Kanazawa University Hospital overexposed 12 patients to radiation during treatment of cancer and other disorders over the past two years, and one of them has become seriously ill as a result, it was revealed Thursday.
The malpractice occurred between June 2000 and earlier this month because the hospital's X-ray engineer entered erroneous data into a high-powered X-ray machine used for cancer treatment, the hospital said.
The 12 were exposed to radiation levels 1.2 to 1.4 times the correct dosage. The hospital said it noticed the erroneous data input mistakes when it recently upgraded its computer system.
Of the 12 patients, three have since died of cancer, their original disease, according to announcements by the Ishikawa Prefectural Government, the education ministry and officials of the hospital.