Parents back to court to fight order forcing six year old with brain cancer into chemo 'toxic hell'
Perth doctors were back in court in a second bid to force a terminally-ill six-year-old boy into another round of "toxic hell" chemotherapy and radiation treatment that could have "horrific" side effects.
WA Family Court Chief Justice Stephen Thackray described six-year-old Oshin Kisko's case as unprecedented and exceedingly difficult, involving a matter of life and death and fundamental issues of parental autonomy.
Oshin's parents, Angela Kiszko and Adrian Strachan, refused chemotherapy and radiation treatment for their son after he was diagnosed with medulloblastoma, a form of brain cancer, in December.
In March, a Princess Margaret Hospital doctor took legal action after Ms Kiszko and Mr Strachan who said they wanted only palliative care for their son to allow him a quality of life free from the devastating side effects of treatment.
Justice Thackray ordered Oshin be given chemotherapy and the boy has since undergone two bouts of intensive treatment.
One of Oshin's treating doctors, who is not named for legal reasons, told the court tests had shown that Oshin's brain tumour had "markedly shrunk" in response to the chemotherapy.
The doctor told that court that even with radiation treatment, which needed to start as soon as possible, he estimated Oshin had a 30 to 40 per cent chance of surviving. The odds have now dropped to 10 to 30 per cent of surviving another five years.
He accepted the potential life-long side effects of treatment - including vision and hearing impairment and problems with intellectual and physical growth - were "horrific".
"By continuing with chemotherapy only it will prolong life, but it will not result in a cure," the doctor told the court.
"Nobody wants to use these doses of radiation on these children, because we know what the consequences are... but if our aim is to cure, anything less is just kicking the can along."
A report from another specialist to the court recommended an alternative option of Oshin having another two bouts of intensive chemotherapy.
