Pembrolizumab

  • Hi

I unfortunately have lung cancer that has spread from my bladder so I was having treatment with pembrolizumab .

My schedule was pembrolizumab with enfortumab vedotin on day 1 then I thought I was going to have a break from pembrolizumab for 6 weeks but still have the enfortumab vedotin, I was wrong , I was having both on every treatment day and by my 3rd treatment day I was violently ill. 

I looked up this  pembrolizumab and found out that you should only have it either once every 3 weeks or every 6 weeks but my schedule was to have it 3 times in one mouth, I found it that if I had carried on I would have died from overdose of pembrolizumab. I'm so angry that they had got this so wrong, my oncologist could not explain why it was every treatment day either. 

  • Hello and thanks for your post,

    I am sorry to hear about your situation. I can understand that this must have been very upsetting for you. I am not sure what happened in your situation but we have a schedule on our website about how Enfortumab Vedotin and pembrolizumab is usually given.

    I can understand that you have a lot to take on with your treatment and hopefully the situation has now been resolved. If you feel that you would like to make a complaint then you could do so through PALS (Patient Advice and Liaison Service).

    If you would like to talk any of this through with one of the nurses on the helpline then you are welcome to give us a call.

    The number to ring is Freephone 0808 800 4040 and the lines are open Monday to Friday 9 am-5pm.

    All the best,

    Catherine