|
PARIS (AP) - Hundreds of brain cancer patients in France and perhaps others in the United States may be contacted about their radiation treatments from malfunctioning machines, which were ordered shut down by the French government after a manufacturer's warning.
The maker of the equipment, Brainlab of Munich, Germany, downplayed the risks and the company's founder said it involved a small targeting error that was unlikely to cause problems for patients. However, a company notification sent to a U.S. clinic warned the problem could cause "injury or death."
Brainlab officials said they believed the malfunction occurred in just seven models in use worldwide. Four hospitals in France, two in the United States and one in Spain have the equipment, but the company would not name the U.S. hospitals. Brainlab would only say that U.S. government health authorities and the affected U.S. hospitals were notified.
|