Personal Injury Law

Veterans Get Wrong Cancer Treatment At Philadelphia VA Hospital

By Jamie Sheller

Ninety-two veterans at a VA hospital in Philadelphia received incorrect cancer treatment. Over the course of six years, the veterans, who were being treated for prostate cancer, were given the wrong doses of radiation therapy. According to the Philadelphia Inquirer, in ninety-two of one hundred and fourteen cases, there were medical treatment errors. The treatment, called brachytherapy, involves implanting radiation seeds to kill the cancer cells. According to an investigation, in fifty-seven veterans, too little radiation was delivered to the prostate, and thirty-five veterans received overdoses of radiation to other parts of the body. Some veterans with prostate cancer received both underdoses to the prostate and overdoses to other body parts. The number of dosing errors led to an inspection of the Philadelphia Veterans Medica Center by a federal commission. Meanwhile, the prostate cancer treatment program at the Philadelphia VA hospital has been suspended, and several staff members no longer work for the VA hospital. All of the veterans who received the wrong prostate cancer treatment, have been given follow-up care.

Anyone who received improper prostate cancer treatment at the Philadelphia Veterans Medical Center should contact Sheller, P.C. to discuss whether you have a potential legal claim. The lawyers at Sheller, P.C. have many years of experience successfully representing injured people, and helping them recover the compensation they deserve for their injuries. Our lawyers represent people injured by medical errors, defective drugs and dangerous products.

Full post as published by Philadelphia Personal Injury Lawyer on June 23, 2009 (boomark / email).