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For the nurses, working in the cancer clinic took extra caution. A slight error does not only endanger patients, but also yourself because direct contact with chemotherapy drugs can cause poisoning.

Researchers from the University of Michigan revealed that direct contact with skin or eyes can make chemotherapy drugs or cancer drugs can be absorbed by the body. For the nurses who daily deal with these medicines, this can have serious impacts.

Exposure to chemotherapy drugs that are not accidental could make the nurses experienced the nervous system and reproductive disorders. Even when new and absorbed into the circulatory system, the toxins can trigger a proficiency level also has the risk of blood cancers.

“Any contact on the surface of the skin or eyes as dangerous as needle stick. To crash a syringe, the nurse usually encounter in the examination but chemotherapeutic drugs are rarely noticed,” said one researcher, Dr. Christopher Friese.

Research conducted by Dr. Friese and his team showed, 17 percent of nurses working in cancer clinics claimed to have involved direct contact with chemotherapy drugs in both the skin and eyes. This data was obtained after the 1339 nurses surveyed across America.

Institute for occupational safety and health in the United States actually had a guide on how to safe handling of cancer drugs. But because it is not required, only some of the nurses who are already applying these guidelines while remaining less obeyed.

One of the appeal contained in these guidelines are, the nurses who handle chemotherapy drugs have to wear certain equipment to protect themselves. Equipment consists of gloves and gowns to protect the body from spills of drugs.