According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC), the Department of Veterans Affairs has been found in violation of three federal regulations for radiation use at 13 of their medical facilities including the VA medical facility in Philadelphia, at the center of a firestorm last summer for their botched treatment of veterans with prostate cancer.
Some Background . . .
Last year, it was discovered that 92 out of 116 veterans with prostate cancer at the VA Medical Center in Philadelphia were treated incorrectly. According to reports, 57 men received less radiation than they required and 35 men received more radiation than they required, including 25 men who received too much radiation to the rectum. This inadequate and potentially dangerous treatment of cancer patients went on for well over six years due to little or no insight.
When the NRC did investigate, they found:
- There was no independent review of any records at the Philadelphia facility;
- Brachytherapy staff had not received training on detecting errors or reporting them; and,
- Radiation safety monitors conducted quarterly audits but never detected problems.
The current violations could mean fines towards the VA. However, the bigger question is will the NRC allow the VA to continue in their role overseeing radiation services, or will the NRC assume that responsibility?