Essential Ethics

Jade is a 14-year-old girl with a high grade medulloblastoma (brain tumour). She presented with headaches but no evidence of neurological impairment. She is an otherwise healthy year eight student. Primary surgical resection with post-operative radiotherapy is the recommended treatment. There is a 30 percent chance of responding. But it's likely she will have side-effects (intellectual disability, seizures and/or problems using her arms and legs), and still die two to three years later. Without treatment she will die within six months. Her parents wish to try prayer and natural therapies, including pursuing options overseas.

Is it ethically acceptable for Jade’s parents to refuse standard therapy and pursue prayer and natural therapies?

Balancing quality of life and length of life is a tightrope that paediatric oncologist Dr Kanika Bhatia treads often. In this podcast she is supported by Dr Molly Williams who is also an oncologist and palliative care physician and for whom bioethics is a lived experience. Professor John Massie hosts the discussion.

Your patient is a young adult, but still under 18 years. He doesn’t want cancer treatment that will affect his appearance. But this will put him at risk of a less certain cure. Dr Diane Hanna is not fazed as to what to say, but how to make the best outcome happen is her dilemma. Professor Clare Delaney helps us consider the rights of the child to make a decision about their healthcare, but also, when we might have to override their decision.

What do you do when parents demand investigations and treatments for their children, that you think are unnecessary? Dr Giuliana Antolovich, experienced paediatrician and straight-talker, along with clear-thinking academic director Professor Lynn Gillam, tackle this one with host, Professor John Massie.