Feds inspecting VA center in Pa. after under-doses

Feds inspecting VA center in Pa. after under-doses
By JOANN LOVIGLIO Associated Press Writer


PHILADELPHIA—Nuclear regulators have begun an investigation to determine why 55 prostate cancer patients received radiation treatments at lower than prescribed doses at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Philadelphia.

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission announced Tuesday that a special inspection is under way at the facility in part because of the number of patients given incorrect radiation doses.

"We are concerned with the number of medical events that occurred," said James Caldwell, the agency's regional administrator. "The special inspection is tasked with helping us understand their causes."

The men underwent brachytherapy, which involves implanting radioactive iodine pellets (often called "seeds") in the prostate to kill cancer cells. Men who undergo only that type of treatment typically have low-risk prostate cancer.

The VA reported in May that one patient's CT scans revealed that he got a dosage that was less than 80 percent of what was prescribed, according to NRC reports.

VA officials then reviewed medical records and conducted tests on 112 veterans implanted with the seeds since the program started in Feb. 2002 and found 55 received too-low doses.
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