Risks of New Treatments

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Terminally ill cancer patients, for whom existing treatment methods are ineffective, are desperate to find a cure. A group of these patients recently visited Germany in hopes of curing their disease using a new treatment method called "particle therapy." In the wake of their deaths however, the Korean consulate in Germany is urging patients to exercise caution.

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This message was posted on the website of the South Korean Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany, in October last year. The message says that several Korean patients with advanced forms of cancer had passed away while receiving particle therapy at German hospitals in Frankfurt and Munich. The Consulate General said that close to ten cases of Korean cancer patients dying in Germany while undergoing treatment were reported in 2018. After the message was posted in October, one more person reportedly died in Munich. Particle therapy is an innovative form of radiation therapy used in Germany and Japan. It destroys the DNA of cancer cells by accelerating carbon ion particles to up to 80 percent of the speed of light. The Consulate General said in its message that there had been many cases in which families of the deceased patients regretted having sent their loved ones to receive treatment in Germany and eventually pass away far from their homes. The Consulate General urged Korean patients to discuss the matter with Korean doctors before making a decision. The message added that patients need to be vigilant and verify their brokers and health care facilities, as in some cases they are recommended to receive therapies that are unrelated to particle therapy.