“Importance of discussing intraoperative radiotherapy during consultations planning breast cancer surgery”
BASO~ACS Annual (virtual) Meeting, 23rd November 2020 -
Medico-Legal issues in Covid times session
'Here is a question from one of the panellists,
"What are the legal implications of not giving the option for
patients to have an RCT-proven treatment that reduces treatment
burden, improves quality of life, reduces non-breast-cancer deaths
but makes less money for the hospital?"
Mr Robert Wheeler (Consultant Paediatric & Neonatal Surgeon
at the Wessex Regional Centre for Paediatric Surgery and Director
of the Department of Clinical Law at University Hospitals of
Southampton) answers, "Oh, that is a very awkward situation.
Ahem, because of course, going back to the GMC and what happened
last week, it's very clear that we do have to declare to our
patients what their options are, including of course the option of
doing absolutely nothing at all. Anyway, but if there is an option
open to the population, then I think it should be declared. And if
you can't produce it locally for whatever political reason, then
there is always the second opinion. I think, not to disclose that
that treatment, that RCT, exists would be contrary to GMC advice.
This is a professional matter, individual professional matter,
rather than a 'obeying the hospital'. You can comply with the
hospital by saying 'I am sorry, I can't do it here', but I would
certainly disclose to the patient the reality that it exists
somewhere."
This question was asked by Professor Jayant S Vaidya, and
it was regarding offering TARGIT-IORT during lumpectomy for breast
cancer.