Re:Chemo-Radiation Necrosis


Re : Chemo-Radiation Necrosis -- gdpawel
Posted by gdpawel , Jul 30,2001,23:45 Post Reply  Top of Thread  Forum
Patchell's study, conducted over an eight year period at numerous institutions, was given to only 146 eligible patients. It convincingly showed that there was no survival benefit or prolonged independence in patients who received postoperative whole brain radiation therapy. It never mentioned the incidence of dementia, alopecia, nausea, fatigue or any other numerous side effects associated with whole brain radiation. The most interesting part of his study were the patients who lived the longest. Patients in the observation group who avoided neurologic deaths had an improvement in survival, justifying the recommendation that whole brain radiation therapy is not indicated following surgical resection of a single brain metastasis.

Be mindful, there were other grossly medical negligences done to my wife, but brain radiation necrosis from whole brain radiation treatment was the first and largest precipitant to her death. There is the legal requirement that all doctors must give the patients the information about informed consent. It is the patient's right to determine what the patient wants done to their own body. It is not enough for consent for a patient to merely sign their name or say "yes" to proceed. It needs to be an "informed" consent which means the patient needs to be told things like the nature of the treatment, all of the risks and alternatives, including their risks and non-treatment if that's an option.

We were never informed by any doctor involved with my wife's chemotherapies or radiation therapies about the possible late-delayed side effects of treatment, nor the alternatives to treatment. Ann and I were corraled into believing this was the only thing to do, no other choice and no mention of the late side effects of treatment.

Because of this the State Board of Medicine, and now the Department of Health, began its investigation of my wife's death. I am a spouse who saw his soul-mate being slowly tortured to death because of what he did not know before, but who has spent two years of sleepless nights finding out what the oncologists didn't tell us and what insidious side effects they incurred on my wife with their negligent practice. I never realized a patient had to be just as knowledgeable or even more knowledgeable than the oncologists that treat these patients. Not having the knowledge before hand resulted in the death of my wife. I'm very sorry to her for letting that happen. She really wanted to live, with me.

I just have to see how the system will fight for my wife and the many others who have died, likewise, though I was cautioned by a friend to suspect that it is rare for them(the system) to actually conclude by taking substantial action.

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