One Dead After Receiving Chemotherapy Injection at Japanese Children's Hospital

Saitama — One patient has died and two others remain in critical condition following chemotherapy injections at a children’s hospital in Japan. Saitama Prefecture Medical Centre for Children in Saitama City reported the case to police on Tuesday, 10 March, after discovering that cerebrospinal fluid from the patients contained cancer medication that should not have been administered around the spinal cord, according to Kyodo News.

The medication in question was not part of the cancer drugs originally prescribed, and no records of its administration were found. The hospital subsequently reported the matter to police, as reported by NHK.

After receiving the injections between January and October of the previous year, the three patients developed neurological symptoms such as difficulty walking. One teenage male patient died in February.

The hospital has launched a comprehensive investigation into the case. They have not ruled out the possibility of criminal conduct or serious medical negligence.