Hospital aware of underdosing in April

TOOWOOMBA Hospital became aware of a chemotherapy dosing controversy on April 27, a month before Health Minister Cameron Dick was advised.

Mr Dick was briefed on the underdosing issue on May 26 but cancer patients and their families were not told until this week — about six weeks after the hospital first identified the problem.

Families were only notified after the Courier-Mail broke the story this week, angering patient advocate Beryl Crosby who insisted they should have been informed as soon as possible.

Darling Downs Hospital and Health Service chief executive Peter Gillies said a lung cancer researcher alerted Toowoomba Hospital’s regional cancer centre on April 27. Dr Gillies said senior staff undertook an initial investigation and contacted the State-wide Cancer Network on May 24.

Ten palliative care patients with small cell lung cancer were given lower than the recommended dose of chemotherapy to relieve symptoms and improve quality of life.

All other Queensland public hospitals use an evidence-based national chemotherapy protocol for palliative care patients with the aggressive lung cancer, but Toowoomba introduced a lower regimen when an electronic dosing system was introduced in 2009.

The Toowoomba facility has switched to the Australian standard since the underdosing was uncovered. An audit of 47 small cell lung cancer patients treated since 2009 found 37 were unable to tolerate even the lower dose prescribed at the Toowoomba Hospital.

Scans of the remaining 10 patients found all initially benefited from the chemo with shrinking of their tumours. Nine since died. -