Radiotherapy is a form of treatment used to cure cancer, and is effective in destroying cancer cells using radiation. The treatment can be extremely stressful and should be prescribed only by a clinical oncologist.
Although radiotherapy aims to destroy the cancer cells, it also damages the healthy cells which surround a tumour. Some tumours are very hard to reach within the body and the chances of the radiotherapy damaging healthy cells increases in these situations.
Radiotherapy cancer treatment: side-effects and overdoses
Side-effects are an unavoidable result of cancer treatment using radiotherapy. However, there are cases where radiotherapy is incorrectly prescribed, or prescribed in too large a dose. It is important to look at these cases carefully since the effect of radiotherapy cancer treatment differs across individual cases.
In cases where the cancer treatment involves an overdose of radiotherapy, it may be the case that a doctor prescribed an incorrect amount of radiotherapy for the patient's particular case. Alternatively, computer or clerical error could have affected the cancer treatment plan or hospital equipment may even have been faulty. In other situations, doctors may not have properly obtained a patient's consent when deciding to go ahead with radiotherapy cancer treatment.
In these cases, you may be able to pursue a claim of clinical negligence for the suffering caused by the radiotherapy overdose.
Claiming for clinical negligence
Call Legal Advice Helpline on 0800 612 3042 for information on clinical negligence claims involving radiotherapy cancer treatment. We can put you in touch with solicitors who will be able to advise you of your legal options and help you organise your claim. Call our helpline or browse online to find out more.