Post-Radiation Left Brachial Plexopathy
When Lisa noticed a hard lump on her left breast, she sought medical advice and was unfortunately diagnosed with breast cancer.
She underwent a subcutaneous mastectomy as a result and, after the operation, she was treated with radiotherapy. She was given a particularly high dose which, although considered normal in the late 1980s, is now deemed unacceptable. Furthermore, Lisa's axillary nodes were also treated with radiation, even though they were known not to be cancerous.
Within five years after receiving radiotherapy, Lisa started to become increasingly breathless. Chest x-rays showed that she had developed loss of volume in the left lung, a symptom compatible with radiation. The following year Lisa was discovered to have rib fractures, which were again thought to be due to radiation.
Eight years later Lisa started to develop problems with her shoulders and arms. She was given steroid injections, but the pain worsened and eventually forced her to give up her job. She then began to develop persistent pain and stiffness in her shoulder, and paraesthesia (numbness and tingling) in her hand. She consulted an orthopaedic surgeon, who noted that her shoulder blade had moved superiorly.
Eventually Lisa attended an outpatient's appointment, and it was confirmed that she had indeed been over irradiated. A subsequent MRI scan revealed she was suffering post radiation left brachial plexopathy. This is a condition that affects the nerves in the shoulder, inducing the feeling of a heavy arm with the regular sensation of pins and needles.
Consequently Lisa has difficultly using her left arm, even with the simplest of tasks, and becomes breathless even after light exertion. She can no longer work, is unable to complete household chores, and has had to change her car from a manual to an automatic. It is unlikely that her symptoms will be resolved.
We instructed a specialist on behalf of Lisa, who established she had suffered a radiation-related injury. It was agreed that Lisa had been treated with a dose that was too high, and the field of radiation was too wide (in that her nodal areas were treated even though she only had a micro invasive disease).
As a result of this negligent treatment Lisa developed brachial plexopathy, a disability she continues to suffer from. We settled Lisa's claim for damages, and she was awarded over £50,000 compensation.
(Details which might identify our client have been changed.)
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