Posts Tagged ‘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.

On Monday, five Oregon Army National Guard soldiers filed lawsuits in federal court in Oregon against a war contractor, Kellogg, Brown & Root (KBR), alleging that KBR knowingly exposed them to a cancer-causing chemical, chromium, during their tours in Iraq. 

The soldiers allege that they were exposed to chromium at the Qarmat Ali water treatment plant in Iraq in May 2003.  The soldiers were charged with protecting civilian employees working at the treatment plant, which was a key part of the Iraqi oil production. 

The lawsuits allege that KBR of Houston knew the site was contaminated by hexavalent chromium, a highly toxic and long-identified carcinogen, before the solders arrived.  The lawsuits claim that KBR either failed to do the required testing at the treatment plant or destroyed the records regarding treatment and further discounted soldiers’ and civilians’ bloody noses and other symptoms of chromium exposure as sand allergies.

In addition to the cases filed in Oregon, cases are expected to be brought by soldiers from West Virginia who have been exposed to chromium.  Last year, 15 Indiana National Guard members who replaced the Oregon troops at the water planed filed similar lawsuits.  Various KBR employees also brought cases, but their cases are being handled in arbitration.