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Philadelphia, PA VA Hospital Under Investigation by NRC: Possible Malpractice Involving Prostate Cancer Patients
On June 21, 2009, the New York Times reported on a malpractice investigation involving the cancer radiation unit at the Philadelphia, PA VA hospital. From 2002-2008, the unit performed hundreds of prostate cancer-related brachytherapy procedures, in which seeds about the size of a grain of rice are implanted into the cancerous area.
In 2008, a VA radiation safety official mistakenly ordered seeds of lower strength that were implanted in patients. The VA’s national radiation safety unit requested that the hospital examine procedure records to determine whether other patients had received the lower dose implants. That review led to the discovery that 116 patients underwent botched procedures, with 90 of them having been performed by one doctor who worked in the unit.
Radiation therapy programs at all hospitals in the U.S, including the nation’s VA hospitals, are regulated by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). All hospitals with nuclear medicine departments, clinics and/or physicians offices that use radiographic tools such as x-rays, MRIs or CT scans to diagnose patients or provide radiation therapy treatment to patients are required to report errors and adverse outcomes to the NRC. The NRC also oversees all nuclear medicine-related medical research at the nation’s medical schools and research institutions.
Once the NRC investigation was begun, inspectors found that the men undergoing the procedure had seeds implanted in other areas of the body, including organs in the excretory and reproductive systems. The NRC investigators discovered that 57 patients received too little radiation to the prostate, while 25 patients received overdoses to other parts of the body. An unspecified number of patients were both underdosed in the prostate and overdosed elsewhere.
While no patient deaths were reported as a result of the botched procedures, the men whose procedures were botched required duplicative procedures, and in some cases, developed serious conditions caused by the seeds’ damage to healthy tissue in other organs.
If you or a loved one was injured because of substandard medical care, you may be able to seek compensation for your injuries, as well as pain and suffering. Complete the form on this page for a free legal review of your potential medical malpractice case from our lawyers. A Weitz & Luxenberg representative will contact you as soon as possible.
see also:
Prostate Cancer Errors
Free medical malpractice lawsuit review for prostate cancer patients Malpractice errors in treating prostate cancer patients at VA hospital
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