Special breast cancer clinic is the UK’s first
Last updated 15:07, Monday, 03 March 2008
CUMBRIA has become the first place in the UK to launch a specialist new breast cancer clinic for patients on the high-profile drug Herceptin.
The potentially life-saving drug Herceptin can be used to help many women with early-stage breast cancer, but often has harsh side effects.
The most dangerous of these is that it can be toxic to the heart, putting patients at risk of developing other illnesses.
As a result, it is recommended that hospitals offer three-monthly heart check-ups to all Herceptin patients.
But Carlisle’s Cumberland Infirmary is going a step further, launching a unique clinic that will set an example to hospitals nationwide.
Its cardiology and oncology teams have joined together to launch a weekly Echo-Herceptin clinic, dedicated solely to breast cancer patients.
It means these women will be able to have a detailed heart assessment and full review of their cancer treatment in just one regular appointment.
It has been made possible after readers of our sister paper The Cumberland News helped to raise £318,000 for hi-tech new heart-scanning technology for the infirmary and West Cumberland Hospital.
Using the new echocardiograph machine, consultant cardiologist Madalina Garbi will check the heart is functioning correctly and look for potential concerns.
Her analysis will then be passed straight to consultant cancer nurse Helen Roe, who will weigh up any dangers with the benefits of the drug. She can then discuss the results with the patient the same day and change the treatment as appropriate.
Miss Roe said the Cumberland Infirmary was the first hospital in the UK to launch a dedicated Herceptin clinic. The trust was also one of the first to start using the drug, which made national headlines two years ago when many women were denied it.
A postcode lottery emerged until 2006 when the National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) finally gave its backing.
“A lot of women had to lobby their MPs to try and get the drug but that didn’t happen here. The cancer network we are part of recognised its benefits and made the decision to use Herceptin before NICE,” said Miss Roe.
“Because of that we have now got more experience and recognised the need for this dedicated clinic.”
Dr Garbi said that until now, she had been carrying out heart checks on Herceptin patients as part of her regular clinics, but without having the cancer expertise available, she was not in a position to make an informed assessment.
She added that many of the Herceptin cancer patients are mothers with young families and the new dedicated clinic is much more convenient.
“With these patients you need to balance the risk from the cancer with the risk of damaging the heart. We want the highest level of treatment but the least damage,” she said. “The clinics were also getting busier and busier and I didn’t really have the time to do the discussion and counselling. Now my time is being better used focusing on cardiology and there is someone else with the specialist skills and time to spend with the patient.”
Miss Roe explained that the new Tuesday afternoon clinic – which will have slots for six patients – would benefit people in north and west Cumbria.
She said it would also enable them to carry out checks as often as every four weeks if deemed necessary, rather than the recommended three months.
“For the patients it’s a real plus. We give the drugs but because we don’t take them ourselves we do not truly know how it feels,” she said.
Dr Garbi added that the new clinic is a sign of true unity that she now wants to build on across the county.
“The collaboration between the cardiology department and people of Cumbria helped raise the funds for the equipment. The collaboration between cardiology and oncology helped organise this clinic,” she said.
“Now the collaboration with the GPs of Cumbria will help make the hospital stronger and patient care outstanding. Once the clinic is fully established, representatives from both hospital departments will attend national seminars and congresses to pass on their ideas and experiences. They hope the clinic will become an example of how services can be joined together for the benefit of patients."
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