Cervical cancer patients sacrificed, inquiry told

Press, 27 January 1988, Page 6

Cervical cancer patients sacrificed, inquiry told

PA Auckland Women went to National Women’s Hospital for treatment "like lambs to slaughter” while the medical profession maintained closed ranks and silence, the cancer inquiry was told yester-, day.

Dr Rodney Harrison, a lawyer, said concern had been expressed about the ultra-conservative management programme for parrinnmn in citn ucod Rtr

Dr Herbert Green. While reports were being prepared and committees procrastinated, not one affected patient was warned of the peril she was in. Dr Harrison said, “While the medical profession at National Women’s Hospital and elsewhere maintained closed ranks and an unbroken silence, the women continued to come to National Women’s Hosnital Jtlrp lamhc tn thp

slaughter.” There was an absence within the hospital of adequate mechanisms to resolve disputes over treatment or research methods. There was also a failure of professional self-discipline and “peer review.” Dr Harrison represents "Metro” authors, Sandra Coney and Phillida Bunkie, whose article sparked the inquiry, Fertility Action, and a patient called Ruth. t

He made his remarks during final submissions to the cervical cancer inquiry in Auckland. The inquiry, headed by Judge Silvia Cartwright, is looking into allegations relating to treatment of cervical cancer at the hospital. Dr Harrison said the failure of the hospital to treat adequately patients for cervical carcinoma in situ was conclusively established. It anneared that at least

26 women died. Most of them would probably not have done so had they been treated conventionally. The files showed Dr Green continued to delay definitive treatment, said Dr Harrison. Dr Green also continued to advise against hysterectomy when others recommended it, to perform cone biopsies and to doubt the accuracy of histology when, in one case, three/ senior natholoeists

disagreed with him. Dr Harrison said that failure to give adequate treatment had certainly begun by the latest in June, 1966, and was stopped at the earliest in 1978. However, Dr Harrison said Dr Green had asserted that his conservative treatment regime continued at least until his retirement (in 1982) “and there is some evidence that the undervaluation of CIS I'carrinoma in ’sitnt

as a cancer precursor t continued at National * Women’s throughout the ' period, and even until the i present day.” ’ Dr Harrison said, “In particular, patients inadequately managed by Dr Green appear to have had that mismanagement con- ’ tinued until the present : day.” I There was still a need ! for an independent review : of all recent files or current files not reviewed hv

the commission or its medical advisers. Dr Harrison said Dr Green failed to discontinue the programme when cases of progression of C.I.S. invasion became apparent. Dr Green also failed to stop the programme when opposition was voiced in 1969, 1971 and 1973. Dr Harrison said there was collective abdication by National Women’s medical staff of their ethical ''and professional re-

sponsibilities in respect of C.I.S. patients. Earlier, counsel for the Auckland division of the Cancer Society, Mr Tomas Kennedy-Grant, said perhaps the most alarming matter to come out of evidence was that doctors, individually and collectively, felt unable to say “enough” when they sensed that the treatment under Dr Green’s project was leading to an increase in the number of invasive canc&rs. i