Up to 70 patients given incorrect chemo treatment to treat cancer

Up to 70 patients with head or neck cancer treated at St. Vincent’s hospital in Sydney were allegedly given an incorrect dosage of chemotherapy for three years, between 2012 and 2015.

The recommended dose of the drug carboplatin is between 200 and 300 milligrams, however leading oncologist Dr. John Grygiel, was allegedly administering only 100 milligrams of the drug for over three years.

Carboplatin is a drug used to treat cancer and works by binding itself to the DNA inside the nucleus of a cell. The chemical composition of the drug then prevents the spread of cancer by not allowing the cells to divide and therefore spread.

The drug is recommended to be given on a variable dosage according to the patient’s kidney test, age and sex, however it is alleged that Dr Grygiel gave a standardised 100mgs of the drug to up to 70 patients.

St Vincent’s Hospital accepted that there had been an error in August last year and conducted an internal investigation into its policies and procedures. St Vincent’s maintains that the “under-dosage does not appear to have had any type of significant negative impact on the patients’ outcome.” Allegedly only patients suffering recurrent disease were informed only recently, with the ABC reporting that this does not comprise the majority of the affected.

Medical professionals acted negligently

These reports follow inquiries into two Adelaide hospitals in 2014 and 2015 where smaller cases of under dosage resulted in the establishment of an internal inquiry. The findings of this report resulted in 8 doctors being referred to AHPRA.

If medical professionals have acted negligently in any stage of their treatment, claims for compensation can be brought against them. This can occur where a medical professional acts below what is considered ‘competent professional practice.’ Essentially this means that they are acting inappropriately or incompetently..

How can negligence occur?

Negligence can occur in a number of ways, which include:

  • Incompetent treatment, including surgery;
  • Incompetent post-operative care after surgery;
  • Failure to treat your condition or refer you to a specialist in a timely manner;
  • Delay in the diagnosis of your condition;
  • Failure to report correctly and/or follow up on test results;
  • Failure to warn of risks associated with treatment

Injuries suffered as a result of negligent medical treatment

If you believe that you or someone you know has suffered from treatment which you believe was not appropriate, you may be able to seek compensation through the assistance of a lawyer.

At Turner Freeman we specialise in medical negligence and professional negligence cases. We have a long standing relationship with some of the best medical experts in the country, which gives us a significant edge in achieving the maximum level of compensation for our clients.

More importantly, we will investigate your case free of charge and if we believe your case has merit will then act for you on a “No Win, No Fee” basis. Therefore it is worth your while letting us investigate on your behalf to put your mind at ease and best of all will not cost you any money unless we can achieve compensation for you.

Therefore if you believe that you have suffered any form of incompetent treatment call 13 43 63 to speak with one of our experts or accredited specialists in New South Wales. Our offices are located in Sydney, ParramattaNewcastle, Penrith, Wollongong and Gloucester.