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Human body irradiation program-fact sheet-from charles w. Edington, associate director, office of energy research, to alvin w. Trivelpiece, director, office of energy research. Facts have been prepared to summarize the information relevant to the lawsuit being prepared against the federal government (doe, department of the army, and nasa) on behalf of the family of decedent (redacted) who received medical treatment for acute lymphatic leukemia at the medical division of orau in july 1964. The lawsuit alleges that the procedures used were inappropriate for the treatment of leukemia, that effective chemotherapy was withheld, and that the claimants were denied information regarding alternative treatment and the hazards of the radiation exposures.
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Fact Sheet on Litigation Pursuant t o Ruman Body Irradiation Program ficc of Energy Researc - treatment and the hazards of the radiation erposuree. Congreeeional oversight hearings on this matter before the Sub cdt tee on In vo at lg at i ow and Oversight of the Bouee Committee on Science and Technology 9 7 t h Congress were held on September 23, 1981. < I n 1957 under the AEC,the Medical Division of ORAU began a cancer treat nen t program designed t o improve radiation the rap i cr and t o aesesB 8 the health effects of total body irradiation. In 1964, NASA also began providing additional funds to obtain information on the onset of acute radiation sickness. Fran 1957 t o 1974 nearly 200 patients,Including The hearings investigated the allegations that fadl i ties were substandard, , that treatnrents were of little therapeutic value and inferior to other available techniques, that fully informed consent was not given, and finally, that the attempt to gain data for the apace program took precedence over proper medical considerations. The Total Body Irradiation Study a tOW was initiated with two principal objectives -- the first wae t o seek info nn st lon that might laad to improved radiation therapy for lsukemlas and lympbomae and the second to acquire diagnoses were established by clinical hiakory, physicdl examination, ad. ~ ' . microscopic study of surgical biopsies, .bode Parrow; and per ipbe rd blood .. samplee: The urgency for treatment was aesessed, and those patients whwe j ; condition re qu l red some other kind of therapy, ' or, no therapy atall, were ' ' -.: mitted. If the clinical status was changing rapidly and it warn antic ipa ' t d superior therapy was available for a particular patient and the total-body that other additional treatment might be need@ during the poet ir radi atl on ...
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radiation treatment was regarded as an acceptable way of management, the patient was offered this form of treatmemt, folloving a n explanation of the research protocol. Informed consent was obtained In accordance with , the course of ' therapy for .:?. id o mat ion t o ::a uppo rt US clinical study of the df ect iv c ness of lor level total body radiation in treating persona with certain types of neo plastic diseases (lymphom, any other aspect of the clinical etudy. NASA was interested only in acquiring &ta fr on adult human radiation exposure. No evidence wae found that NASA had any role i n the selection ,inthe course of hie treatment atthe Medical Divieion of OHAU, was treated with several experimental procedures including irradiation of extracted bone marrow, subsequent injection into his mother and re injection of her 8emm into hh, as well as an experimental total body irradiation in the Medium Exposure Total Body Ir radiator. He vao then transferred to a second facility - the Lou Expoeure Total Body Ir radiator -- for intensive monitoring of his acute reactions tothe. total body irradiation. One vlt ness, Dr. Peter Wiernik of the Baltimore Cancer Research Center, told Gore that the treatment at at us for leukemia at the time was such that any new treatnust could be tried.. He had no problem with the treatment, "it was a good idea that didn ' t work." Besides the scientific and medical experts testifying on the medical . . need and acceptability of the treatments given, fdy members of other,. patients testified that this facility a ffe red their one laet hope for: saving a relative and deo substantiated the qdity of good care pro ~ idad .. . After the hearing, in rbponst: t o qucs;+om f , report=ri;.++rt, Gore, stated that he thought .that the test en y 'r eh ti ally,ref o ted ' t b : char$ on the same info nu ation thoroughly and adq ' uatdy covered.. i n -the hffariogi.: Off ice of Energy Research ' ..e. . 0-791 1 0 0 1 2 8 8 OFFICIAL FILE COPY
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yere ' treated at this facility. '-:.' : :.' . The Total Body Ir radi at i radiation therapy for l e diagnoses were established. by cllnical history, physical examination, and *. ':' ' sncples.. The urgency for treatment was assessed, and those ' patients whose :. . on ltte d. ' If.the d in ical status was changing rapidly and it was anticipated ._
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