Condition: Cytotoxic drugs (cell-killing drugs) are used primarily for the treatment of cancer or some more serious generalized autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis. As far as generalized fitness is concerned, the underlying disease may have more impact on diving than the treatment.

Cancer patients also often have lung conditions that can cause problems such as: chronic lung diseases, opportunistic lung infections, lung metastases, radiation treatment to the lungs (causing fibrosis), pulmonary hemorrhage, pulmonary oxygen toxic.

Additional Information:

• Diabetes.com -- www.diabetes.com/
• The National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases or (NIDDK) --www.niddk.nih.gov/
• Diabetes & Diving: Current practices demonstrate that many with diabetes do take the plunge -- How safe is it?, by Guy de Lisle Dear, M.B., FRCA, DAN Assistant Medical Director, Alert Diver, January/February 1997.