According to the World Health Organization, between now and
2020 the cancer rate is going
to increase by 50 % to about
15 million new cases a year
worldwide.
This predicted sharp increase in
new cases will mainly be due to
the existence of steadily ageing
populations in both developed
and developing countries, but
also to the current prevalence
of smoking and the rise in
numbers of those adopting
unhealthy lifestyles.
One of the most frequently
used treatments for cancer is
chemotherapy.
Unfortunately it is well known
that cytostatic agents are potentially
hazardous for the
manipulator (pharmacist,
assistant, nurse, surgeon (HIPEC
technique) etc.).
Cytostatics are known to be:
- Mutagenic
- Carcinogenic
- Teratogenic.
Some of the other potential
effects are:
- Decrease in fertility
- Foetal malformation
- Abortion
- Extra uterine pregnancy
- High toxicity for certain organs.
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