Occupational Exposure to Antineoplastic Drugs Among Physiotherapists in Healthcare Settings: From Assessing Internal Contamination to Implementing Co-constructed Prevention Measures

Many antineoplastic drugs are considered "hazardous to handle" for healthcare professionals, notably because of their carcinogenic, mutagenic and/or reprotoxic effects. Occupational exposure occurs mainly through the cutaneous route, either by direct contact with the drug and/or indirectly through contact with treated patients and their excreta, or through contact with contaminated surfaces or textiles.

To date, physiotherapists have been little studied in terms of occupational exposure, even though they frequently perform care practices (massage, lymphatic drainage, limb mobilisation, respiratory physiotherapy) involving direct, prolonged and sustained skin contact with patients treated with antineoplastic drugs; these compounds may be eliminated in the sweat of the treated patient for several days after administration.

In this context, the present study aims to assess the occupational exposure of physiotherapists to antineoplastic drugs in healthcare settings. The primary objective is to estimate the prevalence of internal contamination of physiotherapists by antineoplastic drugs after performing one of the care practices (massage, lymphatic drainage, limb mobilisation, respiratory physiotherapy) selected for the study, in patients receiving intravenous treatment with antineoplastic drugs.

The secondary objectives are to describe for each antineoplastic drug studied the prevalence, the frequency of internal contamination of physiotherapists, and urinary concentration levels, to characterise the circumstances of exposure and the personal protective equipment worn, to describe the prevalence and the frequency of external cutaneous contamination on the hands and forearms of physiotherapists after performing an exposing care practice, to quantify this external cutaneous contamination, to identify the factors associated with internal and external contamination, and to co-develop preventive measures in collaboration with physiotherapists and stakeholders and to assess their acceptability.

This study is a non-interventional (RIPH3), cross-sectional and multicenter study conducted at AP-HM (Public Assistance for Marseille hospitals) and Bordeaux University Hospital (CHU de Bordeaux). Twenty physiotherapists will be included in this study. Internal contamination will be assessed over 100 observation visits and external contamination over 70 observation visits (all participants combined). Observation visit include at least one " an exposing care practice" (massage, lymphatic drainage, limb mobilisation, respiratory physiotherapy) performed on a patient who received an intravenous antineoplastic drug from a predefined list, within a time window of 4 to 72 hours after the start of injection.

- Internal contamination assessment (urine samples collection) For each observation visit, two urine samples of the physiotherapist participant will be collected: one sample within the 3 hours preceding the start of the work shift, and a second sample 6 to 10 hours after the end of the shift (or the next morning after waking up).

Data on exposure, activity and preventive practices (personal protective equipments worn) will be collected using an administered questionnaire (CRF). Information on the antineoplastic drugs administered to the patient receiving care by the physiotherapist will also be collected.

- Cutaneous external contamination assessment (dermal wipe sampling) For each observation visit, the physiotherapist will apply a standardized hands and forearms washing protocol, observed by the clinical research technician. Then, cutaneous swab samples will be taken immediately after the washing.

The physiotherapist will then perform an exposing care practice, limiting contact with the environment (e.g., door handles/surfaces), and new samples will be taken immediately after the exposing care practice, without prior decontamination of hands and forearms. A total of eight cutaneous swab samples (four before and four after an exposing care practice) will be collected per observation visit, according to a protocol validated by the reference laboratory.

The assessment of cutaneous external contamination of physiotherapists will be evaluated during visits separate from those used to study internal contamination.

The expected outcomes of this study are: an individual assessment of exposure and potential internal contamination and/or external dermal contamination, for each physiotherapist; traceability of exposure in occupational health medical records, for each physiotherapist; improved knowledge on the proportion of contaminated physiotherapists (prevalence and frequency) and knowledge on urinary and cutaneous concentration levels of antineoplastic drugs in physiotherapists; increased awareness among physiotherapists regarding these exposures; implementation of co-developed preventive actions aiming to reduce exposures to the lowest possible level; and improved professional practices and working conditions.