Horizon testing first at-home cancer treatment in N.B.

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Horizon Health Network said it is bringing cancer immunotherapy treatment to patients in their own homes through a new study.

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The “first of its kind” project originated with a research study led by Horizon medical oncologists Dr. Mahmoud Abdelsalam, Dr. Luisa Galvis and Dr. James Michael where New Brunswick patients diagnosed with certain types of lung cancer receive Health Canada-authorized subcutaneous cancer immunotherapy at home, administered by nurses from the Extra-Mural Program.

The new subcutaneous (under the skin) injection reduces the treatment time to about seven minutes, offering a more convenient, less invasive option that minimizes disruptions to patients’ daily life, reduces the strain on health care providers, and takes some of the pressure off the infusion clinics.

Previously, patients travelled to hospital-based infusion centres for intravenous cancer treatments, often spending at least 30 to 60 minutes per visit. Abdelsalam said in a news conference on Wednesday that some patients use the treatment for several years and have to go to the hospital every three to four weeks.

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“It’s a big burden on the patient, financial and social,” he said.

Jennifer Sheils, Horizon’s vice-president of strategy, transformation and chief innovation officer said in a news release that patients often have to leave their communities, take time off work, arrange childcare or organize transportation.

“They occupy IV therapy hospital chairs, require nursing and pharmacy resources and often face the challenge of travelling home while feeling unwell. These impacts extend beyond the treatment day and can affect their overall well-being and financial stability,” she said.

Extra-Mural nurses are already involved in patients’ care, such as doing assessments, bloodwork, and being in contact with primary care providers and specialists. Abdelsalam said the immunotherapy treatment could be added to their role.

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Abdelsalam said the study has started with one patient located just outside of Moncton and the first treatment milestone happened in March. He hopes eventually to have 15-20 patients in different parts of the province as a pilot that is expected to last one to two years.

So far, the feedback from the patient has been positive.

“He’s home. He’s comfortable and I think it is going very well,” Abdelsalam said, noting it is too early to deem if the trial will be a success, and those overseeing the study will need to see if there are challenges that need to be overcome. “Everything is a learning curve.”

Horizon outlined some of the benefits, including the reduced treatment time, potentially less discomfort and emotional distress, as well as fewer hospital visits if treatment is done outside of the hospital, as well as increasing treatment capacity, optimizing the health-care staff’s workflow, and potentially lowering overall costs per patient.

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The goal at the end of the study is to roll the treatment across the province and share the findings with other provinces to see if the model can be expanded, Abdelsalam said.

Health Minister John Dornan said in the release he is proud of the work by the research team.

“This exciting initiative is an example of how New Brunswick is using creative research partnerships to improve the quality of care of patients in our province,” he said.

The study is being done in collaboration with Roche Canada, the New Brunswick Extra-Mural Program, ResearchNB, and support from Vitalité Health Network.

Each year, Horizon’s research services support about 117 clinical trials for new treatments and solutions, along with nearly 307 investigator-led studies.

Patients interested in participating in the Subcutaneous Treatment with Immunotherapy for Cancer Patients at Home study, or other Horizon research studies are encouraged to fill out a research application on the health authority’s website.

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