6 more cases of botched cancer treatment at Pa. VA
The AP reports, “six more cases have been found of cancer patients being given incorrect radiation doses at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia” (FindLaw News citing to the Philadelphia Inquirer, 8/18). These errors occurred during a common surgical procedure to treat prostate cancer. The treatment involves placing radioactive seeds in the prostate to kill cancer cells. Most patients received “far less than the prescribed dose while others received too much,” and some even ended up with radioactive seeds in places other than the prostate.
Unfortunately, the six additional cases bring the total to “98 veterans who were given incorrect radiation doses over a six-year period at the hospital.” Considering that “the program had treated 114 cancer patients before it was halted when the problem surfaced in 2008,” the number of botched procedures is huge.
As a medical malpractice lawyer, I am continually outraged as this story unfolds as the amount of negligent medical care that occurred before shutting down the program is far beyond unacceptable. Repeated mistakes in this facility have plagued the lives of many of our veterans and their families with tragedy.
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