Kitchener boy among those who received diluted chemotherapy drugs
Lucas Tomas continues to remain positive. The eight year old leukemia patient is in good spirits after receiving news that he’s among nearly 1100 cancer patients who have been treated with diluted chemotherapy drugs.
The Tomas family received a letter from the London Health Sciences Centre last night detailing the situation. It explained the facility had been advised of an issue affecting the concentration of the chemotherapeutic agents used in Tomas’ treatment.
“When I spoke with my oncologist this morning, she had explained that the medication that (was) received. They feel it could have been about 10% to 13% diluted”, says Mary Anne, Lucas’ mom.
The oncologist also says the diluted drug likely hasn’t had an impact on Lucas’ outcome. Lucas still has another two years of low dose treatments.
As part of her tour of Waterloo Region, Premier Kathleen Wynne says the provincial government may have made a mistake regarding the way chemotherapy drugs are transferred from suppliers to hospitals.
Wynne says it’s unacceptable and vows to launch a third party investigation into how the mishap happened. At Communitech on Friday, Wynne says, “We need to make sure we get it corrected now.”
The health critic for the NDP is calling for Ontario’s ombudsman to get involved.
Cancer support centres say it’s best for parents in this situation to be upfront with their child. “We don’t want children to be using their imaginations and they will if they don’t understand”, says Anne Day of Hopespring Cancer Support Centre.
Lucas’ mom says her son has been informed about everything and that hasn’t swayed his positivity. “He doesn’t let little things like this put him down.”
