Palbociclib

Brendas treatment on Palbociclib continued. She tolerated it well but as the months passed, there were some complications in relation to how the drug was effecting her white blood cells. During an assessment appointment with the senior registrar, we were informed that the palbociclib was not working. She advised Brenda that she felt it was time to consider moving onto chemotherapy. Brenda was given an information package and a consent document to take home and read over.

 Some weeks later, we met with the professor (head of the department) for a follow up appointment. We received an apology from him as he claimed an error had been made at the previous assessment appointment. He advised that the palbociclib was in fact proving effective. He went on to say that he was somewhat baffled when looking at Brendas medical file – identifying that she had been diagnosed with primary breast cancer 2 years prior to her secondary breast cancer diagnosis. He said he was shocked that her small low grade ductal carcinoma had come back within the two years, let alone metastasized within that time. He went on to state that it was possible they were not dealing with the cancer they thought.

That consultation was concluded by him advising he hadn’t been involved with Brenda back when she was initially diagnosed and that his role was to treat what was being presented now.

In hindsight, it would have been appropriate for us to question if it was possible they were dealing with a different cancer to what they thought. What was the plan going forward? Would the cancer be rechecked to ensure Brenda was on the correct and most effective treatment line? The fact that receptors and cancer were not tested again (after the professors’ views and comments on it) was not good enough. They claim there are early warnings that a cancer has changed. These early signs are being missed every day, patient after patient, costing lives needlessly. The money should be put into further testing and saving lives, not costing them.

 Brenda was on palbociclib for approximately thirteen months. Her dosage had to be adjusted and reduced a few times, but she generally tolerated it very well and she was able to maintain a good quality of life. We did look back, with some anxiety,  to the time we were told that the palbociclib was no longer effective and Brenda was about to be put on chemo, only for that to be retracted at the next appointment….”was that really an error, or was the first doctor that had provided the information leaflet and consent form for chemo right when she said the palbociclib was no longer working?”, “what was that decision based on and how could such an error possibly be made?…ultimately we had to focus and just try to trust what we were being advised by the professor.