Cancer individuals in Canada got weak doses of chemo drugs - CNN International

(CNN) -- Near 1,200 patients in Canada got lower-than-intended doses of chemotherapy drugs, officers said Tuesday, in an incident that's sure to upset these patients and their loved ones. Additionally it raises issues about how potentially life-saving drugs are treated. Cancer Care Ontario, a government agency, reported that 990 people were afflicted at four hospitals -- London Health Sciences Centre, Windsor Regional Hospital, Lakeridge Health and Peterborough Regional Health Centre. Still another 186 patients were underdosed at Saint John Regional Hospital in New Brunswick, said hospital speaker Janet Hogan. The drugs involved were ordered by the hospitals from a dealer that labels and produces the medications, based on Cancer Care Ontario. The company didn't identify the provider. The issue, which involved cyclophosphamide and gemcitabine, was found late last month. Cyclophosphamide is typically used to treat cancer of the ovaries, breast, blood and lymph technique, while gemcitabine could be used in the treating ovarian, breast, pancreatic and lung cancers. New late-stage breast cancer therapy approved "It is important to see that chemotherapy planning and delivery is a complicated process and as a result of this difficulty, you will find quality initiatives at Cancer Care Ontario, vice president of medical programs and options for potential error," Dr. Carol Sawka, said in a record. "In Ontario, we've put in many measures to reduce these potential sources of error and we will continue to ensure that high quality care and patient safety are the focus and the energy of the system." More details were provided by sawka on the situation when she talked to CNN internet CTV. She said the situation with the drugs, which are given intravenously, was first recognized by a pharmacy technician. "Our quotes right now are that the range of underdosing was from a few months to perhaps twenty years significantly less than what it will have been," she told CTV. Sawka declined to take a position on which the consequences might be for people, worrying "it's really difficult to generalize." Their families and affected individuals are now being advised of the error this week. "We simply take these seriously. You want to learn from it. We desire to make certain it never happens again, and that's what we are doing at this time by dealing with the hospitals and the supplier," Sawka said. Sick guy of Europe: Life-support medicines run short in Greece CNN's Miriam Falco and Elwyn Lopez brought for this survey.

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