Safety precautions

Safety precautions

While chemotherapy is used to treat cancer, it’s a strong, cytotoxic (toxic to cells) medicine. It’s safest for people without cancer to avoid direct contact with the drugs.

Cancer nurses and doctors often wear protective gear because they are exposed to chemotherapy drugs every day. When the treatment session is over, these items are disposed of in special bags or bins.

After each chemotherapy session, the drugs may stay in your body for up to a week. During this time, very small amounts of the drugs may be released from the body in your vomit, urine (wee), faeces (poo), blood, saliva, mucus, sweat, breastmilk, and semen or vaginal discharge.

You may worry about the safety of family and friends while you’re having chemotherapy. There is little risk to others (including children, babies and pregnant women) because they aren’t likely to come into direct contact with any chemotherapy drugs or body fluids.

The safety measures below are recommended for you, as well as for people who are providing care or who have close contact with you during the recovery period at home.

If you have questions, talk to your treatment team or call Cancer Connect on 13 11 20 to speak with a qualified professional.

Chemotherapy safety at home

There are simple ways to reduce the chance of coming into contact with chemotherapy drugs at home, both for you and for your family and friends. How you store and handle chemotherapy will vary depending on the drugs you are given, so ask your treatment team what you need to do at home.

Wear disposable gloves 

In the week after a chemotherapy treatment session, wear disposable gloves when handling containers, clothing or bedsheets soiled with vomit or other body fluids. After use, place the gloves in a bag and put them in the household rubbish bin. 

Keep tablets whole

Do not crush, chew or cut chemotherapy tablets. If you cannot swallow a tablet whole, ask your oncologist or pharmacist whether the drug comes in other forms, such as a liquid, or if it can be dissolved.

Use a plastic bucket

If you need to vomit, use a plastic bowl or bucket (or a thick plastic bag with no holes). Empty it into the toilet, put the lid down and flush the toilet twice. Wash the bowl using soapy water, rinse with clean water and use paper towels to dry. Do not use the bowl or bucket for anything else, and throw it out after you finish chemotherapy.

Keep medicines in a safe place

Store all tablets, capsules or injections as directed by your oncologist or pharmacist, and follow the directions for storage. Wash hands after handling drugs. Do not store them in a pill organiser with other medicines. Keep them out of reach of children. Return medicines you do not need to the pharmacy for safe disposal.

Practise safe sex

Your doctor may advise you to use barrier contraception, such as a condom or dental dam, during sexual activity while having treatment. This protects your partner while chemotherapy drugs may be in your body fluids. Avoid getting pregnant, or getting your partner pregnant, while having chemotherapy. 

Clean up spills

Keep a supply of cleaning cloths, paper towels and disposable waterproof gloves handy. During the week after a treatment session, clean up any body fluids or chemotherapy drugs that spill onto household surfaces. Put on disposable gloves, soak up the spill with paper towel, clean around the area with a disposable cloth and soapy water, and rinse the area with water. Put used gloves, cloths and paper towels into a plastic bag. This can then be put in the household rubbish bin.

Handle laundry carefully

Wash items soiled with body fluids – such as clothing, bedsheets and towels – straightaway. Use the longest cycle with hot or cold water, and run the cycle twice. Wash these items separately from other laundry.

Take care going to the toilet

For a week after a chemotherapy treatment session, always sit down to use the toilet. Put the lid down before flushing to avoid splashing, and use a full flush. Wash your hands thoroughly with soap and water.

Breastfeeding and expressing

You will not be able to breastfeed during treatment. Sometimes, women will express breastmilk during treatment – discuss this with your treatment team. For one week after a treatment session, wear disposable gloves when handling breastmilk. Pour breastmilk into the toilet, put the lid down, and use a full flush. Use these tips to clean spills from expressing, and to wash breast pump parts and bras. Replace all pump parts that had contact with breastmilk after you finish chemotherapy.