Law &. Ethics for Medical Careers 5th Edition by Karen Judson,Carlene Harrison

Exercise 20

Use your critical-thinking skills to answer the questions that follow each of the case studies.
A 10-year-old girl suffered from a rare malignancy in her brain and around her spinal cord. She had surgery, and most of the tumor mass was removed, but residual tumor remained in the brain and around the spinal cord. The girl's doctors informed her parents that chemotherapy and radiation were possible treatment options but could cause serious problems such as sepsis, a permanent loss of IQ and stature, and even death. The parents wished to proceed with the therapy.
While their child was undergoing aggressive chemotherapy and radiation, the parents did independent research and read of several drugs being administered for cancer in other states that were unapproved by the Federal Drug Administration (FDA) and were illegal in their home state but were touted by physicians using them as "miracle cures." The couple sued their child's physician for failure to disclose alternative treatments, thus depriving them of informed consent.
A court awarded summary judgment to the physician.
Did the physician involved follow the law? Did he act ethically? Explain your answer.
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