Why is it important to know about chemotherapy drugs and the skin?
Each year, 10.9 million people worldwide are diagnosed with cancer and this incidence is rising. This increase reflects the world's growing population and the fact that people are living longer.
This Toxicology Information Brief (TIB) describes one of the most common toxic affects produced by pesticides and other chemicals, cutaneous toxicity in its many forms. Cutaneous toxic reactions account for approximately 1/3 of all pesticide related occupational problems, however pesticides are not the only chemicals which can cause skin toxicity. For example, allergic dermatitis produced by poison oak is the most frequent cause of temporary disability in forestry workers. Dermatitis means literally "inflammation of the skin." Most often dermatitis is referred to as a skin "rash," however, this term is very non-specific. There are many different types of "rashes" and they differ quite a bit in the way they appear and in how they are produced.