Evaluation of exposures to healthcare personnel from cisplatin during a mock demonstration of intra-operative intraperitoneal chemotherapy administration

•Using personal protection equipment, administration of intraperitoneal cisplatin during optimal debulking surgery is safe to involved healthcare personnel.•This is the first report of its kind to evaluate the safety of healthcare personnel during debulking surgery.

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies in the United States. In 2006, the National Cancer Institute released an announcement supporting the use of intraperitoneal (IP) chemotherapy in advanced ovarian cancer. It remains unanswered how many cycles of IP chemotherapy are required to maintain a survival advantage. There may be a benefit with as few as three IP cycles and possibly as few as one IP chemotherapy cycle.ObjectiveIn preparation for a clinical trial in which chemotherapy would be administered intra-operatively, the question of exposure to healthcare personnel arose, therefore, the purpose of this study was to perform an evaluation of healthcare personnel exposure to cisplatin during a mock demonstration of intraperitoneal chemotherapy administration.Materials and methodsThe National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH), the Women's Cancer Center of Nevada, and the staff of the University Medical Center, Las Vegas, participated in this mock demonstration. Employees wore personal protective equipment recommended by NIOSH. Wipe, area, and breathing zone air samples were taken from the pharmacy and operating room, and during sterilization of equipment.ResultsAll samples were negative for cisplatin, except for one surface wipe from the floor of the operating room (OR) after the mock procedure. Upon sanitization of the OR, no cisplatin was detected on the floor.ConclusionThis was the first study evaluating the exposure of healthcare personnel to the administration of cisplatin intra-operatively. NIOSH endorsed this practice so long as the employees adhere to using the recommended personal protective equipment.