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Published on: January 19, 2019
Drug residues in serum of dogs receiving anticancer chemotherapy
A Knobloch1, S A I Mohring, N Eberle
1Small Animal Hospital, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Bischofsholer Damm 15, D-30173 Hannover, Germany.
Background:
The presence of drug residues in blood samples can represent an occupational hazard. However, studies on cytotoxic drug residues in serum of dogs are lacking in veterinary oncology.
Objective:
To evaluate possible occupational hazards associated with handling of blood samples from dogs receiving oncolytic drugs 7 days after treatment.
Animals:
Twenty-seven client-owned dogs treated for lymphoma or mast cell tumors with vincristine, vinblastine, cyclophosphamide, or doxorubicin.
Methods:
Prospective, observational study. Serum samples were either taken 7 days after administration of vincristine, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin (lymphoma), and vinblastine (mast cell tumor), or 1-2 days after the last concurrent oral administration of cyclophosphamide (mast cell tumor). Additionally, serum was collected within 5 minutes of treatment. Measurement of drug residues in serum was performed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC/MS/MS).
Results:
In 33 samples collected within 5 minute of treatment, the median serum concentrations were vincristine: 37 microg/L (range: 11-87 microg/L), vinblastine: 13 microg/L (range: 13-35 microg/L), cyclophosphamide: 2,484 microg/L (range: 1,209-2,778 microg/L), doxorubicin: 404 microg/L (range: 234-528 microg/L). In 81 serum samples collected 7 days after treatment vinblastine (7 microg/L) was detected in 1 sample, and cyclophosphamide (7 and 9 microg/L) in 2 samples collected 1-2 days after oral administration of cyclophosphamide. Medications were not detected in any of the other samples.
Conclusions And Clinical Importance:
Handling of blood samples from dogs receiving oncolytic chemotherapy 7 days after treatment with vincristine, vinblastine, cyclophosphamide, and doxorubicin should not present a health hazard.
