Patient Pathway
Q. Would we still be able to use other methods of patient blood management?
A. After the preoperative visit, the trial will have no impact on the surgical session. Routine surgical practice and protocols will not be influenced or affected.
Q. The protocol states that the drug administration must occur 10-42 days before surgery. Many cancer patients will be operated on within two weeks. When would the various visits occur?
A. The patient pathway will be different for each hospital. Specifically for cancer patients, there are several routes where they may be identified and screened: through a GP letter at an endoscopy appointment, on referral for a CT or MRI (as normally the patient has had bloods checked for these investigations) or at a MDT. Cancer patients will also often be seen many times before their surgery at various different appointments (clinic, MDT) and these could be utilised and trial visits incorporated.
It may also be useful to go through waiting lists, to identify potential patients earlier.
Q. Will there be enough time to identify patients before their surgery?
A. This needs to be dealt with locally as the patient pathway may be different in different hospitals.
Q. Some sites are unsure if their hospital tests for iron studies routinely, will this be a problem?
A.The tests done are normal routine laboratory tests. Current guidelines and best practice are that patients with anaemia should be investigated.
Q. If a patient is found to be newly anaemic, in some cases a letter is sent to the GP and they are treated for this by the GP and have their surgery cancelled. What happens to these patients?
A. The local hospital protocol has to be followed in this scenario. Often the indication for surgery has arisen because of the anaemia in the first place (colorectal cancer).