Isabelle Stucker, PhD, Jean-Francois Caillard, MD, Renee Collin , MD,
Michele Gout, MD, Daniele Poyen, MD, Denis Heman, PhD

Abstract:

The purpose of the study was to evaluate the frequency of spontaneous abortion in two groups of women.

One group consisted of women regularly involved in the preparation of cancer chemotherapy perfusions and therefore considered to be exposed to cytostatic agents; the other consisted of women not occupationally exposed to such agents. The study was carried out in four French hospitals. Four hundred and sixty-six women were involved; 534 pregnancies were described in which 139 were exposed and 357 were unexposed.

The results showed that the frequency of spontaneous abortion was 26 % for the exposed pregnancies and 15 070 in the unexposed ones (odds ratio 2.0). These results do not seem to be due either to the classic risk factors of spontaneous abortion (age, cigarette consumption during pregnancy, pregnancy order) (adjusted odd s ratio I.7) or to possible errors concerning the retrospective evaluation of prior gynecologic and obstetric history.

Key terms: cytostatics, occupation , pregnancy outcome, reproductive hazard .

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