Affected by a brain tumor, a patient followed a chemotherapy treatment which was not necessary and even dangerous for 14 years because the medication, temozolomide, should not normally be prescribed for more than six months.
- A patient with a brain tumor has followed chemotherapy treatment for 14 years.
- The successor of the prescribing doctor today judges that this treatment was useless and even dangerous.
- Indeed, the chemotherapy medication used, temozolomide, should not normally be prescribed for more than six months.
For 14 years, a British patient of Coventry University Hospitalin England, followed chemotherapy sessions when he didn’t need it. According to the revelations of the BbcProfessor Ian Brown, who made the diagnosis of cancer brain tumor, had decided to this protocol 14 years ago.
Dangerous chemotherapy treatment
A protocol today called into question by his successor. When Professor Ian Brown retired, a new specialist has therefore followed the patient and discovered treatment. For him, the chemotherapy sessions prescribed to the patient for 14 years were not necessary.
Worse still: for Professor Ian Brown’s successor, treatment is even dangerous. Indeed, the chemotherapy medication used, temozolomide, should not be prescribed in the long term. Normally, after six months, you must stop taking, according to the NHS recommendations, the British health service.
However, the patient took temozolomide over a very long period. He complained of symptoms that could be linked to the abusive taking of chemotherapy medication: fatigue, gastrointestinal disorders, joint pain, nausea and oral ulcers.
In addition, according to the law firm representing the patient, taking Temozolomide for so long would increase the risk of developing another cancer or chronic liver problems.
12 other patients affected by unnecessary treatments
“” “The fact of undergoing repeated waves of chemotherapy in temozolomide for more than a decade has had important consequences on the health, well-being and quality of life of our client, indicates Fiona Tinsley, member of the law firm, at the Bbc. This has limited his options in terms of education and professional and made founding an extremely stressful family.»
Within the Coventry University Hospital, an internal investigation is underway. In the meantime, Professor Ian Brown, who has been returned to the Order of British doctors, can no longer prescribe chemotherapy drugs. According to the law firm, this case would not be isolated: at least twelve other patients from Coventry University Hospital have been confronted with the same problem of surprise.
