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Never heard of chemotherapy-induced septic damage? You’re not alone! This is an emerging area of knowledge, and many of those affected (from patients to oncologists) have never encountered it before.

Here’s what the research says about chemotherapy drugs and septic systems.

The big picture

How chemo damages septic systems

When chemotherapy patients go home after infusion, they excrete cytotoxic drugs in active form through urine, feces, sweat, and vomit — with peak excretion in the 24 to 36 hours following treatment.

Because the vast majority of infusions are outpatient, these excretions happen at home.

For the roughly one in five Americans on a septic system, that means concentrated cytotoxic compounds are entering a biological treatment system never designed to handle them.

This cycle repeats for as long as someone in the household is receiving chemotherapy treatment.

Learn More in Our FAQs

What You Need to Know

Quick Facts About Chemo and Septic

Chemotherapy drugs are excreted at home

85% of chemotherapy infusions are outpatient, which means peak excretions most often occur at home (around 24 to 36 hours post-infusion).

Cytotoxins disrupt good bacteria

With powerful cytotoxins, chemotherapy drugs can inhibit or even kill the beneficial bacteria responsible for the safe breakdown of human waste.

Excretions often include active compounds

Several common drugs (including cyclophosphamide) are excreted from the body with active compound and cytotoxic metabolites remaining.

Excreted compounds are concentrated

Because residential septic systems are not diluted by multiple homes (as with municipal wastewater treatment), excreted drugs are concentrated within a single system.

For these reasons, extra care must be given to the septic tanks of chemotherapy recipients. We share this information not to fearmonger or make a profit — after all, our services are free! It’s simply that we’ve seen chemo damage firsthand and want to help.