Though antineoplastic agents are widely used in the treatment of cancer,genotoxic carcinogenic antineoplastic agents have mutagenicity and carcinogenicity risks for healthcare workers.Also,as it has been reported that higher concentrations of the antineoplastic agent Cyclophosphamide (CPA) were detected in the urine of healthcare workers involved in the preparation and administration of CPA,it has been speculated that they may inhale considerable amounts of CPA.However,no tests on the vaporization of CPA have been conducted.
This study aimed to clarify the amounts of CPA vaporized from physiological saline solution at different temperatures.The drug solutions were prepared as they would be for treating patients and placed in glass containers,maintaining the solutions at 20°C,25°C,30°C and 40°C for 3 hours,respectively,using a temperature controlled water bath.The vaporized CPA was absorbed by the silica gel in an air-sampler,extracted using methanol and quantified by LC/MS.At 30°C and 40 °C,amounts of vaporized CPA detected were 0.52 ng and 0.93 ng,respectively but were below the detection limit (0.16 ng/ 36 L) at 20°C and 25°C.Despite these results,however,in consideration of the formation of aerosols during the preparation of CPA solutions,appropriate precautions should still be taken to reduce the risk of exposure to CPA for healthcare workers,as described in the guidelines for preparing injection and antineoplastic agents aseptically.