacy. Five of six lymphoma cell lines as well as primary samples from chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients demonstrated significant expression of SLC22A1...

PURPOSE Oncology workers are occupationally exposed to antineoplastic drugs. This exposure can induce adverse health effects. To reduce their exposure, contamination on surfaces should be kept as low as possible. The main objective of this study was to monitor environmental contamination with cyclophosphamide, ifosfamide, and methotrexate in oncology pharmacy and patient care areas in Canadian ...