V.A. Hospital Makes Chronic Mistakes in Treating Prostate Cancer
From 2002 until mid-2008, doctors at one V.A. hospital in Philadelphia made significant medical mistakes in 92 out of 116 brachytherapy procedures, a less invasive method of treating prostate cancer. Most of the errors involved patients receiving too little radiation to effectively treat their cancer, but about 35 veterans received overdoses of radiation to the wrong parts of their bodies. This often occurred because doctors injected radioactive pellets used in the procedures into the wrong organs. Investigators say that it took so long to uncover the mistakes because of insufficient internal and external oversight.
Fortunately no one has died as a result of these errors, but many patients have suffered painful and unnecessary medical complications because of the hospital’s surgical mistakes. The radioactive material used in cancer treatments is a carcinogen and can damage or destroy healthy tissue in addition to cancerous cells. All of the affected patients have obtained follow-up care, and eight had brachytherapy procedures performed properly at another V.A. hospital. Read more about medical malpractice and hospital negligence.