Antineoplastic drugs (
ANDs) have been in clinical usage for more than five decades. The nonselective mechanism of action of
ANDs between cancerous and noncancerous cells had well documented side effects such as acute symptoms, reproductive health issues, and potential
cancer development in healthcare workers as a result of occupational exposure. The anticancer mechanism of
ANDs is the generation of
reactive oxygen species (ROS) which are responsible for various side effects in patients undergoing
chemotherapy and the healthcare personnel occupationally exposed to them. ROS have potential to damage
lipids,
DNA,
proteins, and so on leading to oxidative stress condition. The aim of this study was to evaluate the possible oxidative stress effect of
antineoplastic drugs in nurses who routinely handle
ANDs in an oncology hospital in south India.
Malondialdehyde levels,
reduced glutathione content, and
glutathione S-transferase activity were analyzed in serum collected from 60 female nurses handling
ANDs and compared with equal number of healthy volunteers matched by age and sex except AND exposure. The results showed statistically significant (P < 0.05) increase in
malondialdehyde levels in the serum of exposed nurses. However,
glutathione content and
glutathione S-transferase activity was significantly decreased in these nurses. Our study suggests that the nurses occupationally exposed to
ANDs were susceptible to the oxidative stress and emphasizes the need for a harmonized safe handling approach that assures minimal risk to the working nurses.