[ RadSafe ] woman died from the effects of radiation therapy more than 30 years after the treatment cured her

[Bill]

Look this is very simple:
1. The person was exposed to radiation.
2. The person died.
3. Therefor the radiation caused the death.
4. Those persons who caused her death by exposing her to radiation must pay.
5. End of story.

Ivor Surveyor wrote:
>  I find it hard to understand the sequence in this case as described 
> in TIMESonline.
> A woman aged 69 dies from a haemorrhage site and (cause not stated).
>
> I would suggest most likely a cerebral haemorrhage because of the 
> statement of a semi-paralysed arm.
>
> Another possible site for a massive and or fatal bleed is the 
> gastro-intestinal tract.  In the case of the GI tract several 
> pathologies are possible such as neoplasm, peptic ulcer disease, 
> oesophageal varicose disease and so on.
>
> Again it is not clear why an arm amputation was required.
>
> If the bleed was from a second tumour, then this may be a consequence 
> of previous treatment, or it my have its origin in a genetic mechanism 
> common to both the first and second tumour.  An infective agent, may 
> have been active in one or other tumour or both.  Most likely by far, 
> is that the actual cause for this ladies breast cancer and ?second 
> neoplasm is just unknown.
>
> Skin scarring from radiotherapy especially in days gone by could be 
> extensive and was common.  Again it is not clear to me what is the 
> relevance of scarring to the fatal haemorrhage.
>
> Of course if the cause of bleeding was the consequence of a non cancer 
> disease.  Other risk factors such as smoking, blood lipid levels, 
> alcohol in respect to liver disease and portal hypertension, systemic 
> hypertension and so on have to be reviewed.
>
> It would be very helpful if the detailed medical evidence was included 
> in the TIMESonline report with the arguments advanced by the oncologist.
>
> Ivor Surveyor, MD (Brist), FRACP, FRCP
> Emeritus Consultant Physician, Nuclear Medicine,
>
>
> [isurveyor at vianet.net.au]
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