Radiation Therapy/Radiation Overdose
Every year nearly one million Americans are told they need Radiation Therapy. Radiation Therapy is a form of cancer treatment that uses strong beams of energy to either kill cancer cells or retard their growth.
Tragic mistakes routinely expose patients to multiple times their expected Radiation Dosages
There are two types of Radiation Therapy.
External Bean Radiation Therapy To Treat Cancer
The most common is External Beam Radiation Therapy (ERBT). EBRT involves beams of high-energy radiation directed at a tumor. Therapy is routinely given five days a week for one to eight weeks, depending on the disease.
Internal Radiation Therapy To Treat Cancer
The second is Internal Radiation Therapy. It involves implanting a "seed" in or around a tumor to kill cancer cells. Implants can be temporary or permanent.
Overdoses Of Radiation Can Kill
Today’s technology allows radiation doses to be administered at almost any level. Despite this technology tragic mistakes routinely expose patients to multiple times their expected Radiation Dosages. When that occurs, it may be the Radiation Overdose and not the cancer that causes death.
How The DiCello Law Firm Invesitgates Radiation Overdose Cases
Patients who receive Radiation Therapy have medical records that show the areas treated. They also have medical records that confirm not only Radiation Dosages but also that the areas of the body to be treated are exactly the areas that are actually treated.
In investigating whether a Medical Mistake has been made during Radiation Therapy, these records are critical.
In many of the Malpractice cases involving Radiation Therapy, health care providers fail to notice avoidable errors. Some of these errors are as simple as failing to appreciate that the medical equipment used to administer Radiation Therapy has been improperly programmed.
The DiCello Law Firm Can Help
If you believe that you or a loved one has been harmed by a mistake made during Radiation Therapy, call The DiCello Law Firm.