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| CONTINUING COVERAGE |
Jury finds Hutch not negligent in 4 deaths
A jury yesterday decided in favor of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and against four people who sued the center in the deaths of their spouses in a medical experiment there 20 years ago. However, the jury found "The Hutch" negligent in the death of a fifth patient, 45-year-old David Yingling.
[April 9, 2004]
Deliberations to begin in suit against 'Hutch'
After eight weeks of testimony, jurors will begin deliberating today whether the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was negligent and failed to inform five patients of the risks in a medical experiment 20 years ago.
[April 1, 2004]
'Hutch' experiment's risks were known, expert testifies
The risks of dying from an experimental form of bone-marrow transplant were well-known before the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center began Protocol 126, according to expert testimony yesterday.
[March 31, 2004]
Doctor 'was sure' Hutch experiment could save lives
The doctor who ran a controversial medical experiment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center testified that, even after patients began developing a rare but fatal complication, he kept the experiment going because he thought he could save more lives than would be lost.
[March 30, 2004]
Experts from leukemia centers defend 'Hutch'
Five researchers from major leukemia centers say a controversial medical experiment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 20 years ago was similar to experiments they themselves were doing at the same time.
[March 26, 2004]
Doctor says 'Hutch' trial met standard
Dr. Richard O'Reilly, the first expert witness called by lawyers for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, testified yesterday that a human test at "The Hutch" 20 years ago was well-conceived, comparable to other trials around the country and properly informed patients of the risks and benefits.
[March 19, 2004]
Protocol showed great promise, Hutch Center researcher testifies
The researcher who proposed Protocol 126, a controversial medical trial at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, said he thought at the time that the experiment offered great benefits and minimal risks to patients.
[March 17, 2004]
Researcher backs Hutch Center in testimony during trial
Nobel laureate Dr. E. Donnall Thomas yesterday testified that researchers at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center had no way of knowing that so many patients would die in Protocol 126. [March 11, 2004]
'The Hutch' begins presenting defense
For a month now, the ethics of a failed medical experiment conducted 20 years ago have been dissected in a small Seattle courtroom. [March 10, 2004]
Hutch witness unleashes his anger
Joe Fisher tried to keep his anger bottled up through two days of trial testimony but finally couldn't. He wanted to speak directly to the cancer doctors he is suing for the death of his wife, but an easel was blocking his view. [Feb. 26, 2004]
'Hutch' doctor tells of doubts about experiment
Twenty years ago, Dr. Rainer Storb, co-founder of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, voiced concerns about a revolutionary medical experiment being conducted there. [Feb. 24, 2004]
Hutch's former review chief tells of unease at experiment
Dr. Henry Kaplan, now one of Seattle's most-respected cancer doctors, felt very uneasy about a medical experiment being conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center 20 years ago. [Feb. 19, 2004]
Couple didn't know treatment was experimental, man testifies
For 17 years, Cullen Couch thought his wife died despite receiving the best care at the renowned Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. But then he learned from a newspaper reporter that 32-year-old Jackie Couch had died in a controversial medical experiment. [Feb. 18, 2004]
Hutch witness sheds tears over patients
After two days of stoic and at times technical testimony, Dr. John Pesando started to cry. He was recalling efforts by some members of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's review board to curb a controversial medical experiment in which patients were dying. [Feb. 12, 2004]
Jury hears objections to 'Hutch' experiment
Two former members of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center's review board testified yesterday that they objected in vain to a controversial medical experiment conducted 20 years ago. [Feb. 10, 2004]
Argument over patients' consent starts Hutch trial
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center assigned curable patients to its riskiest experiment 20 years ago, and as a result they died, an attorney for the spouses of five patients argued in the first day of trial yesterday. [Feb. 6, 2004]
Trial to open in deaths of cancer patients at Hutch
Spouses of five patients who died in a controversial medical experiment two decades ago are taking their cases against the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to trial this week. [Feb. 1, 2004]
2 more families file suit against Hutch, 3 doctors
Two more families have sued the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and three of its leading doctors over the deaths of patients in a 1980s leukemia experiment. [Nov. 1, 2003]
Hutch settles consent case out of court
A week before trial, the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has reached an out-of-court settlement with the husband of Kathryn Hamilton, a breast-cancer patient who died in a controversial clinical trial. [Jan. 15, 2003]
Tougher laws urged for medical research
The Institute of Medicine, part of the National Academy of Sciences, called yesterday for tougher laws and policies to protect people enrolled in medical research.
[Oct. 4, 2002]
Judge: Hutch didn't reveal study's risk to patient
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center suffered a major defeat in a lawsuit yesterday when a federal judge ruled that the center was liable for failing to inform a 48-year-old woman with breast cancer of the risks in a clinical trial in which she died.
[Aug. 9, 2002]
Clinical-trial reforms sought
The highly publicized deaths of people in clinical trials has spawned more government oversight of the drug-development business, and one of its prominent regulators said yesterday that more must be done to improve oversight and sustain public trust in medical experiments.
[June 11, 2002]
'Hutch' imposes research rules
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has adopted tough new rules to restrict researchers from having financial conflicts of interests in medical experiments.
[May 2, 2002]
Safeguards proposed for clinical trials
Concerned about the dangers of "market-driven" medical research, key senators are advocating greater protection for patients who enroll in clinical trials.
[April 24, 2002]
Seattle Times series on 'The Hutch' was Pulitzer Prize finalist
The Seattle Times was one of three finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in investigative reporting, for a five-part series examining two failed clinical trials at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. [April 9, 2002]
Court: 'Hutch' can't get Times documents
The Seattle Times does not have to turn over documents or other communications between a staff reporter and the relatives of people who died in a leukemia experiment at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center in the 1980s, a federal judge has ruled. [April 5, 2002]
A year ago this month
Last March, The Seattle Times published an investigative series that reported that patients in two unsuccessful clinical trials at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center had been deprived of critical information before they enrolled in the experiments. Since then, officials at "The Hutch" and their supporters have railed against the reports, challenging their fairness and accuracy. The Times has published their questions and complaints and has responded to them.
[March 22, 2002]
Six more families sue 'Hutch'
Six more families have sued the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center over deaths in a leukemia experiment in the 1980s.
[March 15, 2002]
Times wins more honors for articles on 'Hutch'
The Seattle Times has won three more national journalism awards for investigative articles on the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
[March 15, 2002]
Hutch admits confusion to FDA, but doctors insist patients not harmed
Responding to federal regulators who suspended a series of cancer experiments, doctors working at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center admit to "some confusion and misunderstanding" in the areas of patient consent and federal reporting requirements. But the doctors insist that none of the leukemia patients in the clinical trials had been harmed by the problems and that all of them had provided their fully informed consent before enrolling.
[March 7, 2002]
FDA ordered Hutch to halt leukemia study in June
The leukemia experiment under suspension at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center was stopped last June by order of the federal Food and Drug Administration. Previously, Hutch officials were unclear on when and why the experiment was suspended. The newly revealed details raise further questions about why an advisory committee studying research practices at The Hutch last summer was kept in the dark about the suspension.
[Feb.23, 2002]
Disputed clinical trial is 'on hold,' Hutch says
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has suspended a clinical trial authorities say violated federal patient-safety regulations. Dr. Lee Hartwell, president of the Hutchinson center, said he expects continuing reforms and an upcoming letter to satisfy the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and allow the experiment to resume.
[Feb.22, 2002]
Times reporters win award for 'Hutch' series
The Seattle Times' investigation of the conduct of two clinical trials at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has been awarded one of journalism's most prestigious prizes. Times reporters Duff Wilson and David Heath were among the winners of the 2001 George Polk Awards, announced this week by Long Island University.
[Feb.21, 2002]
FDA warns Hutch on clinical trial: Doctor cited for failures in areas of informed consent, patient safety
Another clinical trial at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center has come under fire, this time from federal inspectors who say the doctors conducting the study "failed to provide basic elements of informed consent" to patients and to properly report deaths and other problems. [Feb. 17, 2002]
An update on The Hutch: Issues raised in last year's series about respected cancer research center continue to reverberate
Ten months after the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center found itself the subject of a newspaper investigative report, its leaders and lawyers work to defend the acclaimed institution in a court of law and in the court of public opinion. Here, in question-and-answer form, is an update on what’s happening.
[Jan. 20, 2002]
Class-action status denied in lawsuits against Hutch
A federal judge yesterday denied class-action status to families suing the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center over deaths that occurred after experimental treatment for blood cancers between 1981 and 1993.
[Nov. 20, 2001]
Advisory committee urges tough new rules at The Hutch
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center will have the nation's toughest rules against conflicts of interests in human-subject research, if its board accepts recommendations by an advisory panel.
[Sept. 8, 2001]
Medical-research reform gains support, with more protections sought for participants
For more than a decade, University of Maryland biochemist Adil Shamoo has been clamoring for greater protection for people enrolled in medical experiments. And for most of that time, his colleagues at research centers across the country have ignored him. [Aug. 6, 2001]
Editorial
A new look at the Hutch
A federal agency wants Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to answer complaints about two troubled experiments, and the Hutch should embrace the opportunity. [July 30, 2001]
U.S. agency investigates cancer trials at Hutch
The federal agency charged with protecting patients in clinical trials is investigating complaints against Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. [July 26, 2001]
Hutch opposes class action
In their first response to a federal class-action suit, lawyers for the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center say doctors gave patients "full disclosure of the material risks ... known at the time" in a controversial clinical trial. [June 28, 2001]
Editorial
No retreat from full Fred Hutch disclosure
Given the reputation of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, its refusal to take a hard, skeptical look at its own performance in past clinical trials is disappointing. [June 12, 2001]
Hutch review won't look at troubled experiments
The panel appointed by the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to review its clinical-trial policies will not look back at experiments for which the center is under fire. The committee, composed largely of Hutch donors and supporters, is examining the center's policies on protecting patients in clinical trials and on avoiding financial conflicts of interest by its doctors. [June 9, 2001]
Hearing on medical-testing protection delayed
A congressional watchdog agency says the federal government is moving too slowly to improve protections for people who participate in medical clinical-research trials. Notably, even the Senate hearing at which that finding was to be presented was postponed yesterday. [May 24, 2001]
Congress takes on medical-trials controversy
Spurred by questions about clinical medical trials in Seattle and elsewhere, Congress is looking closely at whether patients who participate are being properly informed and protected. [May 23, 2001]
Patient's survivors sue The Hutch
The husband of a breast-cancer patient who died as a result of a clinical trial is suing the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, its former director and three of its doctors, alleging they misled his wife about drugs they were testing. [May 22, 2001]
The Hutch selects review panel
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center yesterday named the people who will review the center's clinical-research practices, including how human experiments are regulated, what patients are told before enrolling, and how financial conflicts of doctors are policed. [April 20, 2001]
Surgeon general: Investigate The Hutch
Two controversial clinical trials conducted at Seattle's Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center deserve further investigation by the federal government, says the nation's top doctor. [April 11, 2001]
Class-action suit filed against 'The Hutch'
A leading patient-advocate attorney and two Seattle law firms yesterday filed a class-action suit against the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, claiming it violated laws overseeing ethics, human-subjects research and consumer protection when it conducted research involving cancer patients. [March 27, 2001]
Letters to the editor
[March 27, 2001]
Questions and answers about 'The Hutch'
Two Sundays ago, The Seattle Times began a five-part investigative series entitled, "Uninformed Consent: What patients at 'The Hutch' weren't told about the experiments in which they died." Since the series was published, officials at "The Hutch" - using their Web site and a series of newspaper advertisements - have raised questions about the fairness and accuracy of the series. Here are some of the issues they raise, and answers from Times editors and reporters. [March 25, 2001]
Letters to the editor
[March 25, 2001]
Hutch panel to review policies
The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center is assembling a panel of outside experts, patient advocates and community members to review the way it handles financial conflicts and informed consent. [March 24, 2001]
Letters to the editor
[March 22, 2001]
Call made for reform in medical research
Medical researchers and the agencies that regulate them should seize this "golden moment" to address problems with how human experimentation is conducted in this country, the leader of a blue-ribbon medical-ethics board said yesterday. [March 21, 2001]
Guest columnist
Hutch defense feeble
It is completely true that the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center (FHCRC) is a highly respected institution, has excellent physicians and has done much to alleviate disease and pain for many thousands of patients. However, the clinical trials mentioned in your "Uninformed Consent" series are exceptions to this notable record of achievement. [March 21, 2001]
Guest columnist
Times' series discredits efforts to cure cancer
Cell Therapeutics, Inc. is extremely dismayed over the portrayal in The Seattle Times series of some of the events and people associated with the clinical trials conducted at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The real tragedy of this report, however, is that some patients and their families believed that they somehow placed their loved ones in harm's way. [March 20, 2001]
Biotech firm, Times at odds over details of story
Cell Therapeutics yesterday took out a newspaper ad to dispute some details of a Seattle Times story about a woman who died from high doses of chemotherapy in a breast-cancer study at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. The Times stands by the March 13 story on each issue raised by the company. [March 19, 2001]
Mike Fancher / Times executive editor
Hutch series triggers huge reader reaction and sweeping denials
No Seattle Times story in memory has produced a wider, deeper chasm of reaction than last week's series about the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. [March 18, 2001]
Editorial
Full disclosure at The Hutch
Analytical skills that made The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center a crown jewel of the Pacific Northwest need to be applied to three areas of surprising weakness. [March 18, 2001]
Letters to the editor
[March 18, 2001]
How lobbying killed new state regulations
After testimony last year from The Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, other Washington medical facilities and biotechnology companies, lawmakers stopped a proposal that would have given more independence to the boards that review controversial and experimental medical treatments. [March 16, 2001]
Hutch: Times' reports were 'blatantly false'
The president of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center said yesterday that published reports the center had failed to fully inform patients of medical risks and potential financial conflicts in two clinical trials were "blatantly false." [March 16, 2001]
Guest columnists
The ethical dilemmas of drugs, money, medicine
Real patients suffer real harm from biased studies that offer false or incomplete information, including information about a doctor's financial ties to a pharmaceutical company. Reform needs to begin with the clinical drug trial process, where there must be some form of credible and independent third-party testing of drugs. [March 15, 2001]
Letters to the editor
[March 13, 2001]
Research center responds to Times stories
Here is the full, unedited response from the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center to the stories published in The Seattle Times yesterday, the first day of the series, "Uninformed Consent: What patients at 'The Hutch' weren't told about the experiments in which they died." [March 12, 2001]
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