DPP to consider charges over cancer deaths

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Controversial alternative treatments given to four cancer patients hastened their deaths, WA’s deputy coroner has found.

DISGRACED: Hellfried Sartori masterminded an alternative cancer ‘cure’ which the WA deptury coroner ruled hastened the deaths of four WA patients. Picture: Qnpperth/ap
Source: PerthNow

INQUEST: Dr Alexandra Boyd with her Lawyer Richard Lawson.Picture: Kerris  Berrington
Source: PerthNow

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CONTROVERSIAL alternative treatments given to four cancer patients in Perth hastened their deaths, the State’s deputy coroner has found.

The case will now be referred to the Director of Public Prosecutions to determine whether an offence has been committed, after a lengthy coronial inquest into the deaths of the patients who were treated at the Mosman Park home of Dr Alexandra Boyd,

Deputy State Coroner Evelyn Vicker investigated the deaths of Sandra McCarty, Pia Bosso, Sandra Kokalis, Deborah Gruber, and Carmelo Vinciullo after they all undertook the radical cancer therapy at Kathi Preston Memorial Health Centre – which operated a “clinic” out of Dr Boyd’s home in 2005.

Austrian doctor Hellfried Sartori was the mastermind behind the treatment, and the inquest heard he had his medical licence revoked in several states of the USA and was jailed for practising medicine without a licence.

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The treatment, which the patients were told would cure them of cancer, was an administration of an IV High pH Cancer Therapy, using a range of substances including caesium, the industrial solvent DMSO, and laetrile – all of which are potentially toxic.

Ms McCarty, Ms Bosso, Ms Kokalis, and Ms Gruber all commenced the 12-day IV therapy on May 14, 2005.

Mr Vinciullo commenced the treatment on May 20 2005, but stopped five days later as he was in so much pain he could not continue.

He died on July 1, 2005, with his cancer uncured, and Ms Vicker said his death was from natural causes.

The other four patients died over four days from May 25 to May 28, 2005 – all as a result of the treatment they were given and all still suffering from cancer.

Ms Vicker said four of the seven patients treated at the centre died before they had finished the 12-day course.

WA Police were alerted to the operation of the clinic on May 26 after concerns raised through Fremantle Hospital.

In handing down her findings today, Ms Vicker said the treatment accelerated the deaths of the four women.

“While it is accepted all six cancer patients who died in 2005 had serious, end stage cancer, one of the issues of concern was whether the treatment accelerated any of their deaths,” Ms Vicker wrote in her findings.

“The four women who died, and those who had families involved with the treatment, were given serious misinformation about the risks involved with the treatment itself,

“There is no evidence this particular treatment had any real benefit at all to patients. There is considerable evidence it is dangerous and has a serious risk of accelerating death.”

Ms Vicker said she more concerned that Dr Boyd did not use her conventional medical knowledge to stop the treatment for patients who were clearly suffering than the fact she administered the treatment.

“My biggest concern with Dr Boyd is I simply cannot accept she did not know that part of the treatment involved the administration of caesium and laetrile along with other questionable substances,” Ms Vicker said.

“All patients were anxious to survive. This made them very vulnerable to a claim their cancer could not only be stalled, but most probably cured. All they had to do was believe.”

Ms Vicker said she did not find the public hospitals involved, where the victims eventually died, had any part to play in the deaths.

Her recommendations included restricted access for caesium chloride and other caesium salts, close scrutiny by the Department of Immigration and Citizenship for any Visa application for entry into Australia by Dr Sartori, and that data available from the centre in Perth be comprehensively evaluated to provide education and information to medical health practitioners of the effects of the administration of the substances.