The Ottawa Hospital says it does not believe any harm came to late-stage cancer patients in their care, who may have received a lower-than-prescribed dose of intravenous cancer drugs.

In June, Cancer Care Ontario (CCO) notified hospitals across the province that an issue was found in the delivery of three small volume, high concentration medications (specifically: pembrolizumab, nivolumab and panitumumab) in which some patients may not have received the full dosage during treatment.

What happens is more of the drug than expected remains in the IV tubing, “due to practices related to IV line flushing,” CCO said. 

CCO says a small variation in dosing “has not been shown to affect patient outcomes adversely,” but suggested hospitals and health care workers review their policies and procedures around administering these drugs, to make sure the optimal amount of the drug is reaching the patient.

The Ottawa Hospital is one of dozens of hospitals across Ontario notified by CCO.

Joyce Boa was one of the patients contacted by the Ottawa Hospital. She underwent six months of chemotherapy between January and June 2011 at the Ottawa Hospital and the Hawkesbury Hospital for breast cancer. She recieved a call on August 10th saying she might not have received all her medication. A review of her file indicated she did not need any further treatment. 

"You think everything is over and done with and then all of a sudden they are bringing it back up," she said. "It's stressful ...but I'm going to put it all behind me. As one of my friends says, turn the page."

In a statement to CTV News, the hospital says it, “undertook a review of patients regarding the administration of three systemic treatment drugs." 

“A review identified a total of 234 patients from across the region, all of whom had late-stage cancer.

“The 234 patients who may have received a lower-than-intended dose have been notified, with the exception of estate representatives for the deceased. In those instances, the hospital is in the process of notification.”

The hospital goes on to say that, based on analysis by cancer experts, “no harm could be attributed to the reduced doses, and no patient’s regimen has been changed.”

With files from Annie Bergeron-Oliver.