An improperly administered radiation treatment for throat cancer killed a 43-year-old New York City man just before Christmas 2007. Before he died, three overdoses of radiation left the man blind, deaf, severely burned, his mouth full of ulcers and his teeth falling out. Unable to swallow and in extreme pain, the man died of his injuries. It never should have happened and, certainly, the New York City hospital where the man went for treatment shouldn't have made the same radiation dosage error three times. A computer error was found to be at fault. Instead of directing a linear accelerator to target the man's throat cancer, the computer caused the machine to blast the man's brain stem and neck with lethal doses of high-energy radiation.
The potentially lethal danger of high-energy radiation treatments gone awry was revealed by The New York Times this week following an extensive investigation. The Times naturally found that radiation dosage accidents are common nationwide. Last June, more than 90 Philadelphia veterans were given incorrect doses of radiation during treatment for prostate cancer. Dr. John Feldmeier, a radiation oncologist at the University of Toledo, told the Times an estimated 1 in 20 patients is injured during radiation treatment.
Radiation is a standard treatment for cancer and one that is often highly effective. The Times pointed out that serious accidents are rare; however, medical radiation is being used increasingly frequently as a diagnostic and treatment tool. According to The Times, "The average lifetime dose of diagnostic radiation has increased sevenfold since 1980, and more than half of all cancer patients get radiation therapy."
While radiation therapy serves a helpful use in modern medicine, radiation accidents can inflict unbearable pain and result in death. If you or someone you care for has been the victim of a radiation accident, a Philadelphia personal injury attorney can investigate to see if medical malpractice or negligence has occurred.
