VA Dept. fined $227K for giving wrong radiation doses to vets in Philly with prostate cancer

Va Dept. fined $227K for flawed cancer treatments

PHILADELPHIA — The Department of Veterans Affairs has been fined $227,500 after incorrect incorrect radiation doses were given to 97 veterans with prostate cancer at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission said the fine announced Wednesday is one of the largest it has ever levied for medical errors.

VA officials reviewed medical records and conducted tests on 116 veterans who were undergoing treatment for prostate cancer at the Philadelphia center from 2002 to 2008.

They found that 97 received the wrong dosage of tiny radioactive iodine pellets, which were implanted in the prostate to kill cancer cells. Most of the men got far less than the prescribed dose while others received too much radiation to nearby tissue and organs.

The department has 30 days to pay the fine or challenge it.

On the Net:

Philadelphia Veterans Affairs Medical Center: www.philadelphia.va.gov

Nuclear Regulatory Commission: www.nrc.gov