The Philadelphia VA Medical Center, the University of Pennsylvania, and Dr. Gary Kao are facing five medical malpractice lawsuits for botched radiation therapy in five veteran patients.

The veterans filing suit, Richard Mitchell, John Berry, James Armstrong, Barry Lackro, and Donald Pepper, were under Dr. Kao’s care at the cancer unit of Philadelphia VA Medical Center.  Philadelphia VA Medical Center treats U.S. military veterans in Southern Pennsylvania.  They believe that Dr. Kao improperly treated their cancer through a process called brachytherapy.

The U.S. Nuclear Radiation Commission investigated Dr. Kao and the hospital’s cancer unit and found that of 114 cancer patients seen, Dr. Kao only got the therapy right 16 times.  Dr. Kao was later terminated from his position and the cancer unit was shut down.

This past May, the NRC fined the hospital $227,500.

Since his treatment, Lacko’s cancer returned and is now incurable.

If your or someone you love has been the victim of medical malpractice, contact the Philadelphia medical malpractice lawyers of Lowenthal & Abrams, P.C. at 215-238-1130 to learn more about your rights.